Colin Biggers & Paisley announces 1 July promotions

Colin Biggers & Paisley is pleased to announce their latest round of promotions, with ten lawyers appointed to senior positions.

Effective 1 July 2021, Adrian Konstantinidis and Nathan Rhimes have been promoted to partner, Mark Evans, Mary Kinna, Stuart McKenzie, Mathisha Panagoda and Julian Peake have been promoted to special counsel, and Jacky Li , Elle Mariconte, and Mollie Matthews have been promoted to senior associate. 

Adrian Konstantinidis joined Colin Biggers & Paisley in 2008 and is a member of the practice's Disputes and Investigations team. Adrian has extensive experience acting in defence of class actions and complex commercial disputes. He has acted in some of Australia's major securities, employment and product liability class actions. Adrian also has considerable experience in matters arising from contractual disputes, corporate collapses and financial services.

Nathan Rhimes joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's Property and Development team in 2017. Nathan has fourteen years' experience in property, development and construction law in Australia and the Middle East. He brings a keen commercial perspective to his practice, which has been strengthened by his previous experience as a general and senior in-house counsel.

Mark Evans joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's Planning, Government Infrastructure and Environment Group in 2020. Mark's broad commercial and property background adds versatility to his extensive planning and environmental experience. His expertise is in providing environmental services, including development appeals, environmental prosecutions, project documentation, biodiversity and NSW planning law. Mark acts for both developers and local councils on either side of development appeals and prosecution matters.

Mary Kinna joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's insurance practice in 2019. Mary has diverse experience in simple and complex public liability and property damage claims, including multi-party disputes across all NSW courts. Mary has experience defending construction companies, occupiers, owners' corporations, cleaning companies, schools, property owners and large corporate chains in claims against them pursuant to the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), defending barristers in professional negligence claims, and defending insurers in proceedings commenced pursuant to the Civil Liability (Third Party Claims Against Insurers) Act 2017 (NSW).

Stuart McKenzie joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's Restructuring and Insolvency team in 2010. Stuart has a broad range of experience in commercial litigation, dispute resolution and debt recovery. Stuart's primary practice involves acting for and advising insolvency practitioners in relation to disputes under the Corporations Act, Bankruptcy Act and Personal Property and Securities Act. Stuart also advises insolvency practitioners and company directors on corporate restructures including entry into deeds of company arrangement and other schemes of arrangement.

Mathisha Panagoda joined the insurance practice in 2019. Mathisha has extensive experience acting for schools, religious institutions, disability service providers and insurers on claims of bodily injury, historical child sexual abuse, professional indemnity and general liability. His practice focuses on litigation, dispute resolution and managing end-to-end claims within a principled and outcome-focused framework. He also advises clients on a range of strategic, governance, compliance and risk management issues, particularly in relation to child safety.

Julian Peake joined Colin Biggers & Paisley in 2015 and practises in the areas of insurance, commercial litigation, and trade and transport. Julian regularly acts as defence and/or coverage counsel for some of Australia's largest insurers, specialising in complex building and construction risk claims across a range of projects, including road, rail, large infrastructure and residential construction. 

Jacky Li joined the insurance practice in 2019 and has extensive experience in advising and acting in the defence of general liability, professional indemnity and property damage claims across a spectrum of industries in various Australian jurisdictions. He has a particular interest in matters involving complex indemnity, liability and causation issues. Jacky's practice extends to coverage and defence of claims, inquiries and investigations in the context of both statutory and general lines of insurance. He has acted for some of Australia's largest ancillary health providers and building subcontractors.

Elle Mariconte joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's insurance practice in 2018. Elle's practice primarily focuses on the defence of personal injury, product liability, property damage and professional negligence claims for local and global insurers and corporations. Elle has practised and appeared in the NSW and ACT Administrative Tribunal, the NSW Local, District and Supreme Court, the ACT Supreme Court and the Federal Court.

Mollie Matthews joined Colin Biggers & Paisley's Graduate Program in 2017. Mollie is part of Colin Biggers & Paisley's Planning Government Infrastructure and Environment group. Mollie's experience includes advising on planning and environmental matters for various property developments, including large-scale projects, commercial, mixed-use and residential developments. Mollie has represented clients in merit appeals, judicial review proceedings, civil enforcement proceedings, and criminal environmental defences.

For more information please contact Linda Branton on 02 8281 4594 or linda.branton@cbp.com.au.

About Colin Biggers & Paisley

Colin Biggers & Paisley has a century-long history of genuine expertise in transactions, projects, governance and dispute resolution. We’re particularly known for our insurance, property and construction experience, and have an established reputation in a range of other sectors. We act for major corporations, financial institutions, insurance companies, government departments and individuals. We have both the capacity and the expertise to deliver on complex national and multinational projects.

Our purpose is to work collectively to build and secure the future of our clients, colleagues and community.

For our clients, that means we’re invested and we’re loyal. To do our best by them, we invest in people with the right combination of legal, business, interpersonal and critical thinking skills, as well as in the right technology to enable them. When it is needed, our close-knit, expertise-based teams collaborate effectively to identify and solve complex issues. 

For each other, that means we value our collegiality, we respect and support one another, and we celebrate diverse contributions.

For our communities, that means we take a big-hearted, socially minded approach to provide active support and service where they are needed most. We launched the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation in 2015, with a core focus on promoting and protecting the rights of women and children in Australia and abroad through an innovative mix of pro bono legal services, volunteering and charitable contributions.