Michael Abbott, QC, lord of the courts

From politicians to murderers and the Catholic Church, Michael Abbott, QC, is the go-to guy if you're in a spot of legal bother.

THE prosecutor, a top silk from Sydney, was in the middle of his opening address.

Then a series of casual asides from the bar table broke his stride. The comments, barely audible to the public gallery, clearly rankled Brind Woinarski, QC.

"Will you just let me finish?" he snapped at the opposing barrister.

Michael Abbott, QC, shrugged and settled back into his chair. Eventually he rose to explain that, as far as he could see, the charges against his client had been filed illegally.

He said the entire trial of unionist Ark Tribe - who had refused to answer federal government questions - was unlawful.

He lost on that point but, at the end of the trial, Mr Tribe was acquitted and Mr Abbott added another victory to his long list of triumphs.

Since he entered practice in 1966, Mr Abbott has become one of the most recognised members of the state's legal fraternity.

Last decade, legal observers believed him to be winding down after years acting for clients as varied as murderer Bevan Spencer von Einem and superannuation giant IOOF.

Such thoughts were premature; Mr Abbott's cases this decade have arguably been even more high profile.

He acted for Mike Rann when Michelle Chantelois claimed she had had an affair with the then-premier.

He won a confidential settlement for former judge Marie Shaw when she was defamed by politician Dennis Hood. While defending Senator Mary Jo Fisher on shoplifting charges, he also investigated the Catholic Church's handling of Anglican breakaway Archbishop John Hepworth's sex abuse claims.

In a 150-page report, handed down this week, he concluded the allegations were unfounded and that there was "no undue delay" by the church.

The biggest case of 2012 - a state MP on child pornography charges - is also Mr Abbott's, guaranteeing the spotlight.

But Mr Abbott is not the sort of person who seeks public attention - his relationship with the media is far too adversarial for that. He has clashed repeatedly with reporters while accompanying the MP on pornography charges to court, pushing away their microphones.

After three calls to the powerful Gilles St Chambers requesting an interview, Mr Abbott's staff informed The Advertiser he would be overseas until next week.

Peers are reluctant to talk about him - on or off the record - and biographical detail is scant, found most readily in write-ups from organisations that count him as a member.

Mr Abbott has filled numerous committee roles for the University of Adelaide and was president of the SA Bar Association for three years.

His passion for art was formally recognised earlier this year - the Art Gallery South Australia's Southeast Asian collection gallery is now known as the Michael Abbott Gallery, reflecting his passion for the genre and his donation of nearly 1000 objects valued at more than $3 million since 1976. He is also the gallery's chairman and was, until 2000, a director of the National Textile Museum.

Mr Abbott also holds a seat on the board of the SA Tourism Commission.

His passion for the state, culture and art are matched only by the fervour with which he acts for his clients.

While representing IOOF in the 1990s, he asked the judge to disqualify himself on five occasions.

He famously declined to charge for the time he spent with von Einem, considering the killer's petition for mercy to be a broader legal issue.

And he is prepared to interrupt prosecutors - and occasionally judges - if it means getting his client's point across.

During the Mary Jo Fisher case, he loudly denounced SA Police for "ambushing" his client with contradictory psychological evidence.

Such loyalty does not stop him from voicing his opinion, though.

In June 2006, he attacked the Rann Government over the expansion of its criminal DNA database. He warned the expansion was a significant erosion of the individual's right to privacy.

His high-profile corporate cases have also been accompanied by a small handful of board appointments.

He is a director and shareholder in a number of small private companies - including Asia Ceramics, his superannuation trustee company Obenox, and Kutch Export Company - and was appointed to the board of listed industrial services company E&A in October 2007.

He receives $54,000 in directors fees plus superannuation for the role.

His rates for court work, meanwhile, are rumoured to be about $9000 a day.