The most influential lawyers in NSW revealed | Full list

From local politicians to former Olympians, these are the most influential lawyers working their trade in suburban Sydney and NSW. Full list.

From local politicians to former Olympians, these legal eagles are well known in their communities for their high profile cases and their local influence.

Whether they are representing accused murderers or the interest of their community, these high flying lawyers are famous for their commitment.

Find out who made the list in your area.

Stephen Lawrence, Dubbo

Dubbo mayor Stephen Lawrence is also a local lawyer. Picture: Ryan Young

Dubbo Mayor Stephen Lawrence believes his legal knowledge is integral to his success in local government. Mr Lawrence, who has served on Dubbo Regional Council since 2017, said his experience as a lawyer had been invaluable in the role.

“(As a councillor) you become a focal point for people with various issues, which often includes legal issues, so you have this privileged position where you can assist a lot of people,” he said.

Cr Lawrence has previously worked in roles which vary from a public defender in the Solomon Islands to the prosecutor for the Director of Public Prosecutions, specialising in sexual assault. He spent five years working for the Aboriginal Legal Service in Dubbo, which resulted in him becoming the principal solicitor for western NSW.

“It was incredibly fulfilling work,” he said.

One of the most significant cases he’s worked on is the 2013 High Court case of Bugmy, which is now the leading authority on the sentencing principles applicable to socially disadvantaged Aboriginal offenders.

In his role as councillor and mayor (as of this year), Mr Lawrence has used his influence to advocate for community issues he’d witnessed as a local lawyer.

“I was able to play a leadership role in orientating council towards a focus on social and criminal justice issues,” he said.

Recently the Dubbo Council secured state funding for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre and a drug court after vigorous campaigning.

Cr Lawrence said his legal knowledge meant he was able to make a “significant contribution” to the campaign.

“You can play a very significant and a fulfilling role as a lawyer in a regional area,” he said.

Raymond Zhai, Sydney

Raymond Zhai has his own firm called Zhai and Associates. Picture: Instagram

Raymond Zhai is revolutionising legal practice by reaching his audience in a whole new way – through social media.

Mr Zhai, known as @thatcriminallawyer on TikTok, has gone viral for his relatable legal advice on issues ranging from restraining orders to drugs.

The Sydney lawyer began sharing advice on TikTok when he realised the opportunities social media provides for reaching a younger and largely untapped audience.

“I decided to change that by making videos on TikTok to reach a younger audience with the aim of helping them understand the law better and to make legal advice more accessible,” Mr Zhai said.

“I want to change the perception that in order to defend your rights you have to pay huge amounts of money to big law firms who don’t really make you feel like they are truly there with you, through what can be a very scary and life-changing process.”

His clear and concise advice has been met with an “amazing response” from his followers, with a fan base of over 33,000 people and a “massive increase in enquiries”.

“It’s also helped me reach a wider audience during a time when face-to-face interaction is limited due to Covid,” Mr Zhai said.

Mr Zhai has defended several prominent cases, including Simon Tu, who was jailed for crashing into police cars with $130 million of ice in his van, and the Denhams, a cocaine-dealing married couple who were convicted with community sentences.

Mr Zhai is continuing his disruption of the traditional law profession by using his language skills to create videos in Chinese and Spanish to better reach young people across Sydney.

Matthew Ward, Wollongong 

Supplied Editorial Wollongong lawyer Matthew Ward focuses on advocating for the community.

Lawyer Matthew Ward has established a strong reputation for advocating for the community over his ten years working in Wollongong.

Mr Ward has been named a Leading Criminal Lawyer in Regional NSW for the past two years and was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 selection in 2019 and 2020.

As a regional lawyer, Mr Ward is passionate about high quality representation for NSW communities outside of Sydney. He believes the role of a local lawyer is to educate and advocate for the wider community, as well as clients.

“Affecting positive change is something we do in court for our clients, but we also have to think what we can do for others in the community who may be in the same position,” he said.

“As a criminal lawyer, you are part of any local community.”

Mr Ward said he believed lawyers had a duty to advocate for laws that better serve the community. He is particularly interested in legal issues surrounding mental health, delays in the criminal justice system and the intersection of the law and climate change.

As well as representing the community, Mr Ward has also represented high-profile clients like controversial property developer and former Auburn mayor Salim Mehajer.

Mr Ward is passionate about teaching the next generation of lawyers to hone their advocacy skills. His firm Morrisons established Morrisons Moot in 2019, a criminal law mock trial to give future lawyers insight into criminal law in action, which he hopes to expand.

“I feel the need to give back,” Mr Ward said.

Sam Rowland, Goulburn

Lawyer Sam Rowland has been a Goulburn Mulwaree councillor since he was 20.

Having been a Goulburn Mulwaree councillor since he was 20, no one could doubt Sam Rowland’s commitment to his community.

Cr Rowland was elected to the council while he was still studying law, after discussions with his grandfather prompted him to become more active in local politics.

Six years later, Mr Rowland was made a partner at Johnson and Sendall Law Firm in Goulburn. He believes the role of lawyers is to defend and assist the community.

“I think lawyers in regional communities should feel a strong sense of social responsibility to their community particularly having regard to the large number of vulnerable people living in these areas,” he said.

Mr Rowland said he found his legal skills useful in understanding complex technical legislation and issues in his role as a councillor. He believes there is some similarity between his roles in the local court and local politics.

“I think that both jobs require a commitment to one’s fellow man, however you don’t need a law degree to be an effective councillor,” he said.

“(T)o be an effective councillor, you need to have the courage of your convictions, even when you are the only one standing.”

An issue that has been evident in both the courtroom and the council chambers is the pressing problem of youth mental health. Although Mr Rowland has had some success after years campaigning for mental health facilities in Goulburn, there is increasing demand for the services.

“Sadly, the courts are full of people who have made mistakes whilst suffering from the effects of a mental health condition,” he said.

Indeed this was the case with Barbara Eckersley, who Mr Rowland initially defended when she was accused of killing her mother in a nursing home in 2018. She was convicted this year but given a lenient two-year community corrections order.

Manny Conditsis, Gosford

Gosford lawyer Manny Conditsis has a storied history. Picture: AAP Image/Sue Graham

After 38 years as a high-flying lawyer, Manny Conditsis is well known on the Central Coast for his legal prowess.

The Gosford lawyer has had numerous notable cases, but his most high profile is arguably the Dean Waters case in 1997. Waters was a well-known Australian heavyweight boxing champion who confessed to shooting his mother’s partner, but he was acquitted of the murder due to the psychiatric defence mounted by Conditsis.

Another notable case was an abused woman accused of fatally stabbing her partner in 2003, for which she was acquitted after a Supreme Court trial. Mr Conditsis said the case was emblematic of the clients for whom he advocates.

“I’m passionate about representing people who are downtrodden, disadvantaged, people who without having a capable advocate representing them, could not properly represent their case in court,” he said.

Mr Conditsis was awarded the NSW Law Society President’s Award in 2012 for his pro bono work in the Gosford community, particularly in criminal and child protection law. The Law Society praised his commitment to improving access to justice in the local community.

“I’m particularly passionate about injustice,” Mr Conditsis said.

“We’re in the community, we’re representing people in the community.”

Mr Conditsis has continued to use his high profile to enrich the wider community by providing expert commentary for a number of media outlets, including the ABC, SBS and Channels 7, 9, and 10.

Shelley Watts, Port Macquarie

Commmonwealth gold medallist Shelley Watts at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, is now a lawyer. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Former Commonwealth gold medallist Shelley Watts is no stranger to being the centre of attention, but she does a different kind of sparring these days.

Ms Watts started boxing to keep fit after she tore her ACL in a soccer match, but Ms Watts soon discovered she had a knack for it. With only five months of training, she overwhelmingly won her first bout with a final score of 18-0 and went on to become Australian champion in 2011.

Ms Watts made Australian history as the first female boxer to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, cementing her name in Australian sporting history.

With a multitude of medals behind her, Ms Watts was riding high when she qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. When she lost her first match at the Olympics, she decided instead to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer.

“Apparently I told my mum as early as 11 years of age that I wanted to be a lawyer and stuck to my guns, and was able to be accepted to do my degree at Southern Cross University,” she said.

After graduating in 2017 with a double degree in exercise science and law, Ms Watts made her dream come true.

“I was a bit confused as to what to do (after the Olympics) and got a great opportunity to complete my practical legal training … so I moved back to Port Macquarie and have been here working ever since,” she said.

Ms Watts now works at Tony Cox lawyers, although she has taken maternity leave to have her second child.

“I love the team of lawyers around Port Macquarie,” she said.

Bryan Wrench, Sydney

Australian musician Shannon Noll with notable lawyer Bryan Wrench. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

As the preferred lawyer to the stars, Bryan Wrench is a familiar face in high-profile court cases. He’s made a name for himself representing some of the biggest names in Australia, from ex-NRL star Sam Burgess to Australian music icon Shannon Noll.

The high profile criminal lawyer recently represented Sam Burgess when his intimidation charge was overturned, and again when he was charged with driving with traces of cocaine in his system. In the latter case, Burgess pleaded guilty but was not convicted.

In 2018, Mr Wrench was by Shannon Noll’s side as he pleaded guilty to possession of a small amount of cocaine. Mr Wrench also represented actor John Jarrett, famous for Wolf Creek, when he was found not guilty of sexual assault in 2019. In the same year, he was the lawyer for activist Danny Lim, who had his case of offensive behaviour dismissed.

However, one of the most sensational recent cases Mr Wrench has been involved in was that of the Arcade Circus. There were 126 charges laid against seven people for the alleged sexual abuse of three boys in Katoomba which were all withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2020 without an explanation.

Mr Wrench’s name carries such high value that he had his own copycat fraudster, who impersonated the lawyer for a fee of $500.