$8000 a day for Lisa Wilkinson’s silk? Bargain!

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A tranche of documents dropped by the Federal Court this week revealed the costs associated with Lisa Wilkinson’s defence against allegations of defamation levelled at her by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Included in the documents was the dollar figure charged by Wilkinson’s star silk, Sue Chrysanthou SC. She required $8000 a day to appear in court, while her junior, Barry Dean, charged $3500.

While the fees seem eye-watering to some (read: most), lawyers will tell you Wilkinson got herself a deal. For example, Ten’s barrister, Matthew Collins KC, reportedly charges about $11,000 a day.

They’ll also be quick to tell you while defamation lawyers may have more fun, commercial law is where the real money is. Allan Myers KC, who has acted for billionaires Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and Gina Rinehart, is rumoured to charge $20,000 a day.

Meanwhile, top appeals silk Bret Walker SC, who recently represented Gladys Berejiklian in her ICAC appeal, charges up to $25,000 a day.

Wilkinson and Ten’s costs dispute marks one of the final chapters until this sorry saga comes to a close.

Today is the last day Lehrmann can launch an appeal against judge Michael Lee’s findings that he, on the balance of probabilities, raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

While silk Guy Reynolds SC has been tapped to lead Lehrmann’s appeals team, things have been awfully quiet from the former Liberal staffer’s camp.

Luckily Lehrmann likely won’t have to worry about Reynolds’ daily rate. That is, if he acts pro bono as his other legal counsel has.

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Roger Prowse in the spotlight again

It’s been nearly six months since the NSW judicial watchdog announced it would probe rogue regional magistrate Roger Prowse, after he labelled a defendant “lower than a snake’s duodenum” and criticised judges in superior courts.

As a quick reminder, he told the Port Macquarie local court that, if he had a choice of speaking with the defendant, Glenn Dirix, or “picking up dog excreta, I’d go for the dog excreta really because it’s less odious”.

But Dirix, who initially reported Prowse, this week wrote to the NSW Judicial Commission with concerns the magistrate was not only still sitting while the probe takes place, but is still making colourful comments from the bench.

He pointed out Prowse told a Clarence Valley man busted with weapons, hundreds of cannabis plants and a stash of “hillbilly heroin” that his excuses “had all the veracity of a political promise”.

“Not much, in other words,“ Prowse said.

In a letter to the commission, Dirix’s lawyer, former magistrate David Heilpern, said his client was “concerned that he is not being regularly updated as to the Conduct Division proceedings”.

“He is also concerned that Magistrate Prowse continues to sit, and continues in the same vein as previously, in this case criticising politicians yet again,” Heilpern wrote.

NSW magistrate Roger Prowse.

Legal movements

• Cooper Grace Ward has poached two commercial litigators from top-tier firms, with Brock Morgan joining from Allens and Andrew Vella joining from MinterEllison.
• Maddocks has promoted 64 employees, including 11 special counsel, 17 senior associates, 23 associates, nine support services, and four partners. The partners are Angela Barac (dispute resolution, Melbourne), Andrew McGlashan (construction, Sydney), Dale McQualter (workplace health & safety, Melbourne), Rahil Patel (mergers and acquisitions, Sydney).
• Gilbert + Tobin has appointed four new partners and six special counsel. The new partners are Wes Bainbridge (corporate advisory, Sydney), Olivia Blakiston (corporate advisory, Melbourne), Alexandra Whitby (disputes, Sydney), Xavier Keary (G+T ventures, Sydney). The new special counsel are, Kerry-Lee Carew (banking, Sydney), Michael Spurritt (banking, Sydney), Elizabeth Lathlean (corporate advisory, Sydney), Keara Stretton (corporate advisory, Melbourne), Bridget Sutton, (corporate advisory, Melbourne), Kasia Dziadosz-Findlay (disputes, Sydney).

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