Rory Markham is a commercial litigation and industrial relations specialist whose principal practice is in employment class actions. Rory is highly recognised for developing innovative options for the management of complex and sensitive matters, including the involvement of third-party funders in litigation matters. Rory is driven by an endless can-do spirit and is best known for his ability to find out-of-the-box solutions for his clients. More than anyone, Rory can see the big picture, which allows him to develop powerful client-focused strategies to run class actions or win individual disputes.
He has a strong sense of social justice and enjoys working with a diverse range of clients throughout Australia.
Rory recently had his leadership abilities recognised at the prestigious Partner of the Year Awards where he was listed as a finalist in the category of Litigation Partner of the Year.
Prior to commencing his legal career Rory held executive level roles within the Australian Public Service in connection with strategic policy management in Social Services. In addition to his legal roles, Rory has been a trustee of the Canberra Goulburn Catholic Archdiocese, a board member of the Havelock Housing Association and the chairperson of the Queanbeyan Business Chamber. Rory previously taught at the Australian National University Law School in the LLB and LLM programs covering the courses of Litigation, evidence and advanced contracts.
Tom Hakkinen has litigation experience in the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, and the Fair Work Commission across a range of matters including shareholder disputes, employment disputes, bankruptcy and judgment enforcement. Prior to commencing his role with Adero Law, Tom spent two years as an advocate appearing in the Fair Work Commission. In 2017 Tom was Associate to Justice Mossop in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. Prior to joining the legal profession Tom was a high school English teacher.
Nathan Schofield is an outcome-focused Senior Associate based in our Melbourne office. Nathan has carriage of multiple class actions at Adero and works across the class actions practice.
Prior to his appointment with Adero, Nathan worked in a regional firm on criminal, family, commercial, and litigation matters. Nathan has previous experience assisting on employment matters within the Fair Work Commission and formerly held a position as a Solutions Architect where he developed legal applications for not-for-profit, boutique, top tier, and international firms.
Nathan is practically-minded and enjoys utilising data analysis to achieve the most desirable outcome for his clients and class action group members.
Andrew is a diligent Associate who is known to be results-driven and brings a wealth of experience in order to achieve the best outcomes for Adero Law.
Andrew obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration and Law from the College of Law, Christ University in Bangalore, India and went on to complete a Juris Doctor from the Australian National University. With over two and a half years of experience cumulatively in employment litigation, administrative law and cost litigation, Andrew is well versed with the subject matter of employment law class actions and is known for thinking ‘out of the box’ to find effective solutions.
Andrew is well immersed in Canberra’s legal community as a member of the ACT Law Society Young Lawyers Committee and the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (ACT). He also volunteers time to the legal student community by collaboratively working with the ANU Law Student’s Society on various projects.
Ryan Fletcher is a passionate and approachable member of the Adero team, who is well suited to his role of liaising with our class action clients and developing efficient bookbuild procedures. Ryan has a professional interest in third-party litigation funding and strongly believes that this practice enables greater access to justice for class members.
Ash is a vibrant and dynamic Lawyer based in our Melbourne office. Ash works across the class actions practice, and specialises in the fields of quantum calculation and data analysis.
Prior to his appointment with Adero, Ash spent nearly a ten years working in the aviation sector while completing his legal studies. Ash formerly held a position as an Industrial Officer for an employee organisation, where he advised on enterprise bargaining and industrial relations disputes.
Ash is passionate about using his legal skills to help individuals that otherwise would have little or no access to justice. He enjoys finding creative solutions for complicated legal problems and by ensuring that legal issues are explained clearly and concisely to clients and group members.
Claudia Brennan is a responsive and solution focused lawyer and member of the Adero legal team. Claudia works across both the class actions and retail practices and has litigation experience in the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of Australian Capital Territory and the Fair Work Commission.
Claudia has a keen interest in delivering justice for her clients. Her role includes briefing and working with counsel, preparing briefs and witness statements, managing the day to day running of claims, and drafting pleadings and applications. Having interned at a litigation funder previously Claudia has a unique insight into funded class actions.
Anvesh is a calm and solutions-oriented lawyer who enjoys the challenges that litigation has to offer.
Anvesh completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Mechanical System from the University of Melbourne and went on to complete his Juris Doctor from the Australian National University. Prior to working at Adero, Anvesh worked at a boutique Canberra firm working on a criminal, property and commercial litigation matters.
Tim has an extensive sale background working in various field ranging from the pharmaceutical industry all the way through to Australian made outdoor clothing. He is our operations manager, and his role is to help facilitate the smooth running of Adero, whether he is organising invoices, updating clients, or even keeping the lawyers well stocked with food, Tim helps in multiple ways in the Adero business.
Nicholas is a relentless campaigner for the enforcement of basic minimum entitlements, particularly in the area of employment law. With in excess of 15 years of experience in Industrial advocacy and workplace relations, complimented by his current undergraduate studies in Law, Nicholas is a key influencer in the origination and development of Adero’s class actions. Located in Brisbane, Nicholas is travelling anywhere necessary to aid in finding the best possible resolution for clients who might otherwise be faced with barriers to justice.
Nicholas (he/him) is a driven young professional, who assists our lawyers with a wide variety of duties including conducting research, drafting correspondence and court documents, preparing briefs, and liaising with clients. While working part-time at Adero, Nick is also currently in his fourth year completing a double degree in Law and Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the Australian National University.
Five years’ casual retail and hospitality experience which provides a strong foundational understanding of Adero’s clients.
Elizma (she/her) is committed to working diligently in a dynamic team, driven for helping clients gain access to the justice system and resolution services. She is a passionate team member at Adero, who assists the legal team in a variety of ways to ensure that clients and group members receive the best service and advice.
Elizma has worked in various industries with a strong reliance on customer-service and quick thinking skills; including hospitality, retail, fitness, and sport management.
Megan works at Adero Law part-time while completing her studies. She has also volunteered her time with various environmental advocacy groups.
At Adero Law we will aim to assist you through practicing integrity, clear communication and innovation. Our interest is achieving fair, commercial outcomes for our clients.