Join us for a coffee chat with senior associate Alfred Jackson and private client partner Scott Hay-Bartlem, both from our private client team.

They discuss Alfred's path to Cooper Grace Ward and his promotion to senior associate on 1 July 2026. Alfred shares why he enjoys being a first point of call for business clients, particularly on M&A, transactions and the related structuring and tax work. He also explains what is worrying his clients at the moment, from warranties and indemnities to force majeure in shipping contracts. Scott and Alfred also chat about Alfred's weekends, from early-morning rounds of golf to a deck renovation that is taking longer than planned.

Join us for a coffee chat with special counsel Jess Byrne from our insurance team and private client partner Scott Hay-Bartlem.

They discuss Jess's ten-year journey at Cooper Grace Ward, from starting in the firm's law clerk program in 2016 to her promotion to special counsel in the insurance team on 1 July 2026. Jess shares what she enjoys about working in the workers’ compensation and CTP space, including the variety of clients and the advocacy work she does at settlement meetings and mediations. She also gives a glimpse into her weekends, from playing hockey for a local Brisbane club to catching up with friends and family.

Welcome to Inside the Claim with CGW, Cooper Grace Ward's workers' compensation podcast that offers a behind-the-scenes look at recent trial cases and expert insights from the lawyers who ran them.

In this episode, Jess Byrne and Damien Jarrett, both special counsel at Cooper Grace Ward, discuss the Supreme Court case of Hunter v Alliance Airlines Pty Ltd. Damien acted for the employer, Alliance Airlines. Ms Hunter, a cabin crew member, injured her back while applying force to free a jammed galley cart from its stowage bay. She had adopted an 'off-centre' pulling position rather than standing squarely in front of it.

Jess and Damien unpack how the case shifted from broader allegations about cart maintenance and staffing into a training case over three years of pleadings. They discuss the impact of limited past issues or injuries in the same setting, and the extent of the training the court required. They also explore the quantum arguments, including how the court treated Ms Hunter's decision to pursue her own business rather than return to work after having a child, and at what point that pursuit became unreasonable.

Tune in to hear Damien's reflections on what the matter taught him about defending manual handling claims.