Hanna Legal | A leading Australian law firm

about

Hanna Legal is one of Australia’s leading boutique law firms. Based in Sydney, we specialise in criminal defence, with a focus on serious and complex matters. We also have extensive experience in regulatory, professional disciplinary and quasi-criminal matters, and act in select civil and employment law cases.

We represent both individual and corporate clients and have appeared in some of Australia’s most highly publicised cases.

Our lawyers are committed to providing first class and fearless representation with uncompromising dedication.

In 2016, 2017 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Hanna Legal was listed as a First Tier criminal defence law firm by the Doyles Guide.

Hanna Legal was awarded Best Criminal and Regulatory Law Firm – Australia in the APAC Insider Legal Awards.

expertise

Criminal Defence

Hanna Legal represents individuals and corporations charged with all types of criminal offences, including fraud, drug supply, personal violence, traffic matters, robbery, firearms charges, sexual assault and homicide. We routinely defend clients against State and Commonwealth prosecutions in the NSW Local, District and Supreme Courts as well as courts throughout Australia.

Our lawyers have a track record of success in bail applications, summary hearings, jury trials and sentence proceedings. Hanna Legal has appeared in some of the most high profile criminal law matters in Australia and our cases regularly attract national and international media coverage.

Appeals

Hanna Legal has vast experience and proven success in appeals against conviction, sentence and interlocutory orders to the NSW District Court, Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeal and Court of Appeal. Notable cases include B v R, where the Court of Criminal Appeal overturned a conviction for murder for which our client had received a sentence of imprisonment of 34 years, and Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd v Ibrahim, which concerned the media’s right to report on court proceedings and the constitutional limits of legislation suppressing media publication.

Corruption

Hanna Legal has represented former Ministers, members of Parliament and government employees on various corruption and public office charges. Recently, we have acted for Edward and Moses Obeid in the prosecutions arising out of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s public inquiry into the grant of a coal exploration licence to a private corporation. We have also acted for Edward Obeid in his appeal against conviction and sentence for the offence of wilful misconduct in public office.

Hanna Legal has appeared for employees of government departments, including the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and Roads and Maritime Services, charged with both statutory and common law corruption offences.

Cyber Crime and Money Laundering

Hanna Legal is Australia’s premier law firm for cyber fraud cases. We have acted in hundreds of matters for persons charged with online and electronic fraud offences by the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police and interstate law enforcement agencies. Our lawyers bring unique experience and insight when representing clients in this highly technical and constantly evolving area of criminal law.

Hanna Legal has vast experience in advising and representing persons charged with various types of proceeds of crime offences, including under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Commonwealth) and Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). We have successfully defended persons alleged to be involved in international money laundering syndicates spanning Asia, the USA and Australia. These clients have included accountants, money mules, bank employees, foreign nationals and registered remitters.

Crime Commission and Other Investigatory Bodies

Hanna Legal regularly provides advice and representation to persons in relation to criminal asset confiscation proceedings commenced by the NSW Crime Commission. We also advise and appear for persons summonsed to attend for compulsory examinations at the NSW Crime Commission and other investigatory bodies, including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Police Integrity Commission and the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

Parole

Hanna Legal regularly appears before the State Parole Authority for clients seeking release to parole or reinstatement of an Intensive Correction Order. We have also successfully appealed to the Supreme Court against decisions to refuse parole, including the high profile cases of Michael Ibrahim v State Parole Authority and Emad Sleiman v State Parole Authority.

Coronial Inquests and Inquiries

Hanna Legal provides advice and representation to persons who have been subpoenaed to give evidence at the State Coroner’s Court of NSW. We have appeared for interested persons at both Coronial inquests into suspicious deaths and Coronial inquiries regarding suspicious fires.

Disciplinary Proceedings and Regulatory Advice

Hanna Legal has experience in advising and appearing for professionals facing disciplinary proceedings instituted by various statutory bodies, including the Medical Council of NSW, Health Care Complaints Commission and the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner.

We also advise corporate clients on an array of regulatory matters, including compliance with the work health safety regulatory regime and various regulatory regimes enforced by Roads & Maritime Services and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Civil Litigation

Hanna Legal has significant experience in commencing civil proceedings against the police for such claims as unlawful arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. We have successfully represented plaintiffs who have sued the police, including in the widely publicised matter of Shayda Ibrahim v State of NSW.

Hanna Legal also advises and appears for both plaintiffs and defendants in various other types of civil litigation, including debt recovery proceedings, contractual disputes and claims for injunctions. Our clients have included celebrities and multinational corporations. In a recent example, Hanna Legal successfully obtained a permanent injunction in the NSW Supreme Court on behalf of Uber BV and Uber Australia with costs.

Other Practice Areas

Hanna Legal also acts in select cases involving various other areas of law, including:

• Representing individual and corporate clients in relation to complaints made to the Australian Human Rights Commission;
• Appearing for clients seeking reviews of administrative decisions, including decisions to suspend or revoke hire car authorities, taxi-cab driver authorities, security licences and firearm licences;
• Representing individual and corporate clients prosecuted by the Office of Fair Trading for alleged contraventions of Australian consumer law; and
• Advising property developers in relation to developments applications and remedies available in the Land and Environment Court.

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team

Nick Hanna

Principal

Nick is the principal of Hanna Legal and has a wealth of experience in a wide range of criminal, administrative, regulatory and select civil litigation. He represents individual and corporate clients and regularly appears in high profile cases.

Nick has vast experience in criminal law and has successfully defended clients facing charges across the full spectrum of offences. He has never lost a murder trial, including in a recent highly publicised case where his client was acquitted and the prosecution was ordered to pay her legal costs.

Nick also specialises in Apprehended Domestic Violence Order applications, parole hearings, NSW Crime Commission proceedings and coronial inquests, appearing for defendants, complainants, witnesses and other interested parties.

Nick has appeared in various high profile civil matters, including civil claims brought against the NSW Police Force as well as successful applications for injunctive relief brought in the Supreme Court on behalf of Uber.

Nick has unique experience in complicated RMS matters, including being the instructing solicitor in the legal team which successfully represented all of the Uber partner-drivers prosecuted by the RMS prior to the introduction of ride-sharing regulations in December 2015. In addition, Nick represented the Uber partner-drivers whose vehicle registrations were suspended and he successfully negotiated with the RMS for all of the suspensions to be lifted.

Nick has developed a reputation for his exceptional work ethic, professionalism and advanced legal strategies. In 2017 and 2018, he was listed as one of the top 6 criminal defence lawyers in all of Australia and in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, he was named as one of NSW’s preeminent criminal defence lawyers in the Doyles Guide. In 2018 and 2019, Nick was selected as a finalist for the Lawyers Weekly Criminal Law Partner of the Year Award. In 2020, Nick won the Best Administrative Lawyer award at the International Advisory Expert Awards. He has been described by the Daily Telegraph as one of Sydney’s top criminal lawyers as well as one of Sydney’s “masters of defence”.

Abbas Soukie

Solicitor

Abbas is an astute and diligent criminal defence lawyer with expertise in large and complex matters. Abbas’ strength lies in his ability to deconstruct prosecution evidence, develop defence case theories, marshal crucial evidence, and strategically litigate to ensure the optimal outcome for his client.

Abbas has extensive experience in criminal law and has instructed barristers (Queen’s Counsel, Senior Counsel and Counsel) in the Local Court, District Court, Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeal. He has played a crucial role in some of Australia’s most serious and highly publicised criminal prosecutions, including charges of murder, drug supply, drug importations, serious assaults, firearm and serious fraud-related matters. Abbas has also instructed Senior Counsel in interstate jurisdictions, such as Victoria and Queensland. In addition, he appears as advocate on bail applications, sentence proceedings, administrative review hearings and stay applications in various jurisdictions.

Abbas is particularly experienced in advising and appearing for clients charged with political corruption, including charges of misconduct in public office. He has advised clients in relation to investigations and/or prosecutions by the Independent Commission Against Corruption as well as the Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Abbas has represented clients in relation to investigations and proceedings instituted by the Australian Taxation Office, as well as proceedings instituted by the New South Wales Crime Commission for the recovery of alleged proceeds of crime.

Abbas is also an accredited mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.