Bio

Founder and principal of Shaw Legal & Advisory, Rachael Shaw is an esteemed lawyer with a diverse legal background. Her extensive experience spans across continents and courts, ranging from tribunals to State Courts and the High Court. With a reputation for integrity and her ability to find solutions and navigate complex problems where others cannot, Rachael continues to handle even the most challenging cases with precision and strategic foresight across South Australia and Australia, particularly the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

 

Experience

Rachael embarked on her legal career after attending the University of New England, where she earned degrees in Law and Arts. She honed her skills at the leading criminal and civil fraud firm in the UK, then in the U.S across a range of complex cases, such as constitutional challenges to capital punishment, and asbestos class action litigation.

 

On her return to Australia, she worked within medium and large national firms, before co-founding Shaw & Henderson with Joseph Henderson. Together, the duo steered the firm to success in commercial litigation, private criminal defence, and corporate advisory.

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Leadership

A respected figure in legal circles, Rachael has held influential positions within the Law Society of South Australia, serving on its Council from 2014 to 2019, and contributing as Treasurer in 2017. She has also chaired the Animal Law Committee and has been an active participant on panels including the Legal Services Commission’s Complex Criminal Law Panel as Counsel and Solicitor.

 

Accolades

2023 saw Rachael Shaw voted by her South Australian colleagues as one of four pre-eminent criminal defence lawyers in the State, where she was the sole woman recognised. Her longstanding excellence hasn’t gone unnoticed by Doyles either, which has ranked both her personally, and her firm, among Australia's leading white-collar and corporate crime lawyers for several consecutive years. Such recognition underscores her proficiency and the respect she commands in the legal community.

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Advocacy

With her extensive background, Rachael Shaw is a go-to advisor for organisations in need, from sporting clubs to large national firms. She is renowned for her ability to manage and resolve complex situations with empathy and insight.