Carter Newell has promoted five lawyers across its Brisbane and Sydney offices, effective from 1 February 2026.
Chief Executive Officer Marc Walker congratulates Elle Mariconte (General Liability) on her elevation to Special Counsel; Andrea Clifford (Professional Liability), Mikaela McKinnon (Construction, Projects & Infrastructure; Professional Liability) and Abraham Hopkins (Construction, Projects & Infrastructure) to Senior Associate, and Brittany Lorenzini (Construction, Projects & Infrastructure) to Associate.
“These promotions reflect our commitment to developing exceptional legal talent," he said. "Each of these lawyers have demonstrated outstanding technical expertise and dedication to client service, particularly strengthening our insurance and construction practices."
The promotions follow Carter Newell's recent expansion to larger Sydney premises, supporting the firm's continued growth in insurance litigation and construction law. In addition, two team members in the firm’s IT department, Tim Franklin and Thomas Jervis-Tracey, were promoted to Senior IT Support Technician and IT Support Technician, respectively.
Special Counsel
Elle Mariconte
Elle is an experienced insurance lawyer, with a focus on personal injury, product liability, property damage, and professional indemnity claims for local and international insurers and corporate clients.
Elle has a special interest in defending complex multi-party construction site disputes, specifically worker to worker claims and advising (and enforcing) the associated contractual indemnity and insurance issues. She also regularly acts for body corporates, real estate agents, building owners, manufacturers, shopping centres, churches, nursing homes, sporting organisations, clubs and pubs, and not for profit organisations.
Elle is a committee member for the Women in Insurance Association NSW.
Senior Associates
Andrea Clifford
Andrea is an experienced insurance lawyer with a focus on financial lines, including employment practices liability and professional indemnity. She acts for insurers as both defence and coverage counsel and has advised on complex matters such as class actions, unfair dismissal and general protections claims before the Fair Work Commission.
Andrea regularly acts for clients in the construction industry and has achieved favourable outcomes for architects, certifiers, and building consultants in multi-party litigation. She also acts for real estate professionals, guiding insureds through challenging litigation, and regulatory investigations and processes toward constructive resolutions.
Andrea is a member of the Australian Insurance Law Association (AILA) and the Association for Women in Insurance (NSW). She also contributes to Carter Newell’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Mikaela McKinnon
Mikaela joined Carter Newell in 2018 commencing as a research clerk before being admitted as a solicitor. She now specialises in construction law. Mikaela has been involved in several large and complex litigated construction disputes across various jurisdictions. Mikaela’s experience allows her to provide high quality, pragmatic and timely advice to clients alongside effectively managing key steps in the dispute such as disclosure, expert evidence and preparation of lay evidence.
This experience also enables her to provide advice to insurers with respect to professional indemnity claims, contract works claims, pollution liability and plant and equipment claims across the various professionals within the construction and engineering industry.
Abraham Hopkins
Abraham practices in the Construction, Projects & Engineering Infrastructure team. Working closely with partners, David Rodighiero, Michael Elliott and Patrick Mead, and provides invaluable assistance across a broad range of both construction and insurance matters, practicing predominantly in dispute resolution.
Abraham acts for principals, contractors, and consultants on a wide range of matters arising on civil, building, mechanical, electrical, public infrastructure, energy and mining resources projects across Australia and provides ongoing advice during all stages of project delivery through to completion on contract claims involving issues of defective work, negligence, trade practices, quantum meruit, delay costs, extensions of time, variations and liquidated damages.
Abraham has also acted in numerous security of payment disputes for both the claimant and respondent in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and has also assisted with the provision of high-level advice to underwriters based within Australia and internationally on various types of claims across the construction and engineering industry,
Associate
Brittany Lorenzini
Brittany is an Associate in Carter Newell’s Construction, Projects and Infrastructure team, advising clients on contract negotiation and drafting construction contracts.
With over six years’ experience in the legal Brittany advises principals, contractors, subcontractors and consultants on construction contracts, from tendering and negotiation phases through to execution of the contract. Brittany is also experienced in advising clients on post contractual matters and contract administration, including advising on delay, payment and variation claims.
For more information, visit: https://www.carternewell.com/
