Director | Senior Trial Advocate | Accredited Specialist Criminal Law
With over 40 years’ experience, Manny is the only Solicitor Advocate in the country who has appeared as advocate in 6 murder trials/hearings and who appears in the Court of Criminal Appeal and the High Court.
Manny was recognised as an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law in 2001, was awarded the NSW Law Society President’s Award for Pro Bono Services in 2012 and was also Lawyers Weekly Criminal Law Partner Of The Year in 2021. Manny was also named a finalist in the 2024 Australian Law Awards Regional/Suburban Lawyer of the Year.
Manny has a greater than 90% success rate in jury trials, and along with co-director, Michal Mantaj, is among only a handful of Solicitor Advocates who appear in murder and other serious criminal trials in the Supreme Court and in appeals in the Court of Criminal Appeal and the High Court.
Manny has been a member of the NSW Law Society Criminal Law Committee for many years and is driven by instances of injustice in the criminal justice system, to passionately advocate for the retention of our rights and to rally against the existence of, and any proposed, unjust laws.
Manny is also sought after by the media for commentary in news breaking legal stories and events including The Australian, Daily Telegraph, ABC Radio, ABC Radio National, ABC News Tonight, 7.30 Report, Four Corners, Channel 7, Channel 9, A Current Affair, 60 Minutes, The Project and SBS.
Manny appeared his first District Court jury trial in 1987, a serious assault case in which his client was acquitted . Ten years later, Manny appeared in his first murder trial, which put him squarely in the media spotlight, because that trial saw unique legal argument which led to the acquittal of Dean Waters.
As an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law Manny previously was a member of the committee which set and marked exam papers for lawyers aspiring to become criminal law specialists.
Manny also regularly contributes to lawyers’ legal knowledge by presenting papers and lecturing at legal education events and seminars, including at Brother and Sisters in Law annual conference, TV Education Network at Armidale and for the NSW Law Society.