Meet the Team

Key Points:

Dr Michael Maxwell (Senior Associate)

Dr Michael Maxwell is an experienced product liability and toxic torts litigator with postgraduate qualifications in pharmacology and toxicology.

Michael commenced with Clayton Utz over a decade ago as a senior scientific consultant to support the firm's litigation and advisory work. In 1997 Michael was awarded a PhD with distinction in pharmacology at the University of Western Australia ("UWA"). Michael's research background includes a strong focus on the pharmacokinetics and toxicology of various drugs, particularly those relevant to the respiratory system.

Shortly after completing his PhD, Michael commenced legal studies at UWA and obtained a Bachelor of Law degree with honours and was admitted to practise in 2002. Michael's strong scientific background in pharmacology and toxicology has given him valuable insight into the complex interplay between science and the law, especially as it relates to contentious and sophisticated medical causation issues. He was appointed as a senior associate in 2006.

Michael has developed specialist expertise in risk management and advisory work, product liability (particularly as it relates to pharmaceuticals), and toxic torts involving occupational exposures. His experience has included many varied claims for a range of typically speculative injuries, allegedly caused by poorly characterised or very low level exposure to drugs or toxins. These claims raise difficult medical and scientific issues requiring sophisticated analysis in light of relevant legal principles. Michael has managed several significant test cases and currently plays a key role in the defence of class actions involving pharmaceuticals and working with scientific experts.

Michael's ability to understand and communicate complex scientific principles has also provided him with unique expertise to deal with medical and scientific experts, a skill that has often assisted in the successful resolution of litigation and risk management issues for a range of clients from the pharmaceutical, mining and biotechnology industries.

Ben De Campo (Senior Analyst / Law Clerk)

Ben completed a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in pharmacology in 2000 and is in the process of submitting his PhD in pharmacology. He is also in his second year of a three-year post-graduate Bachelor of Law degree at UWA.

Throughout his scientific career, Ben has been exposed to a number of fundamental elements of drug development and risk management. He has had substantial experience drafting experimental protocols, funding applications, ethics and regulatory approvals, and has been involved in drug safety reports, intellectual property, and statistical analyses.

During his PhD, Ben investigated whether drug activators of the recently-discovered protease-activated family of receptors alleviated key inflammatory features of asthma. His work in this area has attracted considerable interest amongst asthma researchers in the UK, who continue to work on this and other emerging potential asthma treatments. He has developed and reported a novel method for visualising the trafficking of immune cells through the airways using a specially adapted microscope, ultra sensitive cameras, and a complex system of light filters, lasers and fluorescent markers. This method may be used in the future to further characterise the role of immune cells in a variety of airway diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and to aid the development of new treatments.

While writing his PhD thesis, Ben worked as a pharmaceutical company pharmacologist, which gave him substantial experience in a number of clinical and pre-clinical projects involving combination drug treatments and novel drug delivery methods. The most interesting amongst these projects include cancer cell targeting radioactive drugs and slow release drug cocktails used to prevent or treat ophthalmological disorders.

In 2005, Ben joined Clayton Utz as a Senior Analyst / Law Clerk while he completes his legal studies. In this role Ben has developed his legal skills in product liability and toxic torts, and has been involved in defending representative proceedings, and working with developing scientific/medical experts. His insight into pharmacology and toxicology assists him to develop persuasive and sophisticated legal arguments, particularly in matters involving controversial and complex causation issues.