Marlia Saunders > Thomson Geer > Sydney, Australia > Lawyer Profile
Thomson Geer Offices

Level 14, 60 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Australia
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Marlia Saunders

Work Department
Media
Position
Partner
Career
Marlia is an experienced media/entertainment, intellectual property and privacy lawyer who has extensive top-tier law firm expertise and a unique client perspective after working as a senior in-house lawyer for many years.
She was the Senior Litigation Counsel at News Corp Australia for four years, and previously worked at a top-tier international firm for 13 years where she acted for and advised most of Australia’s major media organisations, social media and streaming platforms, large corporates and government bodies.
Marlia specialises in defamation, contempt of court, suppression orders, freedom of information and court access applications, confidential information claims, prepublication advice, copyright, consumer law and privacy matters. She has acted in a large number of high profile media and intellectual property disputes; advised on sponsorship, production and licensing deals; and given prepublication advice in relation to newspaper and online articles, television programs, podcasts and marketing/advertising materials.
She is respected for her deep understanding of the issues facing media clients, as well as the commercial outlook she brings to engaging with clients and addressing their needs.
Marlia is passionate about the media and its role in a healthy democracy. She is a member of industry bodies that aim to educate and lobby for regulatory reform on issues affecting the sector.
Lawyer Rankings
Australia > Media and entertainment
Thomson Geer provides prepublication advice, as well as fielding a team of expert litigators skilled in handling high-profile defamation cases. The team is well-versed in breach of confidence, contempt, suppression orders, and freedom of information claims, and has a track record representing major clients in administrative law and judicial review matters. Additionally, they frequently advise on commercial agreements for clients, with a focus on IP and media. Justin Quill is a trusted media lawyer, renowned for his expertise and dedication. John-Paul Cashen and Marlia Saunders are both highly regarded litigators in the media and entertainment sectors.
Australia > Intellectual property
Thomson Geer is a regular advisor on the full gamut of contentious IP matters, with a focus on representing a wide range of media and entertainment clients. Key names in the team include experienced litigator Peter Le Guay, who leads on trade mark portfolios management issues, ‘stellar operator’ Ben Coogan, who handles alleged patent infringement matters, and Marlia Saunders, assisting with copyright infringement proceedings. The team is also well-equipped to service a range of public sector clients on acquisitions of IP and related due diligence. Kerry Awerbuch joined from Gadens in January 2024.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Media and entertainment
- Intellectual property
- Native title
- Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution: litigation
- Infrastructure projects and construction
- IT and telecoms
- Natural resources (transactions and regulatory)
- Real estate
- Banking and finance
- Energy (transactions and regulatory)
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Capital markets