Director | Senior Trial Advocate | Accredited Specialist Criminal Law
Michal Mantaj has over 20 years’ experience in criminal law and is one of the most respected criminal defence lawyers in NSW.
Michal is one of a handful of trial advocates in NSW. As such, he appears as advocate in trials before a judge and jury in the same way as a barrister. As a result, Michal can offer his clients the advantage of having an advocate involved from the very beginning of the case and eliminate some of the costly double handling that normally happens when an external barrister is engaged by a solicitor.
Additionally, Michal serves as the deputy chair of the Law Societies Criminal Law Committee. This is a committee composed of some of the states top criminal lawyers from the private profession, the prosecution and the Courts and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system which is tasked with making high level submissions to the government in response to law reform proposals. This places Michal at the cutting edge of developments in criminal law.
Michal is also a Law Society Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law. In order to become an accredited specialist, a solicitor must pass on an extensive set of tests to demonstrate a high level of competence in their field. Of the roughly 38,000 solicitors in NSW, fewer than 200 are Accredited Specialists in Criminal Law. Not only has Michal achieved Specialist Accreditation in criminal law, he has been called on upon on several occasions to serve as one of the examiners of candidates for accreditation.
Michal’s expertise in criminal law has also led to him being regularly invited speak at professional development conferences including those hosted by the TV Education Network.
Michal has appeared in a number of notable and high profile cases which have attracted media attention and let to legal developments in certain areas of criminal law. His expertise in criminal law has also led to him being called on by the media (such as the ABC, 9News, 7 news, Prime News and the SBS) as a commentator regarding issues concerning criminal and traffic law to provide commentary on topical issues related to criminal law.
On a personal front, Michal has been a local of the Illawarra for all of his adult life. He has a passion for fitness and martial arts, having attained the rank of black belt in tae kwon do.