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Maithri Panagoda AM

Maithri Panagoda AM

Email: mpanagoda@codea.com.au

Phone: (02) 8226 7313

International Phone: (+61 2) 8226 7313

Location: Sydney

Language: Sinhalese


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Maithri Panagoda is one of Australia’s leading compensation lawyers. Educated in both Sydney and Sri Lanka, Maithri has over 48 years’ experience in litigation and dispute resolution. The Law Society of NSW accredits him as a personal injury specialist.

He heads a team at Carroll & O’Dea dedicated to representing survivors of historical abuse.

Maithri practised as a lawyer in Dubbo for nearly 10 years before joining Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in 1991. He worked with the Western Aboriginal Legal Service and since joining Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers he has continued his commitment to representing Aboriginal people. He has been involved in a large number of successful claims being brought by members of the Stolen Generation.

Fluent in Sinhalese, Maithri is involved in various activities with the Sri Lankan community in New South Wales.

Maithri has also been a member of Law Society’s Medico Legal Liaison Committee, Senior Solicitors’ Committee and the Litigation Law and Practice Committee. He is currently a member of the Law Society’s Specialist Accreditation Advisory Committee.

Maithri has published numerous articles and publications and is a regular speaker at legal seminars. He is the author of the chapter on workers’ compensation in the Lawyers Practice Manual published by the Thompson Lawbook Co.

The Stolen Generations project is the biggest achievement in my career. Not many law firms would have ventured into this area because it’s a significant investment in time and money and the outcome is uncertain, but we have been able to get results mainly because of the way we relate to our clients and our approach with the parties involved.

Key Professional Achievements

  • Maithri has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Sri Lanka and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Sydney.
  • He also completed post-graduate studies in Sociology and Law at Brunel University in England. He is admitted to practice in England and in Sri Lanka. He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1981.
  • He joined Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in 1991 and became a partner in 1996.
  • Maithri has been a registered migration agent since 2002.
  • He is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries and became a Fellow of The Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries in 2013.
  • Maithri was appointed Adjunct Professor of the School of Law at University of Notre Dame in 2015.
  • In 2016, he was awarded Order of Australia (AM) for Significant services to the Community and to the Law, particularly in litigation and dispute resolution.
  • He has been a Judge of the Lawasia International Moot Competition and the APIIT Law School International Negotiation Competition.
  • He is also a published poet and songwriter.
  • Maithri was a finalist in the 2016 Australian Law Awards ‘Partner of the Year’ category.
  • In 2017, he was a Finalist, Justice Medal, Law and Justice Foundation of NSW.
  • Maithri has been an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law since 1994.
  • Maithri’s interview with the Law Society Journal Online ‘Six Minutes with Maithri Panagoda’ talks about his book ‘Pursuing a Vision of Justice’ released in 2022, and covers his career and ground-breaking work with Indigenous Australians.

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