Sam Saunders advises Australian and international clients on complex commercial disputes, class actions, and regulatory proceedings.
Sam has extensive experience acting for financial institutions, energy and mining companies, and governments on high-stakes litigation, arbitration, and regulatory matters. He has acted in disputes before Australian state and federal courts and in international arbitration in one of the world's largest recorded claims (US$198 billion) under UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) rules.
Prior to joining Jones Day in 2025, Sam worked at a Magic Circle law firm in London where he acted for FTSE 100 (Financial Times Stock Exchange) clients across insurance, banking, and energy sectors in high-profile disputes and contentious regulatory matters. Sam also brings experience acting for government sector clients, having worked for the Australian government across trade, investment, tax, and international arbitration.
- University of Oxford (Bachelor of Civil Law with distinction 2024); The Australian National University (LL.B. with first class honours 2018 [graduated first in cohort/shared] and Bachelor of Economics 2018)
- Supreme Court of New South Wales
- Senior Legal Officer, Attorney-General's Department (2021-2023)
- Judicial Clerk to Justice Macfarlan, New South Wales Court of Appeal (2019)