A dynamic law firm by McGirr
& Snell

Specialised in Commercial Litigation,
Insurance Policy Holder Disputes, Defamation & Media Law, Employment and Family Law.

Listen to The Policyholder Podcast now:

Australian Boutique Law Firm of the Year 2022

Lawyers Weekly, 2022

Our key practice areas

01

Disputes & Litigation

Managing complex, high-stakes, multi-party disputes and litigation, Australia wide and in all Court jurisdictions.

02

Insurance Policy Holder Disputes

Unparalleled expertise to level the playing field between you and the insurance companies.

03

Media & Defamation

Balancing sensitivity and tenacity in the negotiation and resolution of reputational and defamation matters.

04

Family Law

Committed to addressing your needs with empathy, determination, and passion.

05

Workplace & Employment Litigation

When a dispute arises at work it can feel deeply personal.  We can help.

What does E-lit mean?

Our firm name ‘E-lit’ is inspired by our ethos, underpinned by the following core pillars:

Expert Litigation – offering deep expertise in our field.

Empowering Litigation – offering legal services that empower those we represent.

Electronic Litigation – fully integrated and automated firm with superior efficiency with e-litigation.

Expert

We have deep expertise and are subject matter leaders in our field with over 60 years combined experience. We think beyond the law and are not constrained to only the resources within our firm. We collaborate and partner with likeminded stakeholders, service providers and our network of experts to offer our clients access to an array of multi-disciplinary advisors in order to deliver bespoke and integrated services. Our firm offers our clients regular and bespoke legal updates and webinars/seminars so that they are regularly informed about changes and updates in the law.

Empowering

We empower those we represent. From the very outset, we sit down with our clients to present a digital Elit Scenario Plan which sets out the various stages expected throughout the specific transaction and/or litigation cycle from pre-litigation case management to trial stage. As part of this process, we evaluate and explain the possible scenarios of each stage. Most importantly, we work with our clients from the outset to clearly identify what they want to achieve and articulate their ultimate purpose and objective.

Electronic

Gone are the days where clients should have to wait for their lawyer to provide information which should be accessible instantaneously. Our firm has designed a bespoke suite of electronic solutions which creates a dynamic and progressive environment where our clients are part of the team and journey rather than removed from it. We provide 24/7 web-enabled access to the Elit Client Portal, directly connecting our clients to their file and all relevant documents and information. Our eDiscovery and eTrial Management systems enables key stakeholders including barristers, advisors and service providers the ability to collaborate and work seamlessly with evidence in preparation for hearings and trials, increasing efficiency and reducing costs leading up to and during the course of court hearings and trials.

Our awards

Litigation Team of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Insurance Team of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Litigator of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Danielle Snell. Managing Partner of the Year.

Managing Partner of the Year - Winner

Law Firm Leader of the Year <100 employees - Winner

Boutique Firm of the Year - Winner

New Law Firm of the Year - Finalist

New Law Firm of the Year - Finalist

About us

Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell was founded in November 2020 by award-winning litigator Danielle Snell and industry veteran Robert McGirr.  Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, our firm disrupts the traditional law firm model by offering an innovative and progressive delivery model to provide a truly authentic and transparent client experience.

Our firm was named Winner: Boutique Law Firm of the Year at the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards in 2022. We were also named by Australasian Lawyer as one of Australia’s Fastest Growing Firms.

In 2023, at the Australasian Law Awards, Danielle Snell emerged as the winner in the category of ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year (<200 employees).’

Danielle Snell

CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER

Danielle Snell is an award winning lawyer, specialising in Commercial Litigation, Policyholder Insurance Cases and Defamation & Media Law.

Robert McGirr

CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER

Rob, an industry veteran, was admitted to practice in 1978 and became one of the Victoria’s first Accredited Commercial Litigation Specialists in 1993.

Aggie Vlahos

PARTNER

Aggie is an astute and sensitive lawyer with a diverse legal skill set, enabling her to support clients across various legal issues during a dispute.

Her clients greatly appreciate her vast and complementary knowledge spanning family law, corporate and commercial agreements, Wills, estates, and probate as well as workplace and employment disputes.

Our latest news

When a Bad Review Costs $673,000: Defamation and ACL Lessons from Singh v Singh Homes
The recent Victorian Court of Appeal decision in Singh v Singh Homes Pty Ltd is...
No Cover Without Causation: Pollution Conditions and Remediation Costs in Seymour Whyte v Liberty Mutual
The New South Wales Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Seymour Whyte Constructions seeking...
Directors Beware: Coverage Gaps in Claims Made Policies Exposed
Delany J of the VSC has refined the interpretation of Claims Made insurance policies against...
Malik v Insurance Australia Limited Proves Why Proper Legal Representation Matters More Than Ever
The recent NSW court case of Malik v Insurance Australia Limited highlights how blind usage...
Federal Court awards more than $125,000 in workplace sexual harassment case
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia awarded more than $125,000 to a young...
How Late is Too Late? Filing Dismissal Claims with the Fair Work Commission
Recent decisions of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) have highlighted the importance of filing applications...

"

"Danielle guided us through the entire process with confidence and transparency, ensuring we always felt informed and supported."

Insurance Law

Plaintiff

We had an outstanding experience working with Danielle. From the very beginning, she demonstrated exceptional professionalism, clear communication, and a genuine understanding of our situation. She guided us through the entire process with confidence and transparency, ensuring we always felt informed and supported.

What truly stood out was her ability to achieve a fast resolution while securing the exact outcome we were hoping for. Her expertise and strategic approach made a stressful situation significantly easier to manage.

Equally impressive was Danielle’s compassion and friendliness. She took the time to listen, showed real empathy, and made us feel like more than just another case. We always felt valued and reassured

"

"Danielle kept me well-informed and involved, ensuring I was aware of all my options throughout the legal process"

Insurance Law

Plaintiff

Danielle Snell and the Elit Lawyers team acted for me on a high value insurance claim after insurers denied me all cover after my aircraft was damaged during the filming of a Hollywood movie. Given that insurers denied me all cover and offered to pay zero, with Danielle and team’s guidance, I issued proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria – Insurance List against the insurers involved. Danielle kept me well-informed and involved, ensuring I was aware of all my options throughout the legal process.

This was a stressful period for me, but I always felt confident and supported . I was happy to resolve the case prior to trial which involved a pay-out by the insurers. I felt confident to take on the insurers with the representation and support of Elit Lawyers and it proved to be the right move as I was ultimately paid out under my policy which was very different to the insurer’s original decision to pay me nothing.

"

"Within days, the podcast episode was removed and I was also given an apology, undertaking and some payment towards my legal costs"

Defamation – CEO

Plaintiff

I highly recommend Danielle and her team to anyone needing to fight defamation matters, they achieve results! I was defamed on a podcast which was published on various forums. The Elit team prepared detailed Concerns Notices to the original publisher and also to the podcast operator and other forums the podcast was published on.  Within days, the podcast episode was removed and I was also given an apology, undertaking and some payment towards my legal costs. Thank you to the Elit team for helping me with this personal matter.

– CEO 

"

"On advice from Danielle and Mark, I sued the insurer in the Federal Court Insurance List and a settlement was reached within a couple of months!"

Insurance Law

Plaintiff

One night, thieves broke into my home through the garage and stole my car whilst my wife and kids and myself were all in the house. They then abandoned and set the car on fire, resulting in a total loss. My insurance claim was denied because the car was parked in the driveway instead of the garage. On advice from Danielle and Mark, I sued the insurer in the Federal Court Insurance List and a settlement was reached within a couple of months!

"

"Aggie kept me well informed at every step and her supportive and approachable manner made a very stressful period in my life far easier to navigate."

Family Law – Property

Plaintiff

I’m very thankful that my financial planner referred me to Aggie Vlahos. She guided me through negotiating, documenting and completing my family law property settlement with my ex. Aggie kept me well informed at every step and her supportive and approachable manner made a very stressful period in my life far easier to navigate. Would absolutely recommend.

 

"

"I was grateful for Aggie’s expert advice, patience, and support during my family law court case"

Family Law

Plaintiff

Aggie acted for me in relation to my litigated family law matter – during an intense and difficult time in my life.  I was grateful for Aggie’s expert advice, patience, and support during my family law court case which we were able to resolve positively at mediation. I would strongly recommend Aggie and her team to anybody needing legal assistance with their family law matter.

 

In the Media

Danielle Snell named “Managing Partner of the Year” at the Australian Law Awards 2023.
Elit Lawyers uses technology to accelerate work and break down client communication barriers, to focus on trusted and personalised counsel.
Danielle Snell has been awarded “Law Firm Leader of the Year (≤100 employees)” at the Australasian Law Awards 2023.
UK-based junior barrister received a “misogynistic” letter from another lawyer, which detailed how she should go about finding a husband.
Danielle Snell explores issues of career vs. family life, support, biases, self-confidence, and goal attainment in new Lawyers Weekly podcast
Whilst starting a new firm can be daunting, Danielle Snell demonstrates how breaking through mental barriers can result in growth and success.

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