Meet Our Founders
Two names that have stood for fearless criminal defence in Queensland for half a century.
Robertson O’Gorman Solicitors was built on a simple conviction: that every person facing the power of the State deserves a fearless, principled and meticulously prepared defence. That belief has guided the firm since it was founded by Terry O’Gorman and John Robertson – two of Queensland’s most respected criminal lawyers —-and it continues to shape how we practise today.
A Firm Built on Principle
For decades, the names Robertson and O’Gorman have been synonymous with criminal defence in Queensland. What began as a partnership between two committed criminal lawyers has grown into one of the State’s leading criminal defence firms, trusted to act in many of Queensland’s most serious and complex criminal matters.
From the outset, our founders believed that lawyers owe a duty not only to their clients but to the justice system itself – a duty to defend the rights of the individual, to hold investigative and prosecutorial power to account, and to contribute to the reform of the law. That commitment to fearless advocacy and to the protection of civil liberties remains at the heart of the firm.
Today, under the leadership of Dan Rogers and Emma Higgins, Robertson O’Gorman continues to carry forward the values its founders instilled: rigorous preparation, strategic judgement, and an unwavering commitment to the people we represent.
Terry O'Gorman AM
Founding Partner
For half a century, Terry O’Gorman has worked fiercely to defend his clients and tirelessly to protect the civil liberties of Queenslanders.
A founding partner of Robertson O’Gorman, Terry is recognised by the Queensland Law Society and the wider legal profession as an expert in criminal law, professional responsibility and police conduct. As an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law and a QLS Senior Counsellor, he has spent his career at the forefront of criminal defence in Queensland.
Terry has sat on the Queensland Law Society Criminal Law Committee since 1979 and was an Executive Member of the National Association for Criminal Lawyers from its inception in 1986. In 1991, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the legal profession. He has since been recognised repeatedly in Doyle’s Guide as a pre-eminent and leading criminal defence lawyer, and in 2021 received the Queensland Law Society President’s Medal as well as a President’s Award from the Law Council of Australia for his contribution to the profession.
Beyond the courtroom, Terry has long believed that lawyers have an obligation to ensure civil liberties are protected for all. He is President of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties and Vice-President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, and remains one of the most recognisable and formidable voices in public debate on police conduct and civil rights in Australia.
A frequent speaker at national and international criminal law conferences, Terry’s influence on the practice of criminal law, and on the protection of individual rights in Queensland, is difficult to overstate.
The Honourable
John Robertson
Founding Partner
John Robertson is a founding partner of Robertson O’Gorman Solicitors and a retired Judge of the District Court of Queensland.
Together with Terry O’Gorman, John helped establish the firm and shape its enduring commitment to fearless, principled criminal defence. In 1994, he was appointed to the District Court of Queensland – the first solicitor ever to be appointed a judge of that Court.
His distinguished judicial career included service as a Judge of the Children’s Court of Queensland, where he was President of the Court from 1999 to 2001. He later served as Chair of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council from 2018 to 2023, and was a foundation member of the Sunshine Coast University Law School Advisory Committee. His Honour retired from the bench in 2018.
Though John’s path led him to the bench, the standards he helped set as a founder of the firm continue to define Robertson O’Gorman today.
A Legacy That Continues
The firm our founders built is still guided by the values they championed: fearless advocacy, meticulous preparation and a deep belief in the rights of every individual. If you are facing a criminal allegation or investigation, the team at Robertson O’Gorman is here to provide the same strategic, principled representation the firm has been known for since its founding.