Garde Wilson Lawyers is a criminal defence law firm based in Melbourne, Australia, founded by Zarah Garde-Wilson. The firm is renowned for its expertise in handling complex criminal cases and high-profile clientele.
In 2018, she was joined by Mitch Fraser, who became the firm’s General Manager in 2020. The following year the firm expanded, opening its first interstate office in Gold Coast, Queensland.
Notable Clients
Robert Karam: Zarah Garde-Wilson represented Karam in his appeal against a 37-year prison sentence [4] for his role in a large-scale drug smuggling operation. Karam's case was complicated by the "Lawyer X" scandal, where his former lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, acted as a police informant, compromising his defence[5][6].
Tony Mokbel: Zarah Garde-Wilson's connection with Mokbel has been notable throughout his legal battles [7][8][9] and she has represented him in various legal proceedings.
Tony Larussa: Zarah Garde-Wilson acted for Tony Larussa, a cattle breeder from Gingin, and successfully argued for his drug trafficking conviction for hiding 10 kg of methamphetamine to be overturned [10]. Initially sentenced to over a decade in prison, Larussa's conviction was thrown out by Western Australia's highest court. This decision came after he had fought the allegations for five years, maintaining his innocence throughout the legal battle[11].
Fadi Haddara: Alleged Haddara crime family boss, Fadi Haddara faced firearms charges in 2024, including possessing unregistered firearms and handling a stolen Glock handgun [12]. Zarah Garde-Wilson represented contesting all charges in their entirety [13]. This followed a series of raids by Victorian Police under Operation Skyborne set up by Taskforce Santiago [14], which targeted the Haddara family's criminal activities [15].
Osman El-Houli: Osman El-Houli, a truck driver, was found not guilty of attempting to possess a border-controlled drug after allegedly being hired to drive 3,000 km from Melbourne to collect 400 kg of cocaine in Queensland. Represented at trial in the Supreme Court of Queensland by Zarah Garde-Wilson, the jury acquitted him of all charges after a four-hour deliberation [16][17].
Practice Areas
The firm specializes in a range of criminal law areas, including but not limited to:
^Petrie, Selma Milovanovic, Tony Wright and Andrea (2011-04-19). "King without a crown". The Age. Retrieved 2024-06-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
