Cliff Savala

Cliff Savala is the Managing Partner at Salerno Law, bringing over 27 years of extensive legal experience in litigation, commercial, and insurance law. Throughout his career, he has represented some of Australia’s leading clients in complex legal disputes, delivering astute and pragmatic advice with a dynamic approach. Cliff’s principal areas of practice include commercial litigation and insurance law, covering public and product liability, professional indemnity, aviation claims, construction, and sports-related matters. Cliff built his reputation at Moray & Agnew, Australia’s largest insurance law firm, before advancing to a partnership role at Lee & Lyons. Since 2015, he has been a senior figure at Salerno Law, managing some of the nation’s most challenging and high-profile litigation cases. His extensive commercial law experience is complemented by a significant background in the construction industry, having served as Managing Director of a major Scottish civil engineering firm. This operational insight allows Cliff to provide nuanced advice on complex construction disputes and liability issues. He has provided enduring legal counsel to major clients in the retail, tourism, and leisure industries. Notably, Cliff acted as in-house counsel for Club Med for over two decades, assisting management and senior executives with a wide array of matters including customer disputes, commercial claims, and risk management related to personal injury, both in Australia and internationally. He has also advised Australia’s largest supermarket chain on personal injury and health and safety claims, maintaining close collaboration with staff and senior management. Cliff’s experience extends to sports law, where he has advised numerous sporting organisations on injury-related legal proceedings spanning rugby league, rugby union, soccer, basketball, horse and harness racing, golf, tennis, MMA, and cycling. He has also defended a wide range of medical negligence claims against medical centres, often involving compensation claims following alleged negligent treatment. With a personal commitment to animal welfare, Cliff has achieved success in notable animal welfare prosecutions brought by the RSPCA across multiple Australian jurisdictions. He is also actively involved in providing corporate governance and legal advice to Indigenous organisations, particularly in the Kimberley region, where he serves on several boards. His advisory work further encompasses charitable organisations, sporting associations, private companies, and listed entities. Outside of his professional career, Cliff served as a Captain in the Australian Army Reserve Legal Corps. He maintains a lifelong passion for sport, having played semi-professional football in Scotland and Australia and currently holds a golf handicap of 1.