It was a meeting of minds in 2004 when Derek and Stacy met in a busy, boutique Brisbane law firm and commenced a fast friendship that would later evolve into a partnership to be envied. When Alana Ryzner joined the firm in 2020 following time spent with a National firm, it was only a matter of time before she was also appointed partner. With careers in commercial litigation and insolvency spanning a combined 50 plus years, Derek, Stacy and Alana now head up a team of experienced litigators who will help you navigate your commercial disputes to resolution.
But it is the partnered leadership that sets Cronin Miller Litigation apart from the rest of the industry. Your team of lawyers is led by partners who have complementary strengths and a passionate commitment to the delivery of quality, pragmatic and commercial legal advice. Derek’s tenacity in the pursuit of commercial outcomes for his clients is matched by Stacy’s no-nonsense approach to litigation and Alana’s eye for detail, meaning clients are being sensibly guided through their business disputes with a strong focus on resolving the matter so that they can get back to their business.
We know what you want to know: how long will this take, how much will it cost and will I win? We have answers and strategies and we will deliver them to you without the bells and whistles so that you know where you stand, as soon as we do.
Formerly Cronin Litigation Lawyers, the firm was established in 2006 when Derek returned to his “home”, the Gold Coast. Derek’s vision for Cronin Litigation was inspired by his recognition of the need for quality legal services on the Gold Coast.
The firm is now well known as Cronin Miller Litigation and remains committed to its original mantra – providing quality legal advice that clients value and appreciate and a firm that remains committed to its involvement in the Gold Coast business community.
The name “Cronin” is synonymous with community service on the Gold Coast.
John Daniel (“Jack”) Cronin (1919-1999) was appointed City Engineer to the City of the Gold Coast in 1947. At that time the Gold Coast region was largely a fishing village, and Jack was a key participant in much of the infrastructure, waterways, roads and bridges which we take for granted today.
Shortly after their move from Brisbane to the Gold Coast in 1947, Jack and Joan Cronin occupied a house owned by the City on the Gold Coast Highway. Until 1967 the Cronins raised a family on what may be remembered by some as the old Surfers Paradise Police Station (which is now the site of commercial and retail space on the Gold Coast Highway).
Jack was instrumental in the establishment of Aquinas College and was a founding member. He joined the Gold Coast chapter of Rotary in 1949 and remained a member until his death in 1999. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Foundation in 1984, and was awarded an MBE for his service to the community in 1978. Jack was the trustee of Gold Coast Parklands Trust from 1984 to 1997.
Cronin Island, Cronin Avenue (in Main Beach) and the Jack Cronin Park in Southport are each named in his honour. There remains a John Cronin Scholarship at Griffith University which is awarded to the best academic performance of a first year Engineering Student at Griffith.
Jack and Joan Cronin raised seven children on the Gold Coast, and the legal profession has benefited from the years of service provided by their sons, Barry and Brian Cronin (each former partners of Primrose Couper Cronin Rudkin). Brian Cronin became a barrister in 1996 and each of Barry and Brian Cronin have been well regarded members of the legal profession for a period in excess of forty years.
