Armando’s proud and long spanning achievements and community support
- Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW – 17 December 1980.
- Employed Solicitor, Turner Freeman Lawyers- 19 January 1981.
- Partner, Turner Freeman Lawyers- 1 July 1985.
- Managing Partner, Turner Freeman Lawyers- 1 July 2009.
- Member Law Society of New South Wales.
- Founding Member, Honorary Legal Adviser, Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia, 1990 to date.
- Life Member Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia.
- Member, Asbestos Victims Association of South Australia.
- Former Member, Asbestos Related Diseases Support Society of Queensland.
- Founding Member and Treasurer, Australian Lawyers Alliance, NSW Branch.
- Current Member, Australian Lawyers Alliance.
- Member, Solicitors Representative, Rules Committee, Dust Diseases Tribunal of NSW.
- In 1982 acted as the Solicitor for the dying worker in proceedings Ronald Thomas Baker v. James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd & Ors, the first mesothelioma claim to proceed on a product liability basis against James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd in Australia. The precedent of Baker’s case has enabled tens of thousands of Australians suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases to be compensated on a product liability basis.
- Established the precedent for compensating the children of Wittenoom in relation to the contraction of diseases including mesothelioma in the 1994 seminal claim, Vivien Margaret Olson v. CSR Limited & Anor. The case established the precedent for CSR compensating families, specifically the children of Wittenoom, who contracted diseases including mesothelioma as a consequence of inhaling the township dust that contained asbestos fibres.
- Author of the submission prepared on behalf of various NSW Unions and the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia presented to Mr Jeff Shaw QC, Attorney General (NSW) in 1997 proposing wide ranging legislative amendments to the law in NSW including the preservations of general damages where the claimant’s death preceded the entry of Judgment, the abolition of the Limitation Act in all dust diseases claims and multiple other amendments enabling victims of asbestos disease to prosecute common law claims expeditiously within the State of NSW. The legislation was enacted in 1998 and resulted in the abolition of death bed hearings for plaintiffs in NSW. This legislation was subsequently enacted in every State and Territory of Australia resulting in the end of death bed hearings across Australia in mesothelioma claims and the preservation of general damages in all mesothelioma claims across Australia.
- Author of the submission prepared on behalf of various NSW Unions and the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia for the establishment of a dedicated Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in NSW presented to Mr Jeff Shaw QC, Attorney General (NSW) in early 2000. Subsequently represented various NSW Unions and the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia at the Cost of Government Inquiry chaired by Prof. Percy Allen in respect of the financial implications of establishing the Institute. Promoted the work of the Institute amongst the Turner Freeman client base resulting in major financial donations to the Institute exceeding $2 million to assist the research work of the Institute.
- Represented a number of Trade Unions and a number or Asbestos Diseases Support Groups before the Jackson Commission of Inquiry (2004) into the Medial Research and Compensation Foundation established by James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd.
- Canterbury District Soccer Football Association, Senior Vice President, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013.
- Canterbury District Soccer Football Association, Board Member, 2014, 2015
- Canterbury District Soccer Football Association, Disciplinary Tribunal Chairman, 2005, 2006, 2007, 20012, 2013
- Canterbury District Soccer Football Association, Appeal Tribunal Chairman, 2008 and 2009
- Football NSW Appeals Tribunal Chairman, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Football NSW General Purposes Tribunal 2007
- Football NSW Commission of Inquiry Chairman 2007
- Football NSW Commission of Inquiry Member 2010.