WhatsApp leak exposes deep antisemitism among Sydney lawyers

Two former lawyers from Sydney’s BlackBay Lawyers, Justin Carroll and Yianni van Gelder, are at the centre of a professional and ethical crisis following the exposure of private WhatsApp messages containing antisemitic slurs, conspiracy theories, and coordinated plans to extract confidential firm data ahead of launching a rival legal practice.

The messages, first obtained and reported by The Australian newspaper, expose disturbing exchanges between Justin Carroll and Yianni van Gelder, in which the men refer to the Holocaust as the “Holohoax” and the “Schlomo-caust,” mock Jewish clients, and express admiration for violent antisemitic conspiracies. In one conversation, van Gelder asked Carroll whether he had responded to “the Jew,” saying the client was likely to try to negotiate legal fees. Carroll replied, “You mean… he will try to ‘jew’ me?” to which van Gelder confirmed, “Yes that is the correct application of the verb.”

The pair also shared and praised content from Stew Peters, a far-right U.S. conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier. Peters, who refers to Judaism as a “death cult built on the blood of murdered babies,” is quoted in one video saying the U.S. needs a “final solution” to remove Jewish influence; rhetoric which Carroll and van Gelder appeared to absorb without criticism.

 

 

In other exchanges, the lawyers trafficked in crude antisemitic imagery and narratives. Carroll sent a meme of a stereotypical Jewish caricature spray-painting a swastika on a synagogue wall, captioned “Hey Rabbi… whatcha doin’?” The image accompanied Carroll’s message claiming that “Jews fabricate most cases of antisemitism.”

Another message includes Carroll stating: “Zionists are without question the closest thing we have to Nazis,” to which van Gelder replies: “Their religion basically tells them to harm children.” The pair also reportedly watched a video promoting the false theory that Israel was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, another showing a Vietnamese shop owner refusing service to Israelis, and a video ending with the caption “HITLER WAS RIGHT.”

Their conversations went beyond rhetoric. According to the messages, the two had been plotting their departure from BlackBay Lawyers for months under the codename “Operation Barbarossa”, the Nazi military campaign against the Soviet Union. In a January exchange, van Gelder wrote: “Will start extracting data, templates and precedent letters from BlackBay this weekend,” to which Carroll responded, “Yeah, me too.” Van Gelder advised: “Just make sure you copy the files properly, onto a portable hard drive” and cautioned his colleague to “avoid leaving an email paper trail.”

Both men were terminated on February 16, 2025, for serious misconduct. At that time, the firm was unaware of the antisemitic messages, which surfaced later. BlackBay has since launched legal proceedings in the New South Wales Supreme Court, seeking the return of electronic devices and confidential firm materials.

BlackBay managing partner Victoria-Jane Otavski told The Australian that the firm was “shocked” by the content and was “fully committed” to pursuing legal action. The firm has also sought an injunction preventing Carroll from encouraging other staff to leave the firm.

Michele Goldman, CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, condemned the messages as “extraordinary, disgraceful and overt antisemitism,” stating that individuals who hold such views have no place in the legal profession.

She welcomed the fact that the lawyers involved are no longer employed by their former firm and emphasized the responsibility of legal practitioners to uphold the law and protect civil rights. “Those who exchanged these messages have been rightly exposed, now they will need to account for their behaviour,” she said.

Goldman also confirmed that the NSW JBD will be writing to the Law Society of NSW to call for disciplinary action, insisting that “hateful, conspiracy theory obsessed bigotry must have consequences.”

In parallel, Carroll has filed a Fair Work case in the Federal Court alleging he was sidelined from client work, denied promised income, and shortchanged on his final pay. Court filings reviewed by The Australian show Carroll claims a $25,000 advance was improperly deducted from his final paycheck, despite a verbal assurance from the firm’s head of business development that repayment would be waived. He also alleges that after resigning, BlackBay attempted to terminate him for “serious misconduct,” which he claims was retaliatory.

Otavski has called Carroll’s claims “entirely meritless” and characterized the Fair Work suit as a “poor retaliatory response” to his dismissal and the firm’s legal action.

Carroll now operates a solo practice under the name Carroll Lawyers, while the previously registered domain for “Carroll van Gelder Lawyers” has been deactivated. Van Gelder, who had initially promised not to take clients from BlackBay, is currently facing five domestic violence charges including choking and assault causing actual bodily harm. His practising certificate has been restricted until the matter is resolved in court.

The scandal has sparked widespread condemnation, particularly given its timing during an ongoing national Senate inquiry into rising antisemitism in Australia. Community leaders have called for professional disciplinary action, and the New South Wales Law Society is under pressure to investigate whether the men should remain in legal practice.