Since being admitted to practice in 1994, Lara has dedicated her career to supporting the health sector. For many years, she acted, at the request of the VMIA, for Victorian public hospitals and their employees. She then spent nearly seven years with Avant (and for MDAV before its merger) representing its members in all jurisdictions. Following that, Lara spent six years in health law as a partner of a national firm before becoming a founding partner of Ball + Partners.

A significant part of Lara’s practice is advising and representing medical practitioners, hospital and allied health professionals who are the subject of negligence claims, disciplinary proceedings, Medicare and criminal investigations, and who are required to attend coronial inquests.

Lara also guides medical practitioners and allied health professionals through the industry’s complex regulatory framework. This includes advising on compliance with laws regarding prescription of drugs of dependence, advertising medical services, privacy, health records and criminal investigations.

Lara is the editor of Medicare & the Law – A Practical Guide for Doctors.  She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions of Best Lawyers® Australia for Medical Negligence (as published in the Australian Financial Review).  She has been recognised in the Doyles Legal Guide Melbourne 2015/2016 and 2019/2020 as one of the leading tiers of Medical Negligence Lawyers (Defendant), in 2020/2021 as a first-tier Medical Negligence Lawyer (Defendant) and in 2022/2023, 2024/2025, 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 as the preeminent Medical Negligence Lawyer (Defendant).

Lara is committed to providing measured and practical legal advice to an industry of people who spend their lives caring for others, and who sometimes need care and assistance themselves.