Kristin Shorten
news.com.au
ONE of the country's top lawyers has died.
The top Sydney silk was an advisor to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Football Club, which held a minute's silence prior to its clash with the Knights yesterday at Brookvale Oval.
Branson's body was found at the base of the cliffs between Queenscliff and Freshwater beaches shortly before 11.30am, about 200m from where the body of rising Manly star Jason Annear was found in October.
Sea Eagles deputy chairman Bob Riley said Branson - a "great member of the Sea Eagles family" - was supposed to meet him and two other friends for lunch on Friday. Â
"Every three or four weeks a group of us would catch up to have a lunch," he said.
"He'd show up on his crutches and even came with a drip hanging out of him last time.
"For him to not answer his phone or call back was highly unusual."
Mr Branson is best known for his work representing high-profile sportspeople including surf lifesaving star Jordan Mercer.
He also represented the family of drowned ironman Saxon Bird at an inquest into the 19-year-old's death at the 2010 championships at Kurrawa.
Last year he called a royal commission into the running of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast, saying the drowning of another competitor - Matthew Barclay - was a "scandal" and officials should face criminal charges.
Mr Riley said he usually spoke to his friend daily.
"We are usually in contact most mornings by text or phone but on Friday it kept going through to voicemail," he said.
"I'd tried to call him six times by lunch and by 4pm there was still no contact.
"I just didn't know. I went home and after that his wife had called my wife about 8.30pm."
Branson and his wife Anne Marie have two children, Timmy, 15, and Rosie, 12.
"She is struggling to deal with the children," Mr Riley said.
"They're very upset."
Timmy attended the Sea Eagles game on Sunday with two mates.
"I gave Timmy an NRL pass that his father would have used so that he can use to come to the games whenever he wants to," he said.
"He's obviously keeping it all inside but that's how he's dealing with it.
"I think it's all very surreal."
Branson also has adult children, who live in Canada, from a previous marriage.
Mr Riley said everyone was shocked by Branson's death.
"Players who knew him well are obviously shocked by the news," he said.
"It's such a tragic thing because it was unexpected. It's caught us all by surprise.
"He had a lot of things going on in his life. He was in constant pain due to the operation and he was on heavy medication that might have caused a little bit of depression but I don't know."
The influential lawyer from Sydney's northern beaches has been battling deteriorating health in recent years.
"He was only recently trying to recover from another knee reconstruction, his fourth or fifth, and he was very depressed over whether that was going to work or not," Mr Riley said.
Mr Branson also suffered significant injuries when he collided head-on with a garbage truck on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in late 2008.
Mr Branson had to be cut free from his vehicle and rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
In 2009 he pleaded guilty to negligent driving that led to a horror crash.
His lawyer Ian Rolfe told the court Mr Branson at one stage was "clinically dead" and lucky to survive.
He has also faced his own legal battles.
In February 2012 Mr Branson was caught driving at 118km/h in an 80km zone on the F3 in Wahroonga because he was "busting for a pee".
His license was suspended for three months and he was fined $710.
The Australian Surf Rowers League Inc posted a message on its website on Saturday.
"It is with the deepest regret that I advise you that Chris Branson passed yesterday," it said. "Let's hope that Chris finds his star!"
Mr Branson, who practised criminal and commercial law, had studied at Oxford University with Bill Clinton and was one of 12 boaties inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
He was heavily involved in the legal and sporting communities.
He was on the board of the NSW Taxation Committee and The Board of Taxation Advisory Panel.
He was a fellow at the Tax Institute of Australia, and had lectured at the Sydney University.
He has been a legal advisor to Rowing Australia, the Australian Paralympics Committee, the SLSA National Council, Head of Coaching Advisory Panel and National Surf craft advisor.
He was the Boat Captain of the Australian Surf Team in 1980.
He was also a member of Appeal Tribunals for Olympic sports including: Cycling Australia, Kayaking Australia,
Rowing Australia and Weightlifting Australia.
The Sea Eagles club will dedicate a sportsman's lunch - for sponsors, former players and friends - to Branson when it is held on Friday. Â
"Chris would have been at the lunch," he said.
"So we thought this would be good place to talk about and celebrate his life."
