Top lawyer Stuart Littlemore hired for Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan's appeal against NRL Sharks coach Shane Flanagan. THE legal battle over the Cronulla Sharks drugs scandal is set to intensify, with one of Sydney's highest-profile barristers to defend suspended head coach Shane Flanagan in his fight against the NRL. Stuart Littlemore, an aggressive Queen's Counsel silk who most recently represented disgraced Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, will advise Flanagan as he considers his legal position, sources told The Daily Telegraph. Flanagan has been hit with a 12-month suspension from the NRL, which accuses him of failing to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for players and failing to take appropriate action when he became aware that "unsafe practices" were being used in the club's 2011 supplements program. Shane Flanagan. If Flanagan accepts the NRL's "preliminary finding" and completes management skills training, the suspension would be reduced to nine months, but indications are he is planning to appeal the suspension in a bid to clear his name. Littlemore's client list has included Schapelle Corby's sister Mercedes Corby, Pauline Hanson and controversial Sydney academic Jake Lynch. He is reported to charge $6000 a day for his services, although he has been known to accept cases without being paid or at greatly reduced rates. He did not return calls yesterday. Celebrity lawyer Stuart Littlemore. Flanagan's move comes after the Sharks board decided it would appeal against the coach's suspension and fight the club's $1 million fine proposed by the NRL - at the risk of losing the opportunity to have $400,000 of it suspended. Club CEO Steve Noyce said yesterday the club was working through its legal position ahead of January 29 when it is due to formally respond to the preliminary finding that it breached the code of conduct.