Leading Silks

Hamish Austin KCList G BarristersHamish is one of a handful of leading insolvency and restructuring silks in Victoria. He is formidable when cross-examining witnesses, both expert and lay.  He is respected by the bench. He is extremely hard-working and does not rely on juniors to cover for him.’
Shane Doyle KCLevel Twenty Seven Chambers 'Shane is probably one of the most skilled advocates in Australia.'
Jeremy Giles SC – 7 Wentworth Selborne 'Jeremy is first and foremost a deeply effective advocate. He builds rapport with the bench and is thoroughly prepared and able to defend his position. He is also brilliant with clients and very happy to provide advice to boards and senior management in person.  One of the best all round barristers in the country.'
Michael Hodge KC – New Chambers and Level Twenty Seven Chambers ‘Michael is an excellent barrister – very intelligent and also very commercial. He creates a very stress-free environment for those in the team. He is relaxed to work with, and he is very open to hearing the views and input of others in the team. His advocacy style is very effective – and clients are always very happy with him.’
Anthony McGrath SC Alinea Chambers 'Highly intelligent, calm, measured, careful, thoughtful, hard working, strategic but also across the detail, practical, respected by the bench, an effective and persuasive advocate who does not overreach.' 
Gregory Nell SC – New ChambersGreg is an excellent advocate. His technical skills, intellect, expertise and experience are second-to-none in the field, and well-recognised. He thinks on his feet, and is able to read the audience – be it a judge or a panel – well and to adapt his presentation accordingly.’  
Jeremy Slattery KC  – List G BarristersA very capable advocate, across detail of evidence. Engages well with witnesses, strategic and a source of strong team leadership.’ 
Philip Corbett KC – List G Barristers 'Phil's ability to distil the issues and the risks associated with them is fantastic. He is a highly skilled negotiator and advocate.'
Luke Livingston SCNew ChambersLuke is an organised and well-prepared barrister who is able to simply complex legal issues, present his client’s case in a thoughtful and clear manner: he avoids court room theatrics which detract from the real issues in dispute. He is confident and articulate. When briefing him, lay clients and instructing solicitors know they are in safe hands.’
Charles Parkinson KCList A BarristersVery strategic in his thinking and an outstanding advocate.’
Christopher Ward SC6 St James Hall ChambersChris is a superb advocate, always attuned to what the bench is thinking. Eloquent and agile. That is the same at first instance, on appeal, or before a bench of seven judges in the High Court of Australia.’ 

2022 Silks

William Edwards KC – List G BarristersWilliam is an expert in class actions and a passionate advocate for his clients. He also is very commercial and strategic which is an asset to his clients which include class action applicants and litigation funders.’
Ian Horak SCYoung's List Barristers ‘Ian has a strong technical understanding of all aspects of intellectual property law, coupled with a strong work ethic and a very sound ability to manage the complexities of and strategy involved in complex commercial litigation.’
David Rayment SC6 St James Hall Chambers 'David has a strong ability to bring order, clarity and rationality to complex commercial disputes. He is always well-prepared throughout the course of a matter, as well as being sensitive to achieving commercially-sensible outcomes for clients. He has a calmness to his advocacy and presentation, and he receives respect and attention from both opponents and the bench.'

Leading Juniors

Emma BeecheyNew Chambers 'Great intellect, and very hard working.'
Nico BurmeisterList G Barristers 'Excellent written and oral advocacy skills on industrial relations matters. Highly responsive. A pleasure to work with.'
Melanie CairnsAlinea Chambers 'Melanie displays exceptional attention to detail in her work and is incredibly hard working. She is able to quickly grasp complex legal issues and get to the heart of a matter. In addition to her impressive technical legal knowledge, Melanie has an excellent understanding of her clients’ commercial drivers and is highly regarded by her clients, briefing solicitors and peers.'  
Caspar CondeNew ChambersCaspar is a pleasure to work with – professional, a team player, hard-working and insightful. Caspar does an excellent job of cross-examining company director witnesses.’
Patrick HolmesAlinea Chambers 'Patrick is highly diligent, dependable and simply a pleasure to work with.  He is also commercial and focused on meeting clients goals.'
Leigh HowardList G Barristers 'Leigh is an extremely smart and pragmatic operator.  He is involved in the leading cases across Australia working with some of the most experienced senior counsel. You have great trust and confidence putting Leigh before the most sophisticated clients to run their most sensitive and important matters.'
Justin MereineFoley's List Barristers 'Justin is a tenacious and skillful barrister. His advocacy skills are persuasive and always on point. His analytical and strategic skills are exceptional, and his extensive technical knowledge is an asset, particularly when dealing with complex litigation. As a client, he is easy to work with, and he is a trusted pair of hands for contentious matters.'
Greg O’MahoneyNew ChambersGreg has a very strong black letter understanding of the law, balanced with the understanding to be commercial.  Greg is very good with clients and is very strong on his feet in the court room and in mediations.  He is always cross the details of the case and relevant law.’
Chris Peadon – New Chambers 'Very personable, great relationships with all sides including revenue authorities, able to explain complex technical issues to clients succinctly. Very good at explaining commercial risks of approaches to non-tax technical people.  In court has a very confident demeaner and comes across as authoritative on his technical arguments to support his cases.'
Andrew PollockList G Barristers 'Andrew is a highly accomplished counsel that has either run or been involved in all the leading cases.'
Kate Anderson – Young's List BarristersKate has been an excellent advocate in dealings with the regulators, with a calm and confident approach, while demonstrating sound knowledge of the regulator’s strategic objectives. She provides pragmatic, commercial advice to the client. Her written submissions and advice are excellent – clear, precise and succinct.’  
Andrew Byrne7 Wentworth Selborne 'Andrew is very easy to work with. He is also great at getting the crux of the issue and providing his views on strategy in a way that is easily digestible for the client.' 
Fiona CameronYoung's List Barristers ‘Fiona has excellent judgement, well-developed advocacy skills and a wide-ranging knowledge of tech law.’  
Tom ClarkeList G Barristers 'Tom is considered and practical. He brings complex issues back to the discipline of the pleadings and relevant source material and cuts through the noise. Tom is a persuasive advocate but never puts propositions too highly.  He is a market leader in the energy sector.'
Rebecca Davern – List G Barristers 'Her strengths are her work ethic, attention to detail in case preparation, and a superb sense of pragmatism. I cannot identify any weaknesses. Above all, she is a nice human who is so easy to work with and understands and has empathy for her instructing solicitors and their workload.'
Dion FaheyList G BarristersDion is super smart, hard working, knowledgeable across all areas of class action work and on the rise. He has appeared in a diverse range of interlocutory issues in three high profile class actions over the last year on which he has led the full spread of the work for the barristers’ team including the advocacy – and against leading silks instructed by the banks. Dion has more than held his own. His written work is outstanding and has the distillation and focus of the best barristers.’ 
Simon Fitzpatrick7 Wentworth SelborneSimon is strategic in his thinking, as well as commercial, which clients very much appreciate.  He is clever, yet not arrogant.  His drafting is second to none.  He is very reliable, responsive and easy to deal with.  His preparation for appearances is always thorough and his advocacy is persuasive and clear.’
Matthew FollettDever's List BarristersMatthew is a leading junior barrister who will surely in future succeed as a senior counsel.’
Catherine Hamilton-Jewell – Alinea ChambersCatherine has an amazing attention to detail and ability to recall information. She is an excellent lawyer and always very well considered. Her work product is always of a very high standard and she is very user-friendly. She is an incredibly calm and considered advocate and does not fluster easily.’ 
Laura HillyList G Barristers 'Laura is an exceptional junior who brings unique regulatory experience and background to complex commercial disputes matters.'
Tamasin JonkerAlinea Chambers 'Tamasin is incredibly smart, hard-working and prepared to roll up her sleeves and be an active part of the overall legal team.'
Helena Mann7 Wentworth Selborne 'Helena is strategic and considered. Her advocacy is clear and purposeful. She always provides excellent support and is user-friendly.' 
Michael MayLevel Twenty Seven Chambers 'Michael is a very clear thinker with strong technical ability and excellent strategic and tactical sense.  His paperwork is very good and he has a smooth and engaging style on his feet.  He is hard working, efficient, and a pleasure to work with.'
Courtney EnsorNew Chambers 'Courtney is extremely thorough and precise, who's knowledgeable of the law.'
Karen PetchNew Chambers 'Karen is a great strategic thinker, highly responsive and hard-working. She is widely admired for her insolvency work but her practice extends to all areas of commercial law. She is often the first choice as a commercial junior in large cases.'
Ben PetrieYoung's List BarristersBen is very effective at identifying strong, strategic positions at the outset of a matter.  In contractual disputes in particular, Ben is adept at articulating clear, compelling interpretation arguments, drawing on both the technical and the commercial aspects.  He is very approachable and responsive to instruct, and takes a practical approach. As an advocate he is calm and measured, confident and tactical.’ 
Leanne RichAlinea ChambersLeanne has a number of strengths. She has an exceptional knowledge of the law and judgement, and she is dedicated and extremely hard working.  Her written work is also very good.’ 
Benjamin RydeList G BarristersBen is clever, analytical, measured and considered. He relates easily to all, and inspires trust and confidence. He is excellent given his intelligence, efficiency and the quality of his written and oral work. As an advocate, he is calm, reasoned and able to make complex issues seem simple. He quickly earns a judge’s confidence by limiting himself to ordered and well reasoned propositions without pressing weaker points.’
Philip Santucci – New ChambersPhilip is very intelligent, responsive and easy to work with. Clients have been happy with Philip’s performance in mediation.’
Adam Segal List G BarristersAdam is very easy to work with. He is very attentive – responds quickly to enquiries and turns work around promptly.  Adam is a very capable advocate and strategist.  He has a confident assured manner, is very organised in court, reads the room well and has a good rapport with the judiciary.’  
Sonia TameNew ChambersAn excellent lawyer with commercial approach. Very good judgement, including regarding how to approach different judges.’
Premala Thiagarajan  – List A BarristersPremala gives advice that is considered, to the point and appropriately delivered.’  
Stewart WebsterLevel Twenty Seven ChambersStrong in all aspects. Among the leading junior counsel in Queensland.’
Derek WongAlinea ChambersDerek is extremely smart and articulate. He is also hard working. However, what instructing solicitors appreciate most about Derek is his common-sense and commerciality – this sets him apart as a true star amongst his colleagues.’
Brin Anniwell7 Wentworth Selborne 'Excellent advocacy, suburb attention to detail, prompt delivery, highly intelligent, easy to work with, responsive to instructions.' 
Thomas BagleyNinth Floor Selborne Chambers ‘Incredible breadth of legal knowledge in a range of practice areas.  Strong advocacy skills unled.  His advocacy style is calm, measured and focused, leading the Court through the client’s points methodically and purposefully.  Very strong in drafting pleadings and submissions.’
Shipra Chordia – New Chambers 'Shipra has excellent legal and analytical skills, writes well, has excellent attention to detail and is a pleasure to work with. She conducts a diverse and busy practice and is highly regarded.'
Shaun ClementYoung's List Barristers ‘Shaun demonstrates a high level of legal knowledge and expertise in his field and displayed a commendable level of preparation and thoroughness in handling the matter. Shaun consistently provides timely and comprehensive responses to questions and concerns.’ 
Catherine GleesonNew Chambers 'Catherine is very strong.'
Keni JosifoskiNew Chambers 'Keni is very intelligent, and a very hard worker. Excellent barrister.'
Kane Loxley List G Barristers 'Very practical and commercial.  Able to explain complex issues in a digestable manner. Great team player.'

Commercial disputes in Australia Bar

Level Twenty Seven Chambers

The ‘premier Brisbane based chambers,’ Level Twenty Seven Chambers represent clients across a full spectrum of business disputes and litigation, with experience in litigating cases in industries including energy and mining. Members of the set have acted in complex cases on a national scale, such as O’Donnell v The Commonwealth of Australia which saw Michael Hodge KC and Sarah Spottiswood act for an applicant seeking declarations that the Commonwealth has breached a statutory order not to mislead or deceive potential investors by failing to disclose information about Australia’s climate change risks in relation to the issuing of exchange-traded Australia Government Bonds. Damian Clothier KC has a broad commercial practice that focuses on a number of different practice areas including commercial litigation and arbitrations concerning natural resources, while Shane Doyle KC is briefed by leading national and international law firms for lay clients involved in bet-the-company disputes.

Referenzen

‘Daniel Perry is an excellent clerk.’

‘Level 27 Chambers contain counsel from both junior to senior level in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Insolvency and are a go to for most legal firms on the East Coast of Australia.’

‘Level 27 Chambers remains the premier Brisbane based chambers. Case results are outstanding across the board. The chambers has practitioners that work nationally and internationally.’

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List G Barristers

List G Barristers are known in the Victoria market for its broad commercial practice, with members involved in various complex and high value litigation in areas including banking, employment, professional negligence and dispute resolution. The set is unique due to its combination of having a member-owned structure while enjoying the benefits of a strong clerking and administrative team led by Jane King, the senior clerk and CEO. Hamish Austin KC is noted by one client as ‘extremely thorough, and has the ability to get straight to the heart of an issue,‘ while employment specialist Jenny Firkin KC is the Vice President of the Victorian Bar’s Industrial Barristers Association. Natalie Hickey is noted for her involvement in the case of Directed OE Pty Ltd v OE Solution Pty Ltd where she was junior counsel for the successful applicant and was led by Michael Wise KC (as was, prior to his January 2024 judicial appointment) in a case which arose after the applicant discovered that its general manager had engaged in a conspiracy with its Korean supplier.

Referenzen

‘Generally deep and high-quality in the areas in commercial litigation and contentious insolvency.’

‘They are a good set with some excellent juniors joining in recent years.’ 

‘List G is a highly regarded commercial litigation list.’

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New Chambers

Providing a ‘high quality service,New Chambers is a premier commercial law set in Australia, with members handling a variety of disputes for foreign states, large multinationals, domestic companies and leading authorities in a range of practice areas including insolvency and class actions. David McLure SC and Greg O’Mahoney are involved in leading the defense of the owners of the Ruby Princess in class action case Karpik v Carnival Plc & Anor, which involves a class action where thousands of passengers are suing cruise ship owners for breach of duty and consumer laws arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. Emma Beechey practices in domestic and cross-border insolvency, banking and commercial litigation at trial and appellate levels, whereas Chris Peadon has developed a broad tax advisory and disputes practice with extensive experience in foreign investment and transfer pricing. Caspar Conde is noted for his involvement in the Inquiry into the Star Casino, in which he examined four of the six directors of Australia's second-largest casino concerning, among other issues, alleged failures in money laundering controls.

Referenzen

‘Good chambers for revenue law.’

‘Very strong chambers with a great reputation.’

‘New Chambers are excellent.’  

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12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers

12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers has a diverse practice in dispute resolution and litigation, with floor members briefed by leading firms and by regulators such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The set has seen a rise in litigation triggered by major rail and road infrastructure resulting in commercial disputes, in which Greg Sirtes SC, Luke Waterson and Robert White are leading in cases for both Government and private clients. One such example is the case of Sydney Metro v Expandamesh in which Luke led in an appeal concerning the interpretation of provisions in the Transport Administration Act 1989 restricting payment of compensation for compulsory acquisition of underground land for rail tunnels. Jocelyn Jaffray is noted as being ‘dedicated, thorough and reliable‘ in the commercial sphere.

5 Wentworth Chambers

5 Wentworth Chambers handle a variety of commercial and financial services disputes, including litigation and regulatory matters. Dominique Hogan-Doran SC has a diverse practice and is recognised for her experience in the financial services and superannuation, along with numerous arbitral appointments. Hogan-Doran SC successfully obtained declarations against opposition from the Attorneys-General of Victoria and Queensland, concerning a proposed merger of Mercy Super members and benefits. Eliot Lee Olivier is noted for his expertise in complex civil litigation, alongside being involved in leading class actions and financial service litigation practice groups.

Alinea Chambers

Alinea Chambers is known for its depth of skill and experience‘ in the commercial disputes arena, with members of the set engaging in a broad range of practice areas across the commercial and employment spaces, for clients ranging from private individuals to large multinational companies and government entities, such as the police force. Patrick Holmes has a strong practice in commercial and regulatory disputes, with a focus on financial services regulation, market misconduct and consumer protection matters, whereas Melanie Cairns, who handles a range of commercial work, has co-chaired the NSW Bar Diversity & Equality Committee while sitting on a Professional Conduct Committee. ‘ Tamasin Jonker regularly appears in cases involving consumer law and corporations law, such as the case of AHG WA (2015) Pty Ltd & Ors v Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific Pty Ltd, in which she acted for the Respondent, Mercedes-Benz in a proceeding concerning its implementation of an agency model in place of the previous, decades long dealer model. Zoë Hillman is noted for her work in complex and high-risk litigation.

Referenzen

‘Harry Hemmings is knowledgeable, efficient and easy to work with.’

‘Generally excellent.’  

‘An elite set with strong next-gen counsel.’ 

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List A Barristers

List A Barristers is engaged in prominent commercial disputes in Australia, offering a bench of over sixty senior counsel representing over 40% of the total disputes covered. Charles Parkinson has significant experience in corporate and commercial law, and was involved in AHG WA Pty Ltd v Mercedes-Benz Asia/Pacific Pty Ltd which became a test case for franchisor conduct against franchisees. Leana Papaelia joined from Svenson's List Barristers in March 2023 and David Heaton joined as a dual tenant alongside membership of elite London set Brick Court Chambers in April 2023.

Referenzen

‘Darren Milo and his team re very responsive and always seeking to go the extra step to assist.  Amanda Shaw, in particular, is delightful.’

‘List A have an outstanding collection of commercial barristers.’

‘Very good.’

7 Wentworth Selborne

Noted for their ‘strong commercial background as a chambers,7 Wentworth Selborne covers a range of practice areas surrounding the commercial disputes space, including general commercial litigation, equity, planning and environmental law to taxation and insurance disputes. Andrew Byrne covers a broad practice combing commercial and public law, with primary areas including equity and trusts and corporations law, while Jason Lazarus SC  practices predominantly in the Land and Environment Courts. Simon Fitzpatrick acts in representative proceedings for applications and respondents, alongside Brin Anniwell who ‘stands out as a talented junior with a very bright future.’

Referenzen

‘Simon Walker is a wonderful clerk. Responsive, highly skilled at determining suitable barristers for the issues in a matter.’ 

‘Clerks are responsive and helpful.  Reception staff are delightful.’

‘Excellent clerk and practice management team.’

6 St James Hall Chambers

6 St James Hall Chambers is a respected set handling a wide variety of commercial disputes for both individuals and international companies, with members such as Tim Castle SC, who leads the commercial, corporate, insolvency and franchising areas, being involved in cases which involve claims of breach of statutory duties of good faith and economic duress. Christopher Ward SC is an expert on international law, with a track record leading major appellate, commercial and industrial cases before the High Court and other courts, while David Rayment has handled a diverse range of commercial matters including financial services and insolvency.

Referenzen

‘Nora Faulua is a responsive and helpful clerk. Across her barristers and their matters.’

‘The clerk is friendly and approachable.’

‘The floor has a solid mix of barristers practising in commercial litigation (as well as employment law), although most members of the floor are junior counsel. I have observed that members of the floor who are unavailable for a matter will often be able to find others on the floor who can assist in their place, which can be quite important for solicitors who are dealing with urgent matters.’ 

Foley's List Barristers

Foley's List Barristers is one of the largest and oldest lists in Victoria, with over three hundred barristers from all areas of law, with the set continuing to feature in the commercial space. Members such as Justin Mereine, who is regarded by one client for his ‘sharp analytical skills‘ has extensive experience concerning directors’ duties and the continuous disclosure obligations of listed entities in Australia. Mereine appeared in the case of ISignthis Limited & Ors v ASX Limited where, representing the claimant in a claim for damages against the exchange concerning allegedly misleading and deceptive conduct, which affected the listing of ISX’s shares.

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Young's List Barristers

Young's List Barristers provides an ‘excellent range of employment counsel‘ alongside specialising in commercial and public law alongside sub areas such as professional negligence and equity and trusts. Helen Symon KC is a noted individual in the field of taxation, while Fiona Cameron‘s practice includes led and unled appearances before Courts across Australia and Asia Pacific in domestic and international arbitrations and royal commissions. Ben Petrie is noted for his involvement in Seven Network (Operations) Limited v Cricket Australia, in which Petrie defended the governing body in a claim brought by the free-to-air broadcaster concerning, among other issues, the scheduling of other international cricket against the Big Bash League domestic T20 competition. Ian Horak SC, Christian Juebner SC and Romauld Andrew SC were all appointed silk in November 2022.

Referenzen

‘The clerks, led by Tammy Young, are second to none.’

‘Excellent range of employment counsel.’

Young’s List has a good list of energetic and pragmatic commercial barristers, and is very strong at the middle junior level.’

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