Barristers Logistics

He has held a Vinerian Scholarship and Rhodes Scholarship and won the Solicitors' Prize and the Supreme Court Prize. He is a member of the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Bar Association and the International Bar Association, and has written various articles and comments on company and securities law and "Securities Legislation" Laws of Australia.

Daniel completed undergraduate degrees in Arts (majoring in French) and Law at Monash University.

He was then articled to Phillip Borden at Home Wilkinson & Lowry, Lawyers, in Melbourne and worked briefly in Sydney for Doyles' Construction Lawyers before being called to the Victorian Bar in 1997.

In 2002, Daniel completed a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne. Areas of specialisation within that course included commercial equity and trade practices, negligence, insurance, construction, evidence and procedure.

At the Bar, Daniel has developed a busy commercial litigation practice, including advice and appearances in matters concerning property, commercial and contract law, equity, trade practices, insurance and professional negligence, construction, and torts.

Daniel maintains an abiding interest in the community, and believes that those who have benefited professionally from the law carry an obligation to return some of that benefit to the community. To that end, he is always prepared to consider requests from solicitors to act on a pro bono basis in appropriate matters.

Recent papers, presentations, and seminars

• Legal Professional Privilege & Waiver: Recent Developments. (Legalwise Seminars 29 March 2007)
• Burning the Midnight Oil: How late must a conveyancing lawyer's office remain open? (Law Institute Journal December 2006)
• Professional Obligations when Seeking or Resisting Injunctions (Victorian Bar CLE seminar 2 May 2006)
• Proportionate Liability: your question answered (Legalwise seminars, 28 March 2006 & 6 March 2007)
• Submission to the Victorian Department of Justice on proposal to amend Part IVAA of the Wrongs Act 1958 (jointly authored with A.G. Uren QC on behalf of the Victorian Bar, January 2006)
• Insurance and construction law:  recent developments in Victoria (Australian Legal Business Monthly, 15 September 2005)
• Proportionate Liability: an analysis of the Victorian and Commonwealth Legislative Schemes (Victorian Bar CLE Seminar with AG Uren QC, 18 August 2005)
• Identifying and quantifying heads of damage for breach of contract (LexisNexis Seminars, 9 March 2005)
• Proportionate Liability under Part IVAA of the Wrongs Act 1958: one year on (Legalwise Seminars, 25 March 2005)
• Injunctions & Interlocutory Orders: professional & ethical responsibilities for legal practitioners. (Legalwise Seminars, 25 November 2004; Gordon & Jackson Newsletter, December 2004)
• Can I get out of my contract? Vitiating factors (Southern Suburbs Solicitors' Group, 24 August 2004)
• Commercial disputes: choosing the correct jurisdiction (LIV Business Law Study Group Meeting, 29 June 2004)
• Security for performance of Construction Contracts: a commentary on Rejan Constructions Pty. Ltd. - v - Manningham Medical Centre Pty. Ltd. (2003) 19 BCL 451(Lecture delivered to Master of Construction Law students, University of Melbourne, 26 March 2004)
• The Remedial Constructive Trust: An Exercise in Discretion? (Legalwise Seminars, 17 September 2003)
• Liability of Public Authorities for Highways, Roads and Paths(Legalwise Seminars, 13 May 2003)
• Negligent Infliction of Psychiatric Injury (Gordon & Jackson Newsletter, December 2002)
• Proving Fraudulent Insurance Claims: some practical and legal considerations (LAAMS Seminars, 17 April 2002)

Nicholas Andreou holds undergraduate degrees in Science and Law. Nicholas also holds a Masters of Law specialising in Commercial Law.

As a solicitor, Nicholas completed his articles and practised in civil litigation, having developed a practice in body corporate disputes and domestic building disputes.

Nicholas is a senior lecturer at a tertiary institution, lecturing in Building Regulations, Planning Law and Professional Liability for Architects.

Prior to signing the Bar roll, Nicholas provided advice to the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in Vienna.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Occasional instructor in tribunal & employment law at Leo Cussen.

• 1989 - 1990 Slater & Gordon - Articled Clerk
• 1990 - 1991 Australian Industrial Relations Commission - Associate to Deputy President Keogh
• 1991 - 1992 Australian Industrial Registry - Rules Officer
• 1992 - 1995 Australian Industrial Registry - Senior Research Officer
• 1995 - 1997 Clayton Utz- Solicitor - Workplace Relations Department
• 1997 - 1998 Deacons Graham James - Solicitor - Workplace Relations Department
• 1998 - 1999 Australian Hotels Association - Manager, Corporate & Industrial Relations
   

Bernard Carr has broad experience in commercial litigation with an emphasis on building and construction, and insurance matters. He is experienced in large and complex proceedings involving computer based discovery and hearings.

He completed his articles in the Construction and Property Law Department of Clayton Utz, Melbourne, and worked as a solicitor in the area of commercial litigation for five years before joining the bar.

Prior to completing his legal qualifications he worked as a consulting civil engineer with a U.S. based consulting group and was principally involved in large scale infrastructure and mining developments in Australia and South East Asia 

Justin has run many commercial trials in his 11 years at the Bar. While he has been involved in several trials over the years where he has been led, most of his trials have been unled (including trials opposed to SCs) and have involved complicated issues, witnesses from all backgrounds and expert witnesses in a broad range of industries.

His general commercial practice has developed a particular emphasis on contractual disputes, commercial arbitrations, trade practices, the Corporations Act and negligence. In the meantime, he has obtained particular experience in proportionate liability issues and in 2010-2011, has delivered CPD seminars on the topic to a number of law firms around Melbourne.

He also has good experience in media law, having advised and acted in a number of defamation matters, and having acted for and against various public personalities and media organizations concerning publication on media including the internet.

For more information on Justin please click here.

Admitted to Practice: (QLD) 17 March 1997

Signed Bar Roll: Tasmanian Independent Bar 19 March 2010

Biography

Picha Djohan graduated from law at the University of Sydney in 1993 and then moved to Queensland practising in Brisbane before moving to Cairns where she has been an advocate since 1997 and maintains chambers (Macrossan Chambers). She conducts a national practice as a barrister in two discrete specialised areas. First, her practice covers all areas of planning and environment law. Secondly, she has a specialist practice in government relations and services principally involving the Gaming and Licensing industry.

She has a current multi-jurisdictional practice and extensive litigation and advisory experience which provide a unique capability to provide high level strategic advice on legislative reform and planning policy. Her ongoing litigation work informs and compliments her advisory capabilities and provides clients with strategic and practical options particularly directed to desired identified outcomes.

She has extensive experience in all aspects of planning processes.

Tim has a broad practice and is available to appear in a variety of jurisdictions.

Before coming to the bar, Tim was associate to the Honourable Justice Judd in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Dominique Grigg has accrued 15 years legal experience, primarily in the field of intellectual property law and also in general commercial law.

Dominique has particular expertise in all aspects of intellectual property law including:

• IP litigation
• Trade marks, domain names and brand protection
• Copyright, publishing and artists' rights
• Patent litigation and commercialisation
• Structure and governance arrangements
• Research and development
• IP licensing and commercialisation
• Information technology

Qualifications:

• B.Com, University of Queensland (1992)
• LL.B, University of Queensland (1995)
• LL.M, University of Queensland (1999) – specialising in Intellectual Property.
• GAICD, Australian Institute of Company Directors (2009)
• Practice Management Course – Queensland Law Society (2001)
• Legal Practice Course, Queensland University of Technology (1996)
• Bar Practice Course, Queensland University of Technology (2002)
• Certificate of Training – World Intellectual Property Organisation Workshop for Mediators in IP Disputes (2005)

Dominique’s practice covers Federal and State Courts as well as opposition proceedings in the Trade Marks Office. She is a former member and former chair of the Queensland Committee of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand. Prior to coming to Bar, Dominique was a Senior Associate at Phillips Fox where she practised in intellectual property.

She has been a guest lecturer and tutor on intellectual property at the University of Queensland Law School and Business Faculty. She regular runs sessions at the Bar Practice Course (Qld) and was recently invited to speak at the Global Intellectual Property Forum in Singapore.

She has also sat on the board of a large not-for-profit organisation.

She is also a member of the Queensland Bar.

Examples of Matters:

• Sheldon and Hammond Pty Ltd v Metrokane Inc (2004) 61 IPR 1 – copyright/design infringement
• Grace v Beaulieu of Australia Ltd (2004) 60 IPR 540 – design infringement
• Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd v Courier Publishing Pty Ltd & Assoc – trade mark infringement/section 52, Trade Practices Act.
• AUS Fence Hire Pty Ltd v Thomas (2004) 61 IPR 287 – innovation patent infringement
• GS Technologies Pty Ltd v Brisbane City Council – patent infringement
• Foundation Medical Centres (Qld) Pty Ltd; Technical Information Services Pty Ltd v AIS - confidential information/restraint of trade
• Director, Board of Family Planning Queensland Limited
• Member, Governance Committee, Family Planning Queensland Limited
• Victorian Bar Association
• Queensland Bar Association
• IP Society Australia and New Zealand
• Australian Copyright Council
• Women Lawyers’ Association
• Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Women on Boards
• Women In Technology

I have a broad mixed practice handling both criminal and civil law.  The majority of my criminal law practice involves defending summary matters in the Magistrates' Court and appearing in appeals from Magistrates in the County and Supreme Courts, and the Court of Appeal.  The majority of criminal cases I handle involve drink driving or other motor vehicle licence loss offences.  Much of the work I do in this field involves statutory interpretation and running technical defences.

My civil practice encompasses the broad range of commercial disputes in all jurisdictions, from VCAT to the Supreme Court for both plaintiffs and defence, together with appellate work.  I have often appeared in the Supreme Court practice court in pursuit of perogative relief under Order 56.  I have appeared in a variety of tribunals, and before professional disciplinary boards, and also in the Industrial Relations Commission.

A brief CV and a list of some of the cases that I have appeared in can be found here.

Professional Background:-

Christian has been practicing as a lawyer for over 15 years.  He signed the Bar Roll in 2004. Before coming to the Bar, Christian was a partner with Norton Rose (then known as Deacons).

Christian has a broad range of experience, both in commecial litigation and in providing transactional commercial advice.

Christian commonly appears in the County, Supreme and Federal Court, both on interlocutory applications and trials.

In addition, Christian has an interest in proceedings under the Confiscation Act and Proceeds of Crime Act.

Andrew Laird was articled to the firm Minter Ellison in 1990 and was a solicitor in the firm’s insurance and construction practices until 1992 when he joined the Victorian Bar. Mr Laird read with Peter Vickery (as he then was) now the Honourable Justice Vickery, Judge in charge of the Victorian Supreme Court Technology Engineering and Construction (TEC) List.

Mr Laird specializes in complex technology, construction and engineering disputes and related commercial litigation and has appeared in numerous significant proceedings in major Commercial Arbitrations and in the Supreme and Federal Courts.

Some of the more significant technology, construction and engineering disputes that Mr Laird has been involved in include litigation concerning:

• the tunnels of the multi-billion dollar Melbourne CityLink Project, which involved highly specialised geotechnical and structural engineering issues in the context of a major build, own, operate, transfer (BOOT) project (Supreme Court);
• the design and construction of a large private oceangoing catamaran, which involved marine coating technology and finite element analysis (Federal Court);
• the establishment of a major food processing facility, which involved mechanical engineering, industrial and Trade Practices issues (Federal Court);
• the remediation of contaminated land in the Melbourne Docklands precinct (Commercial Arbitration);
• the design and construction of waste water treatment plants in regional Victoria (Supreme Court);
• the Concession Deed of the Melbourne CityLink Project, which involved highly complex road and traffic engineering and financial modelling issues (Commercial Arbitration); and
• the Mechanical and Electrical subcontract for the multi-billion dollar Melbourne EastLink road and tunnel infrastructure project (Commercial Arbitration).

Mr Laird is one of the founding members of Melbourne TEC Chambers (MTECC) and has acted for and advised constructors, proprietors, principal sub-contractors and design professionals. Many of the disputes that Mr Laird has appeared in have involved joint ventures and design and construct contracts and have raised complex programming and associated contractual issues including claims for extensions of time, prolongation and acceleration, as well as claims for variations.

John comes to the Bar with a great breadth of experience both in and outside the law. Admitted to practice in Victoria in 1985, he became a partner in the firm of Gadens Ridgeway (as it then was) in 1989. At Gadens Ridgeway, he practised initially in commercial litigation in all jurisdictions, then subsequently in commercial and residential property development, and general commercial work. When a partner in that firm, he spent a year and a half in the firm's Port Moresby office acting for financial institutions and trading companies, and heading the real property division in that office.

In 1993 John established his own law firm in Kooyong which practised in Real Property, Private Business Support (including Sales & Acquisitions, Commercial Agreements and International Trade), Estate Planning & Trusts, and commercial dispute resolution.

In 1997 John moved to London and remained in the United Kingdom for nine years. For most of that period he worked at Deutsche Bank in the City of London, initially in Equity Capital Markets in a convertible bond/equity-linked origination team, then for some years in Structured Capital Markets. In the latter role he was principally involved in executing large, multi-jurisdictional, principally tax-driven financing & investment transactions.

Before leaving the UK, John spent a year living in the Scottish Highlands during which time he consulted to a ‘start-up' venture in virtual/home-based outsourcing. He has many interests outside the law, a number of which lead him to the Scottish Highlands!

Vicky has wide ranging experience principally in commercial litigation.  Her areas of particular competence are:  banking and finance (including tracing and money laundering), company and securities law, trade practices including consumer protection and competition and insolvency.  She acts for a variety of clients, which have included the ACCC, ASIC, APRA and BHPB.

• Visiting lecturer, Law School, University of Melbourne, Corporate Banking and Finance - 2008-2011
• Visiting lecturer, Law School, Monash University, Anti-Money Laundering (Masters by Coursework Unit) – 2005-2007, 2010
• Visiting lecturer, Law School, University of Western Australia, Corporations Law (Undergraduate Law Unit) – 2000
• Research Assistant to Professor Graeme Cooper, University of Melbourne, research on international corporate taxation - 1999 to 2001
• Tutor, Law School, University of Western Australia, Constitutional Law – 1999 

• "Liability of a payee on a cheque for conversion and moneys had and received - Heperu Pty Ltd v Perpetual Trustees Australia Ltd" (2011) 34 Aust Bar Rev 214
• "Theft, Fraud and Mistaken Payments: Personal and Proprietary Remedies" (2008) 19 Journal of Banking and Finance Law and Practice 163
• “Funds Recovery From Fraudulent Deposit” (2004) 20 Australian Banking and Finance Law Bulletin 70
• "Bank Liability When Customer is Fraudulent" (2002) 18 Australian Banking and Finance Law Bulletin 65
• “Corporate Groups: Current Proposals for Reform in Australia, the UK and a Comparative Analysis of the Regime in Germany” (2002) 4 International and Comparative Corporate Law Journal 37
• “CASAC’s Proposals for Reform of the Law Relating to Corporate Groups” (2001) 19 Companies and Securities Law Journal 250
• “A Statutory Business Judgment Rule in Australia: Proposals and Policy” (1999) 27 Australian Business Law Review 38
• “Webb Distributors Revisited: The Interaction between the Principle of Preservation of Share Capital in Winding Up to Claims for Misleading and Deceptive Conduct” (1998) 16 Companies and Securities Law Journal 35 

• Michelle Sharpe practices primarily in the areas of general commercial and contract law, passing off and trade practices and consumer protection and brings significant experience in regulatory frameworks. She is experienced in the areas of owners corporations, franchising and retail and residential leases, tax and information technology.  She regularly appears in all jurisdictions, including VCAT.

   

  Michelle is highly experienced in matters involving breaches of consumer protection law, having acted for (and against) State and Federal agencies. She has written and contributed to papers and publications on trade practices – particularly in the area of unconscionable conduct.

   

  Committed to client care, Michelle brings a flexible, cooperative approach to her practice and in the service of clients – who include government, small and medium sized businesses and owners corporations.

   

  Notable recent cases Michelle has been involved in include acting for the ACCC in a number of consumer product safety litigations, and against the ACCC in a trade practices matter; acting against Spotlight in a large scale breach of contract matters and acting for American Express in appealing a decision by the Commissioner of Taxation and successfully acted in a complex owners corporation litigation for the owners corporation and manager, where various breaches of the Act were alleged by a lot owner .

   

  For more details on Michelle’s recent and reported cases, and her published papers, please click here.

   

  Michelle lectured at the University of Melbourne (2007 – 2011) in the areas of legal ethics, civil procedure and contract law, and is an occasional instructor in legal ethics at Leo Cussen.

   

  She has a keen interest in health and wellbeing issues affecting the profession, and in particular the impacts on legal ethical conduct. Michelle was a member of the Bar Council 2006-09 and Assistant Convenor of the Women Barristers Association 2006-07.

  Overview of legal expertise

   

  • Administrative Law (Judicial  and Merits Review)
  • Banking and Finance
  • Building and Construction
  • Commercial Law
  • Consumer Credit
  •  Defamation, Media and Entertainment
  • Equity Trusts
  • Professional Negligence
  • Property Law
  • Residential / Retail Tenancies
  • Taxation
  • Torts
  • Trade Practices
  • Traffic Law.

  Professional associations

   

  • Australian Private Law Network
  • Commercial Bar Association

   

  Victorian Bar Committee Memberships

   

  • Legal Education and Training – Continuing Professional Development Committee
  • Health and Wellbeing Committee
  • Ethics Committee

Former Senior Associate with Blake Dawson Waldron (now Blake Dawson), with experience in transaction and advice work, insolvency and in commercial litigation.

Former Judicial Assistant in the English Court of Appeal to the Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers (subsequently Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales, the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and now the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom).

Completed a Bachelor of Civil Law Degree at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, with an emphasis on Restitution and Equity.

Experience as an advocate in a variety of jurisdictions as well as advice, pleadings and paper work in the areas set out above.