- Administrative & public law
- Appellate practice
- Commercial law
- Commissions of Inquiry
- Constitutional law
- Defamation & media law
- Environmental, planning & property law
- Equity, charities and trusts
- Human rights law
- Intellectual property
- Trade practices & competition law
BA (Hons) LLB (Sydney)
Editor of the Australian Law Reports (since August 2008)
Member of the Human Rights Committee, New South Wales Bar Association (since 2006)
Past Member of the Council of the New South Wales Bar Association (2006-2007, 2008-2009)
Past Member of Professional Conduct Committee No. 3 of the New South Wales Bar Association (2006-2007)
The following cases are a selection of recent matters in which I have appeared. Please contact my chambers for a more extensive list of selected cases in each of the areas of practice referred to above, or for any further information about my practice.
Larrikin Music Publishing v EMI Songs Australia [2010] FCA 29. Senior counsel for the applicant. Federal Court upheld claims by the owner of the copyright in “Kookaburra sits on an old gum tree” under the Copyright Act 1968 and Trade Practices Act 1974 in respect of the use of a substantial part of that work by Men at Work in the song “Down Under”.
Halley v Minister Administering the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 [2010] NSWLEC 6. Senior counsel for the respondent. Claim in the Land and Environment Court for compensation under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 following the compulsory acquisition of land.
Roadshow Films v iiNet [2010] FCA 24. Second senior counsel for iiNet. Federal Court dismissed applicants’ claims under the Copyright Act 1968, finding that iiNet did not authorize its subscribers or users to infringe copyright by downloading movies using BitTorrent.
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZKTI (2009) 238 CLR 489. Lead counsel for first respondent in the High Court of Australia. Construction of ss 424 and 425 of the Migration Act 1958.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Macdonald [2009] NSWSC 287, (2009) 256 ALR 199 (liability); [2009] NSWSC 714, (2009) 259 ALR 116 (penalty) and related judgments and appeals. Junior counsel for the second defendant in civil penalty proceedings brought by ASIC in the Supreme Court of New South Wales against the directors and officers of James Hardie for contraventions of s 180 of the Corporations Act 2001.
Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Inc v His Eminence Petar, Diocesan Bishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (2008) 237 CLR 66. Lead counsel for the Attorney General for New South Wales in the High Court of Australia. Scope and nature of ‘judicial advice’ application under s 63 of the Trustee Act 1925 (NSW) in a charitable trust case.
Austral Monsoon v Pittwater Council [2009] NSWCA 154, (2009) 166 LGERA 436. Junior counsel for Pittwater Council in the Court of Appeal. Administrative law - validity of decisions of the Minister for Planning in respect of the State significance of development of a marina at Careel Bay, Pittwater.
O'Donoghue v Ireland; Zentai v Republic of Hungary; Williams v United States of America (2008) 234 CLR 599. Junior counsel for the appellant Larry Williams in the High Court of Australia. Constitutional law - the function of State magistrates and the constitutionality of the process required under s 19 of the Extradition Act 1988.
Legal Research Officer, Office of Solicitor General and Crown Advocate (NSW) (1994-1996) (Keith Mason QC, Rod Howie QC and Megan Latham)
Research associate to the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby, President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal (part 1993)
Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice Brian Cohen, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Equity Division (part 1993)
