Areas of Practice
Appellate Jurisdiction
This practice area encompasses appeals from first-instance decisions across civil, criminal, and administrative matters, including leave applications, grounds of appeal, and questions of law versus fact. Our members regularly appear before Courts of Appeal and Appeal Tribunals, the Full Federal Court, and the High Court of Australia.
Members practising in this area:
The field of industrial and employment relations encompasses the
broad-spectrum of the employment relationship, including both advisory and litigious work. Our members have extensive expertise and experience in matters such as unfair dismissal and general protections claims (as well as all other statutory claims), underpayment claims, enterprise bargaining and industrial disputation, union eligibility rules, award interpretation and enforcement, and contractual disputes (including restraint of trade and confidential information disputes). Our members appear regularly before the Federal Court and Federal Circuit and Family Court, Industrial Court of Queensland, Industrial Magistrates Court, Fair Work Commission and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
Members practising in this area:
Employment and Industrial Relations
Commercial Law
The Commercial practice area encompasses contractual disputes, corporations law, trade practices and misleading conduct claims, restraint of trade, shareholder and partnership disputes, insolvency, and commercial equity. Our members are experienced in advising on complex commercial transactions, drafting opinions, and appearing in the Supreme Court, Federal Court, and specialist commercial lists on disputes involving corporate and contractual liability.
Members practising in this area:
Tax and Revenue
Tax and Revenue includes advisory and advocacy work in income tax, capital gains tax, GST, State taxes (payroll tax, stamp duty, land tax), and international tax disputes. Our members are regarded as leading the field in advising on complex transactions, drafting opinions, and appearing before the Administrative Review Tribunal, Federal Court, Supreme Court and High Court in disputes against the Commissioner of Taxation, Commissioner of State Revenue and other bodies.
Members practising in this area:
Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Insolvency and Bankruptcy encompasses corporate insolvency, voluntary administration, liquidation, receivership, and personal bankruptcy proceedings, including director liability, insolvent trading, and voidable transactions. Our members routinely advise liquidators, administrators, and creditors, and appear before Federal and Supreme Courts in winding up applications, public examinations, and recovery proceedings.
Members practising in this area:
Administrative and Public Law
The practices maintained by our members encompass both administrative and judicial review of government decision-making in areas as diverse as: professional licensing and discipline, Blue Card reviews, tax reviews, workers' compensation reviews, and the National Disability Insurance Agency decisions. Our barristers are also experienced in managing administrative matters arising from constitutional and statutory interpretation. They appear regularly before the Administrative Review Tribunal, Federal Court, and state Supreme Courts in disputes involving government agencies and regulators.
Members practising in this area:
Human Rights and Discrimination
Our members are experienced in handling claims under federal and state anti-discrimination legislation, including race, sex, disability, and age discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation, and vilification proceedings. Our barristers appear regularly before the Queensland Human Rights Commission, Australian Human Rights Commission, relevant tribunals, and the Federal Court.
Members practising in this area:
Equity and Trusts
This practice area covers disputes concerning fiduciary duties, breach of trust, equitable estoppel, and unconscionable conduct. Our members cover the entire spectrum of advisory and advocacy work, including structuring, and appearing before Supreme Courts and specialist equity divisions in matters involving trust administration, fiduciary accountability, and equitable remedies.
Members practising in this area:
Workplace Health and Safety
Our members provide a full range of advisory and prosecutorial services, including both prosecution and defence. Experience includes investigations and prosecutions under the full range of safety legislation.
Members practising in this area:
Workers’ Compensation
Our members practising in this area act as advisors and advocates, both for workers and for the Regulator. This includes advising insurers, the regulator, and injured workers, undertaking compulsory conferences for represented parties, drafting applications and submissions (including on review), and appearing before compensation tribunals and courts in contested liability and quantum disputes.
Members practising in this area:
Coronial Inquests and Commissions
of Inquiry
Our members practising in this area undertake investigations and advocacy before inquisitorial jurisdictions, including the Coroner’s Court of Queensland and in Commissions of Inquiry. Our barristers have experience acting as Counsel Assisting and in representing interested parties.
Members practising in this area:
Regulatory Litigation
Our Regulatory Litigation barristers undertake and defend against enforcement proceedings by a wide range of Regulators, including ASIC, the ATO, the FWO, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and others. Proceedings in which our members have experience include civil penalty applications, disqualification proceedings, and compliance investigations. Our barristers undertake both advisory and appearance work in contested regulatory enforcement and public interest litigation.
Members practising in this area:
Property
This practice area encompasses disputes over real and personal property, including title and boundary disputes, easements, co-ownership and partition, mortgagee and vendor/purchaser disputes, and leasing matters. Our barristers appear in the State Courts and specialist property lists in contested and consent-based proceedings.
Members practising in this area:
Building and Construction
This practice area covers contractual and statutory disputes arising from construction projects, including defective work claims, security of payment adjudications, delay and variation claims, and professional negligence against builders and consultants. Our members regularly appear in the State Courts and specialist building lists in adjudication and litigated disputes.
Members practising in this area:
Wills and Estates
This practice area encompasses probate and administration disputes, testamentary capacity challenges, family provision claims, executor and trustee obligations, and estate litigation. Our barristers have extensive experience in advising executors and beneficiaries, as well as appearing before Supreme Courts in probate and contested estate proceedings, including will construction and family provision applications.
Members practising in this area:
Energy and Resources
Energy and resources law encompasses the full lifecycle of mining, petroleum, gas, renewable-energy and associated infrastructure projects. Our barristers advise and appear in matters concerning resource tenure, land access and compensation, joint ventures and commercial agreements, and disputes arising from energy and resources projects.
Members practising in this area:
ADR encompasses mediation, conciliation, arbitration, expert determination, and other dispute resolution processes. Our barristers routinely advise on dispute resolution strategy, negotiate, draft settlement terms, and appear as counsel or act as mediator in proceedings.
Members practising in this area: