Michael practises primarily in commercial, regulatory and public law.
Before being called to the bar, Michael practised as a solicitor for 10 years, initially at Lander & Rogers, and most recently as the General Counsel of Litigation for one of Australia’s largest companies.
Michael has experience acting in a broad range of commercial disputes as well as in competition law, employment, property, insurance and product liability matters.
Michael also brings to his practice, significant ‘front end’ commercial experience, having led a broad range of M&A and other corporate transactions.
Michael is a co-author of The Laws of Australia: Breach of Contract and is currently undertaking a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne. Michael holds a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University and a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism & Public Relations) from RMIT University. Michael has also studied German at the Freie Universität in Berlin as the recipient of a full scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service.
Michael read with Jonathan Kirkwood SC and his senior mentor was David Batt KC.
Some of Michael’s current and recent matters include:
Commercial matters
Behbahani v Thorney Equities Pty Ltd, Waislitz & Behbahani [2026] VSC (unled, instructed by Kalus Kenny Intelex)
Appeared for Thorney Equities at trial in February and March 2026 to oppose equitable relief sought by the plaintiff in respect of land held by Thorney Equities as trustee of a trust. Judgment currently reserved.
Golden Plains Resources Pty Ltd v Omeo Gold Pty Ltd & Rimfire Pacific Mining Ltd [2025] VSC (unled, instructed by Mallesons)
Briefed for Rimfire Pacific Mining Limited, to defend the plaintiff’s claim for restitution in connection with various mining projects.
Hillman v Mayne Pharma Group Ltd [2024] VSC 786 (led by J Kirkwood SC, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer)
Briefed for Mayne Pharma in a class action relating to allegations that Mayne breached its continuous disclosure obligations and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct in connection with information about alleged price-fixing in the United States.
Golden Plains Resources Pty Ltd v Rimfire Pacific Mining Ltd [2025] VSC (led by J Thomson SC, instructed by Mallesons)
Briefed for the defendant, initially, to resist a grant of urgent injunctive relief. Subsequently briefed in arbitration of the substantive dispute.
Thousand Hills Property Pty Ltd v LBA Capital Pty Ltd [2025] VSCA 115; [2024] VSCA 312; [2024] VSC 597 (unled, instructed by GPZ Legal)
Briefed for the defendant at first instance, to oppose declaratory relief that the defendant had repudiated a contract for the development and sale of land.
Subsequently briefed to resist an appeal by the plaintiff and to seek security for costs in the appeal.
Re Roxton Commercial Builders Pty Ltd [2024] VSC 289 (unled, instructed by JHK Legal)
Briefed for a plaintiff seeking to wind up a company, which application was opposed on the basis that service of a statutory demand had not been properly effected. The Court accepted, inter alia, that there had been effective informal service of the demand and ordered that the company be wound up.
AHG WA (2015) Pty Ltd v Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd [2023] FCA 1022 (led by T Castle SC and Dr C Parkinson KC, with others, instructed by HWL Ebsworth)
Briefed for the owners of Australian Mercedes-Benz franchises who alleged Mercedes-Benz had engaged in unconscionable conduct in terminating dealership agreements and implementing a direct to customer sales model.
In the matter of FTX Australia Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) [2023] VSC 788 (led by D Guidolin SC, instructed by Ashurst)
Briefed for parties seeking to be recognised as creditors of FTX entities in administration.
Fan v Yao [2022] VCC 509 (unled, instructed by Herald Legal)
Briefed for the plaintiff to enforce a loan agreement entered into in China, against a borrower domiciled in Australia.
Burwood Council v Visy Paper Pty Limited [2019] NSWSC (led by N Bender SC, instructed by Arnold Bloch Leibler)
Briefed for Visy in relation to a dispute over the interpretation of a commercial contract.
Employment law matters
Harvey v Palcove Pty Ltd [2025] FedCFamC2G 915 (unled, instructed by PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Defending claims made by a former employee that the Respondent: (a) engaged in adverse action in contravention of section 340 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth); and (b) engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct in contravention of section 18 and 31 of the Australian Consumer.
Geotesta Pty Ltd v an Employee [2022] VSC (unled, instructed by Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams)
Obtained urgent injunctive relief against a former employee in connection with confidential information obtained in course of the employment relationship.
Regulatory and other matters
Mazi v Kao (No 1) (Contempt Ruling) [2025] VSC 575 (unled, instructed by Carter Newell)
Briefed for two defendants charged with contempt of court.
Fair Work Ombudsman v House of Hoi An Pty Ltd [2022] FedCFamC2G 133 (unled, instructed by Aitken Partners)
Briefed for an employer company and director in a penalty hearing relating to contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
From 21 October 2021, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
His Honour David Brookes SC
Mediator & Arbitrator (Former Judge of the County Court of Victoria)
Profile
David Brookes is a highly experienced dispute resolver and former trial judge whose practice spans complex personal injury and disease litigation, professional negligence (including medical negligence), workplace and transport accident claims, institutional abuse matters, coronial work, and catastrophic injury. He took silk in 2007 after more than three decades at the common law bar, appeared regularly in the High Court of Australia and the Victorian Court of Appeal, and was counsel in major public inquiries including the Metropolitan Ambulance Service Royal Commission and the HIH Royal Commission. He now practises predominantly as a mediator and arbitrator.
Judicial Service
Mediation & ADR
Bar Career
Royal Commissions & Public Inquiries (Counsel)
Areas of Practice (as Mediator/Arbitrator)
Selected Appellate Experience
Teaching & Speaking
Education
Publications & Reports (Royal Commissions)
Dylan practises in all areas of commercial law. He has particular experience in contract law, property law, corporations law, class actions, equity and trusts. In addition to his commercial practice, Dylan practises in defamation and media law.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Dylan was Associate to the Honourable Justice Niall (now the Honourable Chief Justice) in the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Before that, Dylan worked as a solicitor in the Media team at MinterEllison.
As a solicitor, Dylan was a representative of the respondents in defamation proceedings brought by Ben Roberts-Smith in the Federal Court of Australia. The respondents successfully established substantial and contextual truth defences in a 110-day trial (Roberts Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 41) [2023] FCA 555, upheld on appeal).
Dylan holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University, and a Master of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Cambridge.
Dylan is the Secretary of the Commercial Bar Association’s Media Law Section.
Dylan read with Sandip Mukerjea. His senior mentor is Dr Matt Collins AM KC.
Notable cases:
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Denis passed away on May 14th 2026.
A. Overview of practice
Greg came to the Bar in 1995 following 5 years as a corporate advisory and transaction lawyer with Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills).
Over his 29 years at the Bar, Greg has acted in a broad range of commercial and corporate law matters.
Greg is a specialist in schemes of arrangement and has acted in some 45 schemes of arrangement to effect corporate takeovers, mergers, demergers and internal corporate restructures. Greg also teaches in this area as part of the Melbourne Law Masters program and regularly gives seminars to national law firms on recent developments in this field of the law. Greg is often retained where the proposed scheme of arrangement or trust acquisition proposal is complex or novel or where shareholder activism is anticipated. Further details are set out below regarding Greg’s practice in this area.
B. Schemes of Arrangement
Overview of expertise
Greg has acted in some 45 schemes of arrangement (and trust acquisition proposals) including schemes to effect corporate takeovers, mergers, demergers and internal reconstructions. These have included schemes of substantial transaction value such as the 2023 $9.5b acquisition by BHP of OZ Minerals Limited (in which Greg acted for OZ Minerals).
For many years Greg has acted and appeared alone in substantial and complex schemes of arrangement. Greg has also led junior barristers in schemes of arrangement. While Greg continues to work, from time to time, with leading silks (from both Melbourne and Sydney, including in some of the schemes referred to below) in schemes of arrangement, he predominantly acts and appears alone in these matters. Greg has acted and appeared in a broad range of schemes of arrangement encompassing takeover (or change of control) schemes, demerger schemes, merger schemes, top-hatting restructure schemes, de-stapling restructure schemes involving share schemes and a trust scheme and internal reconstruction schemes involving orders under section 413 of the Corporations Act. Greg’s experience in this field of the law extends beyond the issues and challenges that commonly arise in schemes and includes navigating schemes through the court process in the context of complex transaction structures, bidding contests, shareholder activism and in one case acting for the acquirers where the target company was the subject of a class action proceeding.
Greg has acted for target companies, acquirers and for ASIC.
Recent schemes (and trust acquisition proposals) in which Greg has acted include the 2026 acquisition of Ausmincon Holdings Limited by Afry (in which Greg acted for Ausmincon Holdings Limited), the 2025 acquisition of BG&E Group Limited by Systra SA (in which Greg acted for Systra SA), the 2025 proposed acquisition, by scheme of arrangement, of PointsBet Holdings Ltd by MIXI Australia Pty Ltd (in which Greg acted for MIXI Australia - which scheme of arrangement did not proceed to the court approval stage), the 2024 acquisition of Capitol Health Limited by Integral Diagnostics Limited (In which Greg acted for Capitol Health), the 2023 acquisition by BHP of OZ Minerals Limited (in which Greg acted for OZ Minerals), the 2023 acquisition of SILK Laser Australia Limited by Wesfarmers (in which Greg acted for SILK Laser Australia), the 2023 Carbon Revolution Limited scheme (involving a scheme and a “de-SPAC” merger transaction in which Greg acted for Twin Ridge Capital Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company (known as a SPAC) listed on the New York Stock Exchange), the 2022 acquisition of Angel Seafood Holdings Ltd by Laguna Bay (in which Greg advised Angel Seafood in respect of certain aspects of that transaction), the 2021 acquisition by JBS Australia of the shares in Huon Aquaculture Group Limited (in which Greg acted and appeared for Huon and which involved two alternative but concurrently proposed schemes of arrangement, a simultaneous takeover bid and an associated share sale agreement in relation to the major shareholder), the 2021 acquisition proposal by NorthWest Healthcare Australia RE Limited for the units in the Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust (an unlisted managed investment scheme) in which Greg acted for NorthWest and where the acquisition proposal was opposed by the responsible entity, the 2020 takeover of OptiComm Ltd by Uniti Group Limited (in which Greg acted and appeared for Uniti Group and which involved two competing proposals by Aware Super Pty Ltd) and the 2020 takeover of Village Roadshow Limited by BGH Capital (private equity) (in which Greg acted and appeared for Village Roadshow Corporation Pty Ltd – the largest shareholder in Village Roadshow Limited – which involved two alternative but concurrently proposed schemes of arrangement and an associated share sale agreement in relation to the major shareholder).
Further details (by category) of some of the schemes of arrangement in which Greg has acted can be found here.
Role extends beyond the Court process
Greg's work in this field extends beyond the court process and includes pre-announcement review of transaction documents, advice on discrete transactional issues, advice and input regarding the structure and content of the scheme booklet, advice regarding recourse to the Takeovers Panel and the consideration of, and proposed response to, issues raised by ASIC.
In addition to being retained by national law firms who practice in this area, Greg is also retained by boutique commercial law firms in these types of transactions.
Complex scheme structures and shareholder activism
Greg is often retained where the proposed scheme of arrangement is complex or where shareholder activism is anticipated).
Lecturing, seminars and submissions to Government and to the Court on potential areas of reform
Greg co-lectures on the subject of "Schemes of Arrangement" (as a senior fellow) in the Melbourne Masters Program (University of Melbourne Law School) (having recently taught the course in 2023 and 2024) and has often given seminars about recent developments in this area to law firms who practice in this field.
Greg was primarily responsible for the preparation of the submission made by the Commercial Bar Association of Victoria to the Treasury in June 2022 in response to the Treasury's consultation paper entitled " Corporate control transactions in Australia: consultation on options to improve schemes of arrangement, takeover bids, and the role of the Takeovers Panel".
Greg also co-authored the joint submission made by the Victorian Bar and the Commercial Bar Association to the Federal Court on its consultation letter dated 15 May 2023 regarding potential changes in the manner in which schemes of arrangement are dealt with by the Federal Court.
Greg is available to act in schemes of arrangement both in Victoria and interstate (noting that Greg has acted and appeared in several schemes of arrangement in Sydney).
C. Committees and Associations
Greg is a member of:
- the Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia; and
- the Commercial Bar Association of Victoria.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Alice practises primarily in commercial and public law, including constitutional and judicial review matters. She also accepts briefs in common law, employment and industrial relations matters.
Before coming to the Bar, Alice practised as a solicitor in both public law and commercial litigation. Most recently, she was Principal Solicitor in the Constitution and Advice team at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, where she conducted complex litigation in the High Court, State courts and the Federal Court. Alice also advised on issues of administrative decision-making, constitutional law and statutory interpretation.
Prior to joining the VGSO, Alice was a lawyer in insolvency and commercial litigation at Allens, and Associate to the Hon. Justice Davies in the Federal Court.
Alice holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons, 1st Class) and Bachelor of Arts (French) from the University of Adelaide. She was awarded multiple academic prizes, including for the highest average mark in all compulsory and elective subjects in the Bachelor of Laws.
Alice read with Frances Gordon KC. Her senior mentor is Philip Solomon KC. Her CV can be found here.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Janey has a broad practice and accepts briefs in civil law, criminal law and public law.
Before coming to the Bar, Janey was a solicitor at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office where she gained extensive litigation experience in the County Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
Prior to the VGSO, Janey was an Associate to His Honour Judge McInerney of the County Court.
Earlier, Janey worked in regulatory and product compliance at MECCA Brands.
Janey studied at the University of Melbourne and holds a Juris Doctor, as well as a Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience) with first class honours.
Janey is reading with Amanda Burnnard and her senior mentor is Ben Ihle KC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Jack Aquilina specialises in tax and revenue law across all areas of Federal and State taxation. He also appears in appellate matters, commercial law and public law disputes.
Jack has been recognised in the Best Lawyers 'One to Watch in Australia' as a leading practitioner in tax law in the 2025, 2026 and 2027 editions.
Jack's proven experience deploying a strategic,
commercial, and evidence-based approach to managing reviews, audit and complex
litigation has enabled him to achieve commercial and principled outcomes in the
best interests of his clients. Jack has extensive experience and specialty in
complicated and novel matters arising in respect of commonwealth and state
revenue law, including Income Tax, GST, Stamp Duty, Land Tax, Payroll Tax, the
R&D tax incentive, Superannuation and the Film Producer Offset. Jack has also
has experience appearing for the Commissioner of Taxation and has acted for
other regulators, such as Screen Australia.
Jack was an Academic Practitioner at La Trobe University Law School where he led the tax and administrative law offerings. Jack has also been appointed a Teaching Scholar at Deakin University Law School teaching tax law and a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, lecturing within the Tax Law Masters program.
Jack is a doctoral candidate at Deakin University Law School completing research in the discipline of the law of taxation.
Prior to Dentons, Jack had an extensive experience in private practice as a tax disputes specialist in senior positions at Holding Redlich, KPMG Law and Ernst & Young.
Jack has been admitted to the Masters of Laws of Taxation at the University of Melbourne. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours (Tax Law) and a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe University.
Jack is an admitted Australian Lawyer and Officer of the Supreme Court of Victoria and also registered on the registry of the High Court of Australia.
Jack is also a Fellow of The Tax Institute, a member of the Law Council of Australia's Taxation Committee and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria's Tax and Revenue and, separately the State Taxes Committee.
From August 2017-August 2018, Jack served as Senior Associate to their Honours Justice Priest, Beach and McLeish of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria and to her Honour Justice Taylor of the Supreme Court Criminal Trial Division.
Jack Aquilina is reading with Angela Lee and his senior mentor is Hon. G. Tony Pagone KC AC.
Alex practises mainly in public, regulatory and commercial law. He also has particular experience in appeals, equity and trusts and tax law.
Before coming to the Bar, Alex was Counsel Assisting the Solicitor‑General of the Commonwealth, an Associate to Chief Justice Kiefel of the High Court of Australia, a Senior Solicitor in the constitutional law team at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, and Counsel at the Australian Government Solicitor. He commenced his legal career at Allens, in litigation and dispute resolution.
Alex has a Bachelor of Arts (Economics), a Diploma in Languages and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. He later obtained a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School. He has taught constitutional law at the University of Melbourne, and is a reporter for the Commonwealth Law Reports.
Alex read with Olaf Ciolek. His senior mentor is Kathleen Foley SC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Philip holds Commerce and Honours Law Degrees from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
He did articles at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in 1987 and was admitted to the partnership on 1 January 1996. He signed the Bar Roll in November 1998 and took silk in 2009.
Philip is a former Senior Fellow in the Law Faculty of the University of Melbourne, a former member of the University of Melbourne Law School Foundation Board, a former member of the University of Melbourne Humanities Foundation Board, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, a board member of the Victorian Bar Foundation and a former President of the Commercial Bar Association of Victoria.
He was a reporter for the Commonwealth Law Reports and the author of a text book, Corporate Voluntary Administration Law, now known as Crutchfield’s Voluntary Administration.
Outside of the law, Philip is a public company director and the Chair of the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Chair of the Heide Art Museum.
From 01/07/2008, Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Extensive experience as a commercial barrister primarily practising in the civil jurisdictions of the Federal, Supreme and County Courts and in appeals to the Court of Appeal and High Court of Australia. Retained to advise and appear in large and complex litigation and arbitrations concerning listed public and private companies, directors and individuals with domestic and international disputes, involving expert financial, accounting and valuation evidence. Interlocutory applications including injunctions.
From 04/06/2009, Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.