Retired July 2023.
Retired from practice in August 2023.
Daryl Williams AM KC has an extensive practice in courts and tribunals throughout Australia, in relation to:
He has appeared in numerous leading cases in the High Court of Australia and especially the Victorian Court of Appeal, and has appeared at appellate level in every Australian State and in the ACT. He is frequently retained to advise on potential appeal grounds and prospects.
His expertise in corporate insolvency has been recognised numerous times in Doyles’ Guide, most recently by being Recommended in the category Victorian Insolvency & Restructuring Senior Counsel in 2023.
Daryl is also an accredited mediator under the National Mediator Accreditation System, and has an active mediation practice focusing on the resolution of substantial commercial disputes. As a mediator, he is sought out because he actively engages with the parties and their advisers to ensure that each faces up to the key issues and risks arising in their particular case, and the uncertainties of litigation generally; he sees no value in simply being a passive transmitter of offers.
Daryl came to the Bar in 1991 after spending three years (including Articles) working in commercial litigation at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst Lawyers) in Melbourne. He took silk in 2010.
Outside the Bar, Daryl is committed to supporting the work of a range of charitable and not-for-profit entities. He has been a Board Director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and of its philanthropic fundraising entity Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation Limited. He is presently a Board Director of Anglicare Victoria and Mental Health Foundation Australia.
From 1st July 2008, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Minh-Quan practises mainly in public and commercial law.
Minh-Quan has been briefed to appear in a wide range of appellate and first instance matters and to advise on issues in public law, commercial and regulatory law, equity and torts.
Before coming to the Bar, Minh-Quan was the Counsel Assisting the Solicitor‑General for Victoria, an Associate to Chief Justice French and Justice Gordon of the High Court of Australia, and a solicitor in commercial litigation at Arnold Bloch Leibler.
Minh-Quan has a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma in Languages and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. He was awarded the university medal for both arts and law. He later obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford. He has taught constitutional law at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Minh-Quan read with Kathleen Foley SC. His senior mentor is Philip Solomon KC.
From 7 May 2021, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Neale was an Associate to Judge Hogg (1981 - 1983). He practices predominantly in Family Law and De Facto Property Law.
Neale is an Accredited Mediator.
Joe's practice is predominantly involved in building and construction litigation and he has been briefed to advise prior to the commencement of litigation through to appearances in commercial and domestic building disputes in the Courts, VCAT and the Building Appeals Board at the trials of the proceedings. Joe has appeared for the various stakeholders in the industry including proprietors, contractors, sub contractors, architects, engineers and indemnity and warranty insurers. Many of the disputes that Joe has appeared in have involved complex and technical building and engineering issues concerning defective works claims; contract termination issues; programming and associated contractual issues including claims for extensions of time, prolongation and acceleration; advice concerning inter contract disputes during the course of the project etc. Before coming to the Bar, Joe was a solicitor and senior associate at Phillips Fox in Melbourne. During his employment Joe worked in the firm's construction division under the supervision of John Curtis and Chris Edquist. On coming to the Bar, Joe read with John Digby QC (now Justice Digby of the Supreme Court).Joe generates a rapport with his clients, guiding them through the maze that is often building and construction litigation. He also has a strong commercial instinct which enables a client's interest to be advanced in a strategic and cost effective manner. Some of the technology, construction and engineering disputes that Joe has been involved in include: Litigation Court proceedings.
* Some of these disputes have involved direct briefs in accordance with the Victorian Bar Rules.
Given the nature of building and construction disputes, Joe has appeared in numerous forms of ADR including mediations, compulsory conferences and informal negotiations and has been engaged as a mediator in respect of these types of disputes from time to time.
From 18/03/2010, Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Angus is a common law barrister, practising predominantly in personal injuries and insurance law. He is available to appear in all metropolitan and regional courts.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Angus was Associate to Her Honour Judge K L Bourke at the County Court of Victoria. Angus gained significant experience assisting Her Honour in the hearing and management of civil trials (both jury and judge alone), serious injury applications and a range of interlocutory matters. Angus also assisted Her Honour in the management of the Infant Compromises List.
Angus is reading with Michael Clarke and his Senior Mentor is Ross Middleton KC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Tony specialises in insurance, construction, professional liability and environmental law, and is a Victorian Bar Advanced Mediator. He frequently chairs Court ordered conclaves of technical experts.
He has extensive experience in representing, advising and resolving disputes for local, state and federal government, statutory authorities, construction professionals, property owners and contractors, as well as professional indemnity, construction risk and liability insurers.
Tony is currently recognised in Doyle’s Guide in the following categories:
In 2017, Tony was awarded the President’s Award by Consult Australia, the peak national body representing engineers and related professions in the built and natural environment. The annual award was given for his contribution to the engineering profession, including legal advice on law reform and policy issues, and professional development and training.
He has advised government and others on law reform, particularly on proportionate liability, insurance, building regulation and professional liability. Tony’s report: ‘Proportionate Liability: Towards National Consistency’ was produced for a working group of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General to review the national legislative framework on proportionate liability.
Tony is a Sessional Member at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
He is a Senior Fellow of the University of Melbourne Law School, and is a guest lecturer at the Monash University Law School.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Tony was a partner at DLA Piper (Phillips Fox) for 10 years. From 1997 until 2018, he was a Member of the Victorian Legal Profession Tribunal and its successor, the VCAT Legal Practice List.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Paul has practiced exclusively in family law since signing the Bar Roll in 1998 and in his previous occupation as a Solicitor from 1993-1998 .
Paul's practice at the Bar includes appearing in Trials in all areas of family law litigation including complex parenting & financial proceedings, child support cases, international relocation applications and Appeals.
Paul is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and accepts appointments as mediator in all family law mediations including AIFLAM mediations .
Paul assisted the Victorian Bar Readers Course for a number of years in the evaluation of family law moots/advocacy. and he is a member of the Victorian Bar's Ethics Committee and Student Engagement Committee.
Paul is a member of the Family Law Bar Association, Law Council of Australia - Family Law Section, and AIFLAM.
Victorian Bar Committee Memberships:
Notable Cases:
A selection of Judgments in cases where Paul appeared include:
Tanev & Baumann [2023] FedCFamC1A 182 - – APPEAL – Appeal from final parenting, international relocation and financial orders - Paul was led by Minal Vohra S.C.
Baumann & Tanev (No 3) [2023] FedCFamC1F 593 - Application for stay of order pending Appeal.
Infield & Oberlin [2022] FedCFamC2F 1584 - Application to reopen proceedings - application opposed on Rice and Asplund principles - where mother's health has materially improved -application meets threshold.
Cottrell & Cottrell [2022] FedFamC2F 704 - Sole use & occupation -deceased party - whether estate entitled to occupy property.
Napier & Malpass [2020] FCCA 745 - International Relocation - mother's application to relocate to Italy with child.
Roden & Montiel [2019] FCCA 1641 - Child conceived via artificial insemination – whether or not the applicant sperm donor has standing to bring an application for parenting orders.
Easton & Easton [2017] FCCA 2126 - Application to set aside Final Property Orders - whether parties were thereafter engaged in a defacto relationship.
Newson & Gaffy [2016] FCCA 3397 - Whether proceeds of litigation held in fund of Supreme Court of Victoria property for the purposes of S.79 of the Family Law Act.
Scrivener & Neill [2016] FCCA 1758 - Initial Contributions- Business Income.
Griffith & Griffith [2015] FCCA - Competing applications to retain the family home -legal costs -add backs - S75(2) considerations.
Montano & Kinross [2014] FamCAFC 231 - APPEAL – Application to extend time to apply for property settlement.
Panda & Popa & Anor [2013] FCCA 2177 - Parenting orders – mother proposes relocation with children – property orders – whether loan by third party – whether debt owed by parties to third party and whether order should be made to repay debt – spousal maintenance.
Delaney & Delaney [2008] FMCAfam 674 - child expresses strong views to live with father - alienation of child - Court Expert urges court to extrictae child from "emotionally toxic enviroment" in father's care - court concludes shared care is the only viable alternative.
'Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.'
After admission Darryl joined Shell Australia in its Industrial Law Department. His period there included being the Senior Industrial Relations Officer at the Corio Refinery with regular appearances as an advocate for Shell in various industrial tribunals. As a result, Darryl understands the business environment as it interfaces with employment law.
Darryl appears regularly in the Fair Work commission, the Federal Court, Magistrates and County Court in unfair / unlawful / wrongful dismissals and general protection applications. He also appears regularly in Disciplinary Tribunals defending professionals with particular emphasis on medical and allied professions. He is also experienced in family violence, stalking and intervention orders, crime, equal opportunity, coronial inquests and guardianship matters. He has appeared in the County Court on a number of occasions in intervention order appeals.
Vice President of the Victorian Bar Council 2021/ 2022.
Stephanie Carmela Batsakis Brenker has a broad civil practice, practising in commercial law, public law and tort .
Before coming to the Bar, Stephanie was an Associate to the Hon Justice M M Gordon AC at the High Court of Australia.
Stephanie also practised in London and Tokyo as a solicitor in commercial litigation and arbitration: first, as a graduate solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and then as an associate in general commercial, and banking and finance, litigation at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford, where she attended on an Allan Myers QC Scholarship. She also holds two first class honours degrees from the University of Melbourne: an undergraduate degree in Arts, which she attended as a Melbourne National Scholar, and a Juris Doctor degree in Law, where she was awarded the Joan Rosanove QC Memorial Prize.
Stephanie read with Meg O’Sullivan KC and her senior mentor was Rowena Orr KC.
Selected cases:
Class actions (commercial and common law)
Commercial (other)
Public law
Common law (other)
Awards:
Daniel Pollak Readers’ Award for first-year pro bono advocacy (2021).
From 8 May 2020, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Before being called to the Victorian Bar, Andrea was a partner at Hall & Wilcox Lawyers, acting for WorkSafe Victoria and its agent insurers and employers. Prior to that she was the Senior Legal Manager of the Common Law team at the Transport Accident Commission. She has worked in the UK and she commenced her career in Tasmania, where she had an extensive plaintiff based personal injury practice.
Andrea practised for over 20 years as a solicitor, primarily in the area of personal injury and common law. She acted as a solicitor in matters in VCAT, the Magistrates Court, the County Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court of Australia and obtained extensive experience in serious injury applications and negligence Jury trials, including multi-defendant matters.
She became a LIV accredited specialist in personal injury law 2011 and currently serves on the Law Institute of Victoria committee responsible for accrediting
Personal Injury specialists in Victoria.
Andrea read with Dugald McWilliams and her senior mentor is Roisin Annesley QC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Ben was admitted to practice in 2011 and called to the Bar in 2019. Prior to being called to the Bar, he practised as a solicitor in the Insurance and Corporate Risk Group at MinterEllison.
Ben has extensive experience in common law, administrative law, inquests, disciplinary and professional negligence proceedings. He has acted for state government entities, private companies, hospitals, doctors, manufacturers, as well as individuals.
Ben read with Robert Harper. His senior mentor was Jack Rush QC.
Matters in which Ben has been briefed include (non-exhaustively):
Ben is a member of the Common Law Bar Association.
From 25 October 2019, Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Tom has a broad common law practice with a focus on personal injury and insurance law.
He has particular expertise in matters involving complex psychiatric injuries, spinal and other orthopaedic injuries, as well as dust-related conditions.
Tom also has expertise in aviation insurance matters, acting for private and government clients in relation to aircraft accidents involving death and serious injury.
He accepts briefs to appear in trials alone (or led) before judge and/or jury in the Supreme Court of Victoria and County Court.
Tom provides written advice, prepares paperwork, attends settlement conferences and mediations.
Before coming to the Bar, Tom worked as a solicitor advising government and corporate clients across a broad range of insurance-related matters.
Tom was awarded a scholarship to attend Bond University to study Law. He graduated with Honours and class prizes, including first place in Trial & Appellate Advocacy.
He read with Dugald McWilliams and his Senior Mentor is Andrew Clements KC.
From 6th May 2016, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
James has nearly 20 years' experience in corporate, taxation and commercial matters.
James was most recently a partner in the corporate tax practice of PwC - where he advised major Australian and multi-national clients in relation all aspects of their Australian taxation affairs. James' experience includes advising on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and insolvency, equity and debt raising, cross-border investment and dispute resolution - including extensive dealings with senior officials within the Australian Taxation Office.
James has particular experience in the Energy and Mining industries, and most recently lead PwC's Global Energy & Mining Taxation practice.
- depth of technical expertise
- understanding of the commercial context in which a client's issues arise
- understanding of the broader commercial landscape
- energy and passion in working with clients to find the best possible outcomes based on their circumstances.
James holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws (LLM, Commercial law) from Monash University.
From 27 October 2017, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Ben practises mostly in work-related areas, including employment law, industrial law and occupational health and safety. He also has experience in a broad range of commercial, public law and discrimination matters.
He has experience representing clients in a variety of industries. He has litigated for corporations, individuals and associations. He has acted for clients in disputes over contracts, negligence, industrial matters, unfair dismissal, general protections, workplace investigations, OHS law, discrimination, restraints of trade and confidential information.
Before coming to the Bar, Ben worked in private practice at Holding Redlich, predominantly in the workplace relations and safety team. He also spent a year practising in-house at KDR Victoria Pty Ltd (trading as Yarra Trams) and accepts briefs directly from in-house counsel.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University.
Ben read with Jack Tracey S.C. His senior mentor was Jonathan Kirkwood S.C.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Andrew practices in Criminal Law in all jurisdictions including the Court of Appeal, Supreme, County and Magistrates' Courts.
Andrew has a passionate interest and extensive experience in Jury Trials.
Andrew is accredited with the Victorian Bar's Indictable Crimes Certificate (ICC).
Retired June 2024. Passed away July 17th 2024.
Katie practices predominantly in common law with a particular focus on personal injury, medical negligence and insurance law.
She appears regularly in the Magistrates', County and Supreme Courts of Victoria for both Plaintiffs and Defendants. <
Before coming to the Bar, Katie worked as a solicitor with a busy litigation practice where she advised clients in matters including workplace insurance, compensation, applications, and common law damages jury trials.
Prior to that she was Associate to His Honor Judge Saccardo of the County Court of Victoria.
Katie read with Mr David Purcell and her senior mentor is Mr James Mighell QC.
From 27 Oct 2016, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.
Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Family Law Specialist from 2005.
Associate at Ryan Carlisle Thomas Solicitors (2000-2007) and Articles with Birch, Ross & Barlow (1998-1999).
Prior to joining the Bar, Daniela practiced in Family Law for eight years. Practise at the Bar includes all areas of Family Law litigation and Domestic Relationships property litigation.
"From 9th June 2011, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation."