Professional Profile

Barrister - Trial and appeal advocate - Western Australia

I have had more than 27 years' experience as a trial and appeal advocate in civil and commercial disputes.

I have been counsel in well over 200 trials or appeals in Australian courts:

In addition I have been counsel in many other hearings akin to trials - before tribunals, arbitrators, Royal Commission, and coroner's court.

In the past decade my work has been mainly in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, General Division and Court of Appeal.

Areas of Expertise

I am 54 years old, and married with 4 adult children.

My principal activity is work. Outside work my main interest is family. I enjoy recreational road cycling.

I am one of the founders, and currently vice chairman, of the Henk Vogels Cycling Foundation Inc. I am a member of the Policy and Promotion Committee of the Western Australian Federation of Police and Community Youth Centres (Inc).

Qualifications

Barrister and Solicitor:

Supreme Court of South Australia admitted October 1995
Supreme Court of Victoria admitted 1 June 1983
High Court of Australia admitted 19 January 1981
Supreme Court of Western Australia admitted 23 December 1980

University:

University of Melbourne
Master of Laws		LLM 1985

University of Western Australia

Bachelor of Economics BEc 1983
Bachelor of Laws with Honours LLB 1980
Bachelor of Jurisprudence with Honours BJuris 1978

Positions

Tertiary Teaching (part time or guest)

Murdoch University
Lecturer, Insurance Law 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006
University of Western Australia
Lecturer, Insurance Law - undergraduate and post-graduate 1991 - 1997
Tutor, Law of Practice and Procedure 1987 - 1988
Tutor, Law of Torts 1986 - 1987
Tutor & Lecturer, Law of Evidence 1982 - 1984

Insurance

Insurance Law Prize - awarded by the Australian Insurance Law Association

- for substantial contribution to insurance law and insurance law education

 2006
Committee Member, Australian Insurance Law Association (WA Branch) 1999 - 2009
Convenor/Member, Law Society of Western Australia Insurance Law Advisory Group 1986 - 1996
Member, Insurance Institute of Western Australia 1987 - 1993
Editor, Western Australia, Insurance Law Bulletin 1985 - 1994

Advocacy

Senior Member of Faculty, Australian Advocacy Institute 1999 - 2001
Member, Law Society of Western Australia Advocacy Committee 1998 - 2001
Advocacy Skills teacher, Law Society of Western Australia 1992 - 2007
Member, Law Society of Western Australia Evidence and Advocacy Advisory Group 1989 - 1993
Member, Supreme Court of Western Australia Advocacy Committee 2002 - 2003

Computers, Electronic Commerce and Privacy

Member, WA Society for Computers and Law 1994 - 2005
Member, and Convenor, Law Society of Western Australia Computerisation Committee 1991 - 2008
Member, Law Council of Australia Privacy Law Committee 1986 - 1999
Developer of Cloudbrief online briefing software 2009

Corporate

Director, Lawfile Online Pty Ltd 2001 - 2009
Director, WA Bar Chambers Ltd 1994 - 1998
Barrister, Member of WA Bar Association 1993 - 2009
Partner, Phillips Fox (became DLA Phillips Fox and Lavan Legal) 1985 - 1993
Associate, Lavan Solomon (later known as Phillips Fox) 1984 - 1985
Barrister and solicitor, Lavan & Walsh 1980 - 1983

University bodies

Member, University of Western Australia Board of Discipline 1980
Member, University of Western Australia Professorial Board 1980

Community

Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of Cycling WA (Western Australian Cycling Federation) 2004 - 2009
Councillor, Council of Management of the Federation of Western Australian Police and Community Youth Centres (Inc). 2004 - 2006
Member, Policy and Promotion Committee, Federation of Western Australian Police and Community Youth Centres (Inc). 2007 - 2009
Chairman, Henk Vogels Cycling Foundation Inc 2005 - 2007
Committee member and Vice Chairman, Henk Vogels Cycling Foundation Inc 2007 - 2009

Miscellaneous

Convenor or member (each year) of one or more of various committees or advisory groups of the Law Society of Western Australia including Education, Administrative Law, Law Practice Management, Equity, Torts, Contract, Civil Practice and Procedure, Insurance Law, Commercial Litigation, and Professional Liability (1985-2009). Supreme Court Library Committee(1996-1998).