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Experience

Justin has a common law and commercial practice.

Justin practises in all areas of common law (negligence and intentional torts), including professional negligence, personal injury (incl. psychiatric injury), class actions and public liability.

Justin is currently acting in concussion matters involving AFL players. He is counsel for Richmond Club doctor Dr Greg Hickey in Ty Zantuck v Richmond Football Club & Ors. He is also counsel for Western Bulldogs Club doctor Dr Gary Zimmerman in Liam Picken v Australian Football League & Ors.

Justin also has particular expertise in defamation. Justin has represented high profile clients such as Rebel Wilson, National Australia Bank, the State of Victoria and Dr Anne Webster MP. He has also represented media outlets such as The Australian, The Age, Schwartz Media and the ABC.

Justin is regularly briefed to appear on behalf of Racing Victoria Limited in disciplinary and licensing matters, several of those matters having progressed through to the Supreme Court of Victoria or the Victorian Court of Appeal. He has also been briefed by the AFL in numerous anti-doping matters, including the action against the Essendon Football Club players and Stephen Dank.

Justin is a director of the Victorian Bar Foundation, which is the Victorian Bar’s not for profit organisation. The Victorian Bar Foundation works to promote a number of causes in the community, including supporting the provision of legal education, providing information about the legal system, the role of barristers in the legal system and the role of law in society.

Justin’s mentor was Claire Harris SC and his senior mentor was Jeff Gleeson KC.

Sample of common law/negligence cases:

• Liam Picken v Australian Football League & Ors [negligence], counsel for Western Bulldogs Club doctor Dr Gary Zimmerman (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Ty Zantuck v Richmond Football Club & Ors [negligence], counsel for Richmond Club doctor Dr Greg Hickey (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Jack Rivers v Le Mans Grand Prix Circuits Pty Ltd & Anor [negligence], counsel for Le Mans Grand Prix Circuits with Jack Rush KC (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Pearce v The Corporation of The Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (historical institutional negligence - setting aside of deed of settlement) – counsel for The Corporation of The Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart with Jeremy Ruskin KC (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Lonergan v Sisters of St Joseph [historical institutional negligence], counsel for the Sisters of St Joseph (Supreme Court of Victoria, unled; Victorian Court of Appeal with Jack Rush KC)

Sample of commercial cases:

• Bell Partners Accountants Advisors Auditors Pty Ltd as trustee of Bell Partners Unit Trust v Kelvin Boyd & Kelvin Boyd Advisory Pty Ltd & Anor [breach of contractual restraints, misleading or deceptive conduct], counsel for Kelvin Boyd and related parties with Rob Craig KC and Matthew Harvey KC (Federal Court of Australia)
• Pentridge Village Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) & West Homes Australia Pty Ltd v Capital Finance Australia Ltd [deceit, misleading or deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct, equitable estoppel], counsel for Pentridge Village & West Homes Australia with Jim Peters KC and Alexander Di Stefano (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Roo-Roofing Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia [class action, including in negligence and misleading or deceptive conduct], counsel for the Commonwealth of Australia with Rachel Doyle SC, Renee Enbom and Liam Brown (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• PCCEF Pty Ltd v Geelong Football Club [lease construction appeal], counsel for PCCEF Pty Ltd (Supreme Court of Victoria with Philip Corbett KC; Victorian Court of Appeal with Neil Young KC)
• Funtastic Limited v Madman Film and Media Pty Ltd [contractual dispute concerning expert accountant's determination], counsel for Madman Film and Media with Matt Collins KC (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Sondoananh Trading Company Pty Ltd v Couriers Please Pty Ltd [franchisee claim against franchisor for unlawful termination of franchise agreement], counsel for Couriers Please Pty Ltd (County Court of Victoria)

Sample of defamation cases:

• Rebel Wilson v Bauer Media [defamation], counsel for Rebel Wilson with Matt Collins KC and Renee Enbom KC (Supreme Court of Victoria)
• Overseas Education and Career Consultants Pty Ltd v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [defamation], counsel for the ABC with Renee Enbom KC (Federal Court of Australia)
• Sene-Li Wong v National Australia Bank, [defamation], counsel for National Australia Bank (Federal Court of Australia)
• Christian Porter MP v Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Louise Milligan [defamation], counsel for the ABC and Louise Milligan with Renee Enbom KC (Federal Court of Australia)
• Anne Webster MP v Karen Brewer [defamation], counsel for Anne Webster MP (Federal Court of Australia)
• Andrew Laming MP v Louise Milligan [defamation], counsel for Louise Milligan with Renee Enbom KC (Federal Court of Australia)
• Damien Sheales v The Age [defamation], counsel for The Age with Matt Collins KC (Supreme Court of Victoria)

From 23 Oct 2014, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation