Search

Experience

Paul was admitted to practice in 1985, coming to the Victorian Bar in 1987. Paul practised in a broad range of commercial litigation until he was appointed as a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia on 2 February 2019. He practised in fields that included insolvency, managed investment schemes, ASIC and ACCC investigations, Royal Commissions, professional negligence, product liability, securities class actions and other class actions, banking, equity, companies' regulation and intra company disputes such as oppression claims and cognate partnership and joint venture disputes, as well as many other subject- matter jurisdictions.

During his time at the Bar, Paul was a director of Barrister’s Chambers Limited for many years and Chairman of that Company, and was a member of the Bar Council in the Senior Category and President of the Victorian Bar.

Paul took silk in 2002 and thereafter appeared as leading counsel in many large and complex trials, including several large class actions, as well as appeals in the Federal Court and Supreme Court of Victoria. Paul is a very experienced advocate with extensive experience leading and cross-examining witnesses, including in relation to complex expert evidence. The last matter he appeared in prior to his appointment to the Federal Court was Cargill v Glencore. In Cargill, Paul led a team of juniors together with Lisa Nichols QC, now Justice Nichols of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Paul approaches his cases with an astute appreciation of forensic, evidentiary, and legal issues.

Paul retired from the Federal Court on 29 April and has returned to the Bar. He is now looking for new challenges as an advocate, arbitrator, or mediator. He has extensive experience as a mediator and has acted as arbitrator in several matters.

As a mediator, Paul has a proven track record of assisting parties to resolve their disputes by focusing on the real issues likely to be dispositive of the matter if it were run to judgment. He is also experienced with ‘Early Neutral Evaluations’ and referrals to experts or referees. In relation to litigation generally Paul is concerned to find solutions to problems and disputes which focus on the real interests of the parties and cost-effective resolutions, by compromise, or by judicial or arbitral determinations. Paul’s experience as a trial judge and appellate judge has deepened his expertise in finding ways to resolve complex disputes and, if necessary, determining the disputes by curial or arbitral processes.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.