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Experience

Renee is an experienced trial and appellate advocate with a broad practice incorporating general commercial and contractual disputes, consumer law, media and defamation, and merits review. Renee also has experience at inquiries.

Renee regularly appears for both plaintiffs and defendants in defamation actions and claims for injurious falsehood. She advises on pre-litigation strategy including choice of jurisdiction, having regard to factors such as the nature and extent of publication and whether a jury or non-jury trial is appropriate. She is experienced in managing defamatory disputes arising from publications in national print publications as well as online and social media including Twitter and Facebook.

Renee represents clients in a breadth of consumer protection matters under the Australian Consumer Law including claims for misleading or deceptive conduct, false or misleading representations, unconscionable conduct, and unfair contract terms.

Before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Renee has unparalleled experience acting on behalf of Registered Training Organisations and Higher Education Providers. She regularly advises and appears at stay hearings, dismissal applications and final hearings.

A sample of cases in which Renee has appeared in a variety of jurisdictions, both led and unled, is set out below.

Defamation

• Tsamis v Victoria (No 8) (Costs) [2020] VSC 67 (25 February 2020) with Paul Hayes QC and Justin Hooper.
• Tsamis v Victoria (No 7) (Damages) [2019] VSC 826 (18 December 2019) with Paul Hayes QC and Justin Hooper.
• Tsamis v Victoria (No 6) (Evidence) [2019] VSC 591 (16 August 2019) with Paul Hayes QC and Justin Hooper.
• Tsamis v Victoria (No 5) (Application to amend) [2019] VSC 590 (16 August 2019) with Paul Hayes QC and Justin Hooper.
• Tsamis v Victoria (No 3) (Pseudonym application) [2019] VSC 507 (5 August 2019) with Paul Hayes QC and Justin Hooper.
• Chang v Chang (Supreme Court - contempt proceeding) (2019).
• Chang v Chang (Supreme Court injunction) (with Suresh Senathirajah) (2018).
• Chapman v Chapman (County Court – settled) (2018).
• Morton v McMaster & Anor (Supreme Court – settled) (2018).
• Dr Lisa Matriste & Dentique Pty Ltd t/as 2nrich Holistic Dental Clinic v Hunter & Harwood (County Court – settled) (2015).
• Wealth Within & Blake Sterling v Aussie Networks Pty Ltd & Joseph Eiby (Supreme Court) (2014).
• Cunliffe v Woods [2012] VSC 254 (18 June 2012).
• Szanto v Melville [2011] VSC 574 (15 November 2011) (with Georgina Schoff QC).
• Han v Australian Kung Fu (Wu Shu) Federation Inc [2011] VSC 498 (6 October 2011).
• Szanto v Melville (Ruling) [2011] VSC 618 (24 November 2011) (with Georgina Schoff QC).
• Dr Ann Kearney & CDC Clinics Pty Ltd v Seven Network Limited & Erenshaw (Supreme Court) (settled) (2011) .

Merits Review (Administrative Appeals Tribunal)

• Kontea Pty Ltd v Tertiary Education Skills Quality Authority (AAT) (2020) (junior to Fiona McLeod SC) (under review).
• Australian College of Education and Training v Australian Skills Quality Authority (AAT) (2020) (under review) .
• Kontea Pty Ltd v Australian Skills Quality Authority (AAT) (2019) (settled).
• Cogninet Resource Corner Pty Ltd v Australian Skills Quality Authority [2019] AATA 5165 (29 November 2019) .
• Australian Institute of Technical Training v Australian Skills Quality Authority (AAT) (2019).
• Methodist Ladies College v Secretary Chief Executive Centrelink 2018/M/130721 (Review of ABSTUDY payments to Methodist Ladies College) (2019).
• Quality Training and Development Pty Ltd v Australian Skills Quality Authority (Interlocutory hearing dismissal) (2019).
• Berkeley College Pty Ltd v Australian Skills Quality Authority (Stay hearing) (2019).
• Bandicoot Group v Australian Skills Quality Authority (Stay hearing) (2019).
• Banwell and Comcare (Compensation) [2016] AATA 30 (28 January 2016).

Commercial, Contractual and Consumer Law

• CGC Pty Ltd v Ulbrich Products Pty Ltd (County Court - sale of business dispute).
• Fraser v Broadbeach Nominees Pty Ltd (County Court sale of business dispute) (2018).
• Siobhan Hennessy v Andrew Martin (VCAT building dispute) (2018).
• Inspirative Training v NTS (County Court contractual dispute) (2018).
• Jump Loops Pty Ltd & anor ats CKO Swim School Pty Ltd (Federal Court - application for default judgment) (2019)
• PSC Connect Pty Ltd v Aus Insurance Services Pty Ltd (County Court) (Summary judgment application) (2017)
• NCON Australia Ltd v Spotlight Pty Ltd (No 6) [2013] VSC 186 (19 April 2013).
• Spotlight Pty Ltd v NCON Australia Ltd [2012] VSCA 232 (27 September 2012).
• NCON Australia Ltd v Spotlight Pty Ltd [No 5] [2012] VSC 604 (12 December 2012).
• Nicholson v Hilldove Pty Ltd & Ors [2012] VSC 598 (with Sam Horgan QC).
• Cassar v Pegoraro [2011] VCC 819 (30 June 2011).
• NCON Australia Limited v Spotlight Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] VSC 271 (23 June 2011).
• NCON Australia Ltd v Spotlight Pty Ltd (No 2) [2011] VSC 100 (23 February 2011).
• NCON Australia Ltd v Spotlight Pty Ltd [2011] VSC 98 (16 February 2011).
• NCON Australia Limited v Spotlight Pty Ltd [2011] VSC 47 (22 February 2011).
• Spotlight Pty Ltd v NCON Australia [2011] VSCA 267 (2 September 2011).
• Groeneveld Australia Pty Ltd & Ors v Nolten & Ors [2010] VSC 249 (9 June 2010).
• Skidteck Construction Services Pty Ltd v Calistrata Pty Ltd & Anor [2010] VCC 492 (27 May 2010).
• Goulburn-Murray Rural Water Authority v Rawalpindi Nominees Pty Ltd & Reid [2010] VSC 166 (30 April 2010).
• Durand v Bell Potter Capital Ltd. & Anor [2008] VCC 719 (26 June 2008).

Disciplinary Proceedings

• Disciplinary proceeding on behalf of an accountant before the Institute of Public Accountants (2019).
• Dental Board of Australia v Lozanova (Occupational and Business Regulation) [2012] VCAT 1943.
• Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria v Jiang (Occupational and Business Regulation) [2010] VCAT 1227 (29 July 2010).

Inquiries

• Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry 2015 – Investigation into increased incidence of deaths (with Richard Attiwill QC) (report available) at http://hazelwoodinquiry.vic.gov.au/201516-report/volume-ii-investigations-into-2009-2014-deaths).
• Racing Victoria Inquiry into the Review of Jumps Racing in Victoria (with His Honour David Jones).

Renee is a member of the Commercial Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association.She read with Georgina Schoff QC and her senior mentor is William Houghton QC. Renee has had two readers – Geoff Lake (2018) and Sanjay Schrapel (2020).

Before coming to the Bar, Renee practised in the Dispute Resolution group at Phillips Fox (now DLA) and Cornwall Stodart.

From 01 Jul 2016, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.