Archive

Andrew’s two main areas of practice are mass tort litigation, both individual claims and class actions, and all aspects of procedural law in complex civil cases.

He has worked on asylum seeker, asbestos, thalidomide and tobacco and mining cases (both personal injury and environmental damage). Andrew acted as special counsel for the Australian Government in defence of its tobacco plain packaging laws in the High Court of Australia, in investor state arbitration and before the World Trade Organisation between 2011 and 2021. He received an Australia Day “Team Award” for his work on this litigation.  

Cases he has appeared in or advised on include:

Rowe v Diageo & Grunenthal (Class action on behalf of Thalidomide victims against the Distributor and Manufacturer of Thalidomide in the Victorian Supreme Court)

Kamasaee v Cth & Ors (Class action on behalf of detainees held on the Manaus Island Detention Centre against the Commonwealth Government & Security Services in the Victorian Supreme Court)

Browitt v Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (Personal injury claim brought by several victims of the White Island Volcano Explosion in New Zealand against the Cruise Company that organised the tour to the Island in Florida State Court and Federal Court of Australia)

Prygodicz v Cth & Knox v Cth (Class action on behalf of victims ofthe “Robodebt” scandal against the Commonwealth Government and Federal Officials involved in the administration of the scheme in the Federal Court of Australia)

Prior to coming to the Bar, Andrew was an Associate at Slater & Gordon with extensive experience in tobacco and asbestos litigation including McCabe v BATAS, Laurie v BATAS and Puttick v Fletcher Challenge Forests Pty Ltd. For his involvement in the McCabe case he received a public health award a Coalition of public health NGOs and was an Official Nominee for the Australian Lawyers’ Alliance (Previously the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association) Civil Justice Award. He was the youngest ever nominee for this award.

Andrew is Professor of Civil Justice Systems at the University of Oxford and Mansfield College. He has published widely on all aspects of procedure including costs and funding, bias, LPP and class actions, and provided expert opinions both for English High Court proceedings and overseas clients on procedural law in England & Wales and other common law jurisdictions.

He is a contributing author of Zuckerman on Australian Civil Procedure (as well as the English edition) and a contributing author of McGregor on Damages (22^nd edn, 2024, Sweet & Maxwell) with Justice James Edelman and Professor Jason Varuhas.

Andrew has worked extensively for the World Health Organisation on policy work related to its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s Article 19 ‘Liability, being originally nominated for this work by the Union for International Cancer Control. He has helped the World Health Organisation develop an online toolkit to assist Parties reform their civil justice systems as a means of implementing Article 19, and recently chaired the WHO-FCTC’s Expert Group on Article 19. The Group’s Report will be published in late 2025.

He was the Academic Member for England & Wales’ Civil Justice Council between 2019 and 2024 and in that capacity chaired the CJC’s review of Pre-action Protocols.

Mr Panayi is an appellate specialist, who predominately acts for government in appeals pertaining to judicial review, administrative law, statutory interpretation, constitutional law, and human rights.  He is lead Counsel in Victorian Government appeals in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and preferred Counsel to the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

Mr Panayi’s trial work includes government, administrative, commercial, criminal, and family law litigation; principally in the Supreme, Federal and Family Courts, VCAT and often before juries.  He has extensive experience before Military Courts, Military Inquiries and Royal Commissions.

Mr Panayi has also appeared before International Courts, including on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, together with the Solicitor-General and Chief General-Counsel of Australia, before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, in Russian Federation v Australia (Re Volga) 11 ITLOS 2002.

Mr Panayi was first called to the Bar in 1995 and practiced as a Barrister from 1995 to 1998.  He then served as an Australian Diplomat from 1998 to 2005 including overseas and domestically as Director International Law, Director Maritime Law, Executive Director Treaties Secretariat, Acting Assistant Secretary and Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.  Mr Panayi is a Member of the The Honourable Society of The Inner Temple, The International Commission of Jurists, The Royal United Services Institute and holds a Commission as Lieutenant Commander, Royal Australian Navy. 

Experienced in commercial and common law matters with an emphasis on employment and administrative/regulatory law.

In-house, corporate procurement and private practice pre-Bar background.

Accepts direct briefs and instructions from in-house counsel.

Regularly acts and advises pre-court/non-court matters on strategy, commercial objectives and dispute resolution.

Appears in most forums including Alternative Dispute Resolution forums such as mediations.

Regularly drafts/settles all manner of pleadings, letters, correspondence, affidavits, witness statements, Notices and other documents.

Provides a flexible, modern and tailored range of legal services including general and specific advice as required, as well as advice on litigation and dispute resolution strategy.

Approved Worksafe Counsel.

Member of the Victorian Bar Pro Bono Scheme.  He also has a long-standing association with the arts.

In 2009 and again in 2012 he was a recipient of Arts + Law’s Print Commission Award in recognition of the pro bono support he provided to Arts + Law for those years.

Holds a CASA Part 61 Private Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) with retractable undercarriage, constant speed unit and tailwheel endorsements.  He also holds an aerotow endorsement and an Instrument Rating.

Semi-finals moot court judge for the Melbourne University Law Students’ Society 2021.

The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Lennon’s List Barristers nor The Victorian Bar Inc have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.

Rohan practices predominantly in common law with a particular focus on public liability, dust diseases, and insurance claims. He has appeared led and unled in County Court and Supreme Court matters, acting for both plaintiffs and defendants.

In 2025, Rohan was recognised by Doyle’s Guide as recommended Insurance & Personal Injury Junior Counsel.

Before coming to the Bar, Rohan worked as a Senior Associate in the General Insurance team at Wotton Kearney and as a solicitor at DLA Piper in the Litigation & Regulatory team.

Rohan holds a Bachelor of Laws with honours from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and an Associate Performance Diploma (Piano).

Rohan read with Mr Daniel Wallis and his senior mentor is Ms Roisin Annesley KC.

Warren is a commercial barrister. He has acted for individuals, companies and incorporated associations in civil litigation. He has appeared in the Federal Court in bankruptcy proceedings, the Supreme, County and Magistrates Courts in commercial disputes. He is experienced in drawing pleadings, appearing in interlocutory skirmishes and running trials in court.

He has acted in appeals to the trial division of the Supreme Court and judicial review matters.

Warren has also acted in criminal matters, intervention order matters, family law and crimes compensation proceedings.