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Prior to joining the Bar, Stephen practised as a solicitor for almost eight years. During this time, he specialised in workers’ compensation litigation.

Stephen accepts briefs in all common law matters (including damages trials and ‘serious injury’ applications), for both plaintiffs and defendants, as well as statutory workers’ compensation disputes in the Victorian and Commonwealth jurisdictions.  Stephen also accepts briefs to appear, and to provide advice, with respect to transport accident (TAC) statutory benefits disputes; judicial review applications; and employment / industrial disputes.

Stephen completed his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts degrees at the University of Melbourne in 2008.  In 2016, Stephen completed a Master of Laws at Monash University.

Celeste is an experienced advocate and is available for both plaintiff and defendant briefs in personal injury common law, including WorkCover, TAC, dust disease, public liability & medical negligence.

Prior to coming to the bar, Celeste acted for injured Plaintiff’s in the WorkCover jurisdiction, in both statutory benefits & Common Law claims. She has extensive experience in serious injury application and common law damages matters, in both the County and Supreme Courts.

Craig is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injuries Law and has extensive experience managing both common law and statutory benefits claims in the TAC and Workers’ Compensation jurisdictions.

Before signing the Bar Roll, Craig worked as a solicitor for 15 years, specialising in the area of personal injuries. He has practiced in the Supreme, County and Magistrates’ Courts as well as the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Craig was admitted to practice in March 2000, having completed his Articles at TAC Law. He worked as a solicitor at TAC Law for over 5 years, managing a large portfolio of litigated files under the Transport Accident Act 1986.

Subsequently, Craig spent 10 years at Slater & Gordon, where he was employed as a Practice Group Leader overseeing a busy Workers’ Compensation practice.

During 2013/2014, Craig was Chair of the LIV’s Accident Compensation Committee and he also served for several years on the VWA’s Legal Liaison Group.

Craig is currently reading with David Purcell and his senior mentor is Andrew Keogh SC.

Ray is an experienced legal practitioner, having practised as a lawyer for over a decade, including as a barrister for more than seven years.  He has a broad and considerable practice, reflecting a desire to be a well-rounded advocate.  He works primarily in personal injury law and also appears regularly in a variety of other matters, particularly administrative law and employment law matters.

Ray has particular experience in claims for psychiatric injury, and acts for clients in statutory entitlement schemes and the common law area including historical abuse matters.  He has significant expertise in handling all types of claims under the Commonwealth workers’ compensation system (‘Comcare’ work).

Ray was awarded the Public Interest / Justice Innovation Pro Bono Award in 2016, as part of team of three barristers, for work on the Hazelwood Mine Fire Board of Inquiry.

Ray has been the Treasurer of the Compensation Law Bar Association since 2015.

Ray completed degrees in Arts and Law (with Honours) at Monash University and then undertook articles at Sparke Helmore Lawyers.  He practised at that firm for a number of years until he took up a position at one of Australia’s best-known companies, where he worked for several years before coming to the Bar.

Ray is pleased to accept e-briefs or conventional hard-copy briefs.

Some notable and recent cases in which Ray appeared include:

Goulburn Valley Suns FC, 2015 FFV Tribunal (TA15022)

Tye and Tase 0508 P/L [2016] FWCFB 8733

Arumugam and TNT Australia P/L [2017] AATA 2660

Halliday v Pomare & Pazzan [2017] MCV (21/6/17, a bailment case)

Gates v Robinson [2018] VCAT 40

KR v BR & Anor [2018] VSCA 159 (led by I Fehring)

Gropel v Comcare [2018] FCA 1146 (led by N Horner)

Li v West Sands P/L & Gao [2018] MCV (20/11/18, a civil penalties case under the Fair Work Act 2009)

Courtney v Ray & State of Victoria [2019] VSC 175

Barnes and Victorian Building Authority [2019] AATA 4796

Davis and Australian Postal Corporation [2021] AATA 30

Chung and Secretary, Attorney-General’s Department [2021] AATA 4804

For a full list of decisions in cases where Ray appeared, please contact him directly.

Education

Monash University B.E, LLB 1980-1984

Experience

• Admitted to Practice Supreme Court of Victoria

1986

• 1985 -1991 – Holding Redlich, commencing employment as an articled clerk – articled to Mr. Ross Betts, then progressing to lawyer and senior associate practicing in workers compensation litigation.

• 1991-2006 – Slater & Gordon. I commenced employment with Slater & Gordon as a senior associate working in the Melbourne and Footscray Offices. I then progressed to Partner and then Managing Partner of the Dandenong Office for a period of 6 years. During this time I practiced in workers compensation, transport accident, and public liability matters in the statutory benefits and common law jurisdictions, whilst also managing an office of 20 lawyers, associates and administrative staff.

• 2006-2013 – Victorian Workcover Authority. As Senior Legal Counsel I was responsible for managing the legal panel (6 law firms) that performed litigation on behalf of the VWA. Providing instructions on common law, statutory benefits and S. 138 recoveries litigation.  I was also responsible for policy development and legislative reform.

• 2013-2014 – Wisewould Mahony, Consultant. Common law and statutory benefits litigation in the workcover practice

• 2014-2015 – Hall and Wilcox, senior associate. Common law and statutory benefits litigation in the workcover practice.

• 2015-2016 – Parental duties, travel and study

Professional Associations/Accreditations

• Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Personal Injury Specialist

1994 to present

• Member of the Personal Injury Law Advisory Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria

2008 to 2019

Sign the Bar Roll on 5 May 2016.

I was appointed as a Board Member of the Victorian Building Authority in October 2021 for a period of three years. 

I was appointed as a Board Member of the Country Fire Authority in June 2016 for a period of three years (June 2019 – reappointed by the Governor in Council for a further three year term). I resigned from the CFA Board effective 31 December 2021.