Archive

Kim came to the bar with 20 years experience in insurance and personal injuries litigation, focussing in more recent years on asbestos litigation and Commonwealth workers compensation.  Since coming to the bar, Kim has practised extensively in State workers compensation claims, including statutory benefits claims, serious injury applications and damages trials.  She also has extensive experience in the areas of public liability, reinsurance, Medical Panel reviews, s138 recovery claims, claims for wrongful death and personal injury damages claims.  Kim also has an interest in professional negligence and administrative law, including statutory and disciplinary tribunals, as well as immigration and other administrative decision making appeals.  She welcomes briefs in all of these areas.

She has been involved in matters in all superior jurisdictions, at both trial and appellate level.  She has also successfully represented clients in various alternative dispute resolution forums.

Kim was previously a partner at Thomsons Lawyers (now Thomson Geer).  She was a director of the Australian Insurance Law Association from 2001 to 2019 and a committee member of the Victorian branch from 1998 to 2019.  She is a committee member of the Law Council of Australia’s National Insurance Lawyers Group and the Personal Injuries and Compensation Committee.  She also sits as a committee member on the Victorian Bar’s Compensation Law Bar Association, and is a director of the Essoign.  In 2019, Kim was appointed as a director of Volleyball Australia.

Manny specialises in medical negligence, personal injury, health law, coronial matters and professional disciplinary proceedings. He also has a broad practice and accepts briefs in a number of other areas including criminal, commercial and employment matters.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Manny was a General Surgeon. He graduated from medical school at the University of Melbourne in 2005 and undertook his surgical training through Western Health with rotations to the Alfred Hospital Trauma Unit and Goulburn Valley Base Hospital from 2006-2012. Since 2013, Manny has been a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and has been in both public and private practice in Central Victoria. He therefore has unique knowledge, skills and experience in contemporary medical practice and disease/injury causation together with a substantial understanding of the Victorian healthcare system. 

In addition to his medical and law degrees, Manny holds a Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was the Board Chair of the Otis Foundation for Breast Cancer Retreats from 2019-2021. 

Manny is reading with Dr Paul Halley and his senior mentor is Ms Michelle Britbart KC.

Jay has growing common law practice, with particular focus on institutional abuse, WorkCover, TAC, intentional torts, and medical negligence. He is regularly briefed to draw statements of claim, prepare advice on liability, quantum and prospects, and appear at directions hearings, mediations, serious injury applications, and interlocutory matters.

In addition to court work, Jay is frequently briefed in complex paperwork matters. His drafting includes pleadings and submissions in tort, statutory compensation, and institutional liability claims. He brings a methodical and strategic approach to litigation preparation and negotiation.

Jay also accepts briefs in criminal and quasi-criminal matters, and has experience in select administrative law and public interest litigation. He is known for a trauma-informed and client-focused advocacy style.

Experience

Before coming to the Bar, Jay held senior roles at Victoria Legal Aid, including Associate Public Defender at VLA Chambers and Deputy Managing Lawyer in the Civil Justice Directorate. He was previously a Senior Lawyer at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and began his career in litigation and employment law in regional and mid-tier firms.

Jay holds a Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

He read with David Seeman, and his senior mentor is Kateena O’Gorman SC.

Selected Cases

• King v Australaw Pty Ltd [2025] VSC 136
  https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSC/2025/136.html
• Re EV (No 2) [2025] VSC 112
  https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSC/2025/112.html
• Cousins (a pseudonym) v White [2024] VCC 1264
  https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VCC/2024/1264.html
• Pierson: Finding into death with inquest of Pierson, Phillip John (COR 2020 001612) [2023] VicCorC 28679
  https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VicCorC/2023/28679.html

Re WL (No 2) [2022] VSC 838
https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSC/2022/838.html

Duncan practices in the areas of occupational health and safety, environmental prosecutions, disciplinary proceedings, employment law and coronial inquests.

Duncan regularly appears in appeals, jury trials, committals, contested hearings and pleas in occupational health and safety matters in Victoria and interstate.  He also regularly appears in disciplinary proceedings and review hearings at the VCAT and VSC as well as conducting workplace investigations on behalf of employers and government departments.

Duncan is recommended in Doyle’s Guide’s Leading Work Health and Safety Junior Counsel – Victoria (2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025).

Before coming to the Bar, Duncan was a Senior Lawyer at the Victorian WorkCover Authority (WorkSafe) where he prosecuted safety offences.  Before joining WorkSafe, Duncan was a Senior Solicitor in the Workplace Relations Branch of the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, where he provided advice on employment and safety law matters.

In 2010, Duncan was an Associate to His Honour Judge Misso.  Prior to that, Duncan completed his legal traineeship at Slater & Gordon Lawyers.

Dean was admitted to practice as a solicitor on 14 February 2006. Before coming to the Bar, in his capacity as Special Counsel, he has gained extensive experience in all areas of personal injury law.

Dean has frequently appeared as Counsel in statutory benefits matters, Serious Injury Hearings and Common Law Damages trials, as well as at interlocutory applications, Judicial Settlement Conferences, mediations and settlement conferences.

He is proficient in drafting appeal documentation and has a comprehensive experience in drafting Serious Injury Affidavits, Statements of Claim, Defences, Interrogatories, Medical Panel referrals, etc.

Dean is the author of the text “Personal Injury Compensation in Victoria” (CCH Australia Code: 39572A, ISBN: 978 1 922042 86 6, Publication: November 2012), which is the prescribed textbook in MLL315 Personal Injuries Compensation Schemes taught at Deakin University as part of its Bachelor of Laws degree.

http://www.cch.com.au/au/onlinestore/ProductDetails.aspx?PageTitle=Personal-Injury-Compensation-in-Victoria&ProductID=10333#Feature

He was also the Author/Editor of “Statutory Compensation Schemes”, Australian Torts Reporter (ATOR), CCH Australia (2012).

Dean is a recipient of Monash University Law School’s prizes in Restitution Law and Citizenship & Migration Law.

Judgments:

Ioannou v SCA Hygiene Australasia Pty Ltd [2013] VCC 819 (24 June 2013)

http://www1.workcover.vic.gov.au/vwa/vwa044-022.nsf/docsbyUNID/F50CE393FC332CD9CA257B95001ED4B0/$file/CC+Ioannou+24.06.13.pdf

Munif v Nestle Australia Ltd & Anor [2012] VCC 1538 (17 October 2012)

http://www1.workcover.vic.gov.au/vwa/vwa044-022.nsf/docsbyUNID/B8973779A1FD1363CA257A9F00823BA9/$file/CC+Munif+17.10.12.pdf

Publications/Presentations:

CPDS Half Day Seminar “The Accident Compensation Act 1985“, 27/3/13, Rydges Hotel Melbourne (co-presenter with Romesh Kumar)

“Personal Injury Compensation in Victoria”(CCH Australia Code: 39572A, ISBN: 978 1 922042 86 6, Publication: November 2012).

LexisNexis, Personal Injury Law 2012 (19/07/12, Stamford Plaza Melbourne), Speaker.

Causation: Increased Risk of Injury; Australian Tort, Personal Injury, Health & Medical Law Tracker, CCH, Issue 1, January 2012

LexisNexis, Personal Injury Law 2011 (23/11/11, Stamford Plaza Melbourne), Keynote Speaker.

Patient or Privilege? November 2011 85(11) LIJ, p.30

Economic loss in ‘Serious Injury’ Applications: business expenses and the corporate veil, PRECEDENT Issue 102 January/February 2011.

Since coming to the bar in 2005, Gavin has been briefed primarily in the areas of insurance and personal injury law. He appears regularly in the Supreme and County Courts both in Melbourne and on circuit.

Before coming to the bar, Gavin was a partner at Deacons (now Norton Rose Fulbright). He has also worked as an inhouse legal counsel at both the Victorian WorkCover Authority and Transport Accident Commission.

Nick did his articles at Galbally & O’Bryan in 2002. He worked in the Commercial Litigation department from 2003 to 2005, practising mainly in Employment law. He conducted numerous cases in the then Australian Industrial Relations Commission (now Fair Work Australia) and had the conduct of a number of sexual harassment/discrimination matters before the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He also conducted numerous civil litigation matters in the Melbourne Magistrates Court. The other main area Nick practised in was Testator’s Family Maintenance claims under Part IV of the Administration and Probate Act 1958.

Nick was made a Senior Associate at Galbally & O’Bryan in July, 2005.

From January, 2006 to August, 2011 he worked in the Personal Injuries Law department. His practice included the preparation of Serious Injury Applications (WorkCover and TAC), Damages claims (TAC, WorkCover and Public Liability) and Medical Negligence claims. He had the conduct of numerous Serious Injury Applications in the County Court and a number of Damages trials in the County Court.

Nick also has experience in Coronial Inquests having had the conduct of the Tyler Cassidy Inquest on behalf of the Cassidy family in 2010.

Prior to joining Galbally & O’Bryan in 2002, Nick worked in Refugee law and spent time working for the Jesuit Refugee Service in conjunction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Phnom Penh (2000) and Bangkok (1997/98). Nick gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology in 1997.