Archive

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

Before coming to the Bar, Duncan was a Senior Lawyer at the Victorian WorkCover Authority (WorkSafe) where he prosecuted offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, Accident Compensation Act 1985 and Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013.  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 matters related to safety law, employment law and workers’ compensation.

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

Stephanie accepts briefs in personal injuries, commercial, insurance and employment law matters.

She has extensive experience in accident compensation matters (including statutory benefits, serious injury applications, damages trials and s138 recoveries), general insurance matters (including public liability, medical negligence and asbestos/toxic tort) and commercial litigation. Stephanie was a senior associate at Herbert Geer and acted on the behalf of the VWA in that capacity.

Immediately prior to coming to the Bar, Stephanie was principle of a commercial legal practice where she appeared as solicitor-advocate on behalf of many private SMEs in a variety of commercial disputes. These included contractual and business disputes, restraint of trade matters, injunctions, bankruptcy proceedings and winding up applications. Her employment law practice Includes acting in Fair Work Australia matters ranging from unfair dismissal & general protection claims to advising on terms of employment contracts.

She read with Bruce McKenzie and her senior mentor is Ross Gillies QC.

Brendan is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law who appears regularly in the Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Supreme Court of Victoria. He has extensive experience in litigation of personal injury claims, having acted for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Brendan practises primarily in civil litigation specialising in personal injury, TAC, WorkCover, Public Liability, Medical Negligence and Dust Diseases. Brendan’s practice also covers Employment and Industrial law in which he has significant experience.

As an NMAS Nationally Accredited Mediator, Brendan can also assist parties seeking to mediate disputes.

Brendan has appeared led and unled in a number of serious injury applications, and has been led in successful trials in the County Court and Supreme Court.

Before signing the Bar Roll, Brendan worked as a solicitor for over a decade, specialising in the area of personal injuries.  He had also previously worked as a Federal Industrial Officer for the Transport Workers’ Union of Australia appearing regularly in the Fair Work Commission in conciliations and arbitrations in industrial disputes, unfair dismissals and full bench appeals.

Brendan read with Maria Pilipasidis and his senior mentor was Paul O’Dwyer SC

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.

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.