Chris practises in commercial law and public law.
In commercial law, Chris has advised and appeared in international arbitrations and class actions as well as matters involving taxation, trusts, financial services, professional negligence, trustees’ duties, professional standards legislation, proportionate liability and building & construction.
In public law, he has advised and appeared in matters involving constitutional law, administrative law, freedom of information and the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
Before coming to the Bar, Chris was Associate to the Hon Michael Black AC, Chief Justice of the Federal Court. In 2004-2005, he read for the LLM at the University of Cambridge. He has also worked as Research Assistant to the Solicitor-General for Victoria, Pamela Tate SC.
Arbitration experience
- Acting for the claimants in a dispute about engineering services for an oilfield
- Acting for the claimants in a matter about a floating oil production vessel
- Acting for the claimant in an international arbitration about a contract of affreightment
- Acting for the respondent in a dispute about a BIMCO contract
- Acting for an Australian resources company in relation to a dispute with a partner about a resources project
Constitutional & public law experience
- Acting for a plaintiff in the High Court in a constitutional challenge to the tobacco plain packaging legislation
- Acting for the Commonwealth Attorney-General in the High Court in a matter about the interaction between State and Commonwealth laws on long service leave in the construction industry
- Acting for the Commonwealth Attorney-General in the High Court in a matter about the interaction between State and Commonwealth laws on workplace safety
- Acting for the Commonwealth Attorney-General in a matter in the High Court about the validity of a law that retrospectively declared valid an administrative act declared invalid by a court
- Acting for the claimants in a native title claim about the extinguishment of native title over a township in a national park
Taxation experience
- Acting for the Commissioner in a matter about the taxation of managed investment schemes
- Acting for the Commissioner in a the first matter about the growth areas infrastructure contribution
- Acting for the Commissioner in a matter about grouping under the Payroll Tax Act
- Acting for the Commissioner in a challenge to the validity of the superannuation contributions surcharge
- Acting for the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation in a matter before the Court of Appeal to recover substantial tax liabilities in the context of a de facto property dispute
Financial products and services experience
- Acting for the applicants in a class action against a debenture trustee company in relation to a failed property development company
- Acting for the plaintiffs in a claim against a stock broker/options trader
- Acting for ASIC in a matter about confidentiality orders in the AAT
Building, construction & planning experience
- Acting for a council in a matter about the applicable law for a permit for a wind farm
- Acting for the owners against the builder in a dispute about termination of a contract and quantum meruit claims
Trusts experience
- Acting for the trustee in a matter involving the winding up of an employee incentive scheme
Memberships and Associations
Reporter, Commonwealth Law Reports
Publications
"The History of Judicial Dissent in England: What Relevance Does it Have for Modern Common Law Legal Systems?" (2009) 32 Australian Bar Review 96
Norman O’Bryan SC and Chris Young, “A View from Outside the Vortex on Keith Mason’s Retirement Speech and the Australian Doctrine of Judicial Precedent” (2008) 82 Australian Law Journal 771
“Protecting Human Rights in the Court in the First Year of Operation of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities: A Window of Opportunity?” (2007) 18 Public Law Review 88
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