Stewart practises in complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on insolvency law.  He has a broad appearance and advice practice which encompasses cross-border and domestic insolvency, securities class actions, fiduciary and fraud-related actions, banking and finance disputes, corporate control disputes and general commercial litigation.  Clients and instructors recognise him as being numerate, articulate and approachable.  

Stewart is the only Australian barrister to be recognised in the 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers.  Doyle's Guide recognises Stewart as a pre-eminent senior counsel in its ranking of Victorian insolvency and reconstruction silks, and as leading senior counsel in both its list of Australian insolvency and reconstruction silks and its list of Victorian commercial litigation and dispute resolution barristers.  He is one of four Melbourne silks recognised by Chambers Global in its rankings of Australian insolvency and restructuring barristers.

Stewart edited and co-authored the book Insolvent Investments (LexisNexis, 2015).  He writes the chapter on private international law for McPherson's Law of Company Liquidation, serves on the Editorial Board of the Insolvency Law Journal, and is a frequent referee for the International Insolvency Review.  He has published articles in journals including the Australian Law Journal, International Corporate Rescue, the Insolvency Law Journal, the Company and Securities Law Journal and the Australian Bar Review, several of which have been cited in superior court judgments.  And he is Australia's national correspondent on cross-border insolvency for CLOUT (UNCITRAL's official database of case law concerning UNCITRAL texts). 

He served on the Victorian Bar Council for four years, including a year as its Honorary Treasurer.  He is also:

• a Fellow of INSOL International (having achieved the highest result of the class of 2009-10 in INSOL's Global Insolvency Practice Course);
• Vice-President (Convenor) of the Commercial Bar Association of Victoria;
• a member of the Victorian Bar’s Ethics Committee;
• a member of the International Insolvency Institute;
• a member of the Law Council of Australia's Insolvency and Reconstruction Law Committee;
• a Professional Member of the Australian Restructuring, Insolvency and Turnaround Association; and
• a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

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Stewart's assistant, Julie Godenzi, can be contacted on (03) 9225 7049 or at maidensec@vicbar.com.au.