Stewart is the president of the Commercial Bar Association of Victoria.  

He practises in complex commercial litigation, and has a broad appearance and advice practice which encompasses cross-border and domestic insolvency, 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 him as a pre-eminent senior counsel in its rankings of Australian and Victorian insolvency and reconstruction silks, and as leading senior counsel in its list of Victorian commercial litigation and dispute resolution barristers.  He is also recognised by Best Lawyers.  Chambers and Partners recognises Stewart in its rankings of Australian insolvency and restructuring barristers, saying in its 2022 guide that he is

"one of the silks most likely to be encountered on significant insolvency matters, but also one who is particularly noted for his expertise on international insolvency issues. Several interviewees emphasise this specialism, one calling him 'the most knowledgeable barrister and really the go-to guy on cross-border insolvency,' while others are keen to stress his broader capabilities, one simply saying: 'He's just a great barrister for insolvency, and he loves it.'"

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, and serves on the editorial boards of the Insolvency Law Journal and the International Insolvency Review.  Several of his many law journal articles 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 has served on

• the Insolvency Practitioner Disciplinary Committees constituted under the Corporations Act, as a ministerial appointee from 2017 to 2020;
• the Joint Expert Group on Enhancing Cross-border Insolvency Co-operation convened by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, from 2010 to 2012;
• the Legal Costs Committee constituted under the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act, as the representative of the Victorian Bar (continuing);
• the Victorian Bar Council for four years (including a year as its Honorary Treasurer); and
• the Ethics Committee of the Victorian bar for seven years.  

Stewart 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);
• a Fellow of the Australian Restructuring, Insolvency and Turnaround Association;
• a member of the International Insolvency Institute;
• a member of the Law Council of Australia's Insolvency and Reconstruction Law Committee; 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.