Division of Bar Roll:
Victorian Practising Counsel
Qualifications:
LLM (Melb); Master of Environmental Law (Macquarie); Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Previous Occupation:
General Counsel at a large engineering consultancy. Senior Associate at Freehills. Solicitor at the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Solicitor at John Holland
Profile:
David specialises in building and construction law, planning and environment law and commercial disputes.
Extended Biography:
Building and construction
David completed an Engineering degree in the 1980s and worked for many years as a civil engineer before commencing at the Bar. His work in this area covers:
- all types of claims, disputes and legal proceedings between owners, contractors/builders, subcontractors, consultants (including engineers, architects, building surveyors) and insurers (including public liability, professional indemnity and home warranty insurers);
- claims and adjudications under the Security of Payment Act;
- Building Act matters; and
- domestic and international arbitrations.
Planning and Environment
David’s work in the planning and environment law area involves acting in, and advising on, the following types of matters:
- merits review and enforcement order matters under the Planning and Environment Act;
- merits review proceedings concerning EPA licences, works approvals and pollution abatement notices (PANs);
- planning panels;
- Supreme Court proceedings including appeals from VCAT decisions and judicial review matters;
- clean up notice matters, including enforceability and proceedings to recover costs and expenses incurred to comply with clean up notices; and
- prosecutions under the Environment Protection Act and the Planning and Environment Act
His work in this area has an environmental focus. He holds a Master of Environmental and Local Government Law degree and worked as a solicitor at the EPA. Many of David's cases involve contaminated land issues, landfills, recycling or resource recovery facilities and the application and interpretation of EPA publications, policies, regulations and procedures. He has also been involved with many EPA prosecutions for pollution, industrial waste, breach of licence and similar offences.
Commercial matters
David is also regularly briefed in contract disputes, professional negligence claims and retail lease and tenancy disputes at VCAT proceedings.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation. The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister's clerk
have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.