Profile
Year of Call:
1995Year of Silk:
2011Overview
Damian has a broad ranging commercial practice, with particular emphasis on commercial litigation, arbitration and advisory work in the fields of resources, building and construction, corporations, insurance, insolvency, property and professional negligence.
He is listed as a ranked KC for Dispute Resolution by Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific 2017-2022, and Chambers & Partners Global 2017, 2019. He was selected for inclusion in the Australian Financial Review’s Best Lawyers® in Australia 2019-24 for Alternative Dispute Resolution and Insolvency / Reogannization Law, 2017-2019 and 2023-24 for Bet-the Company Litigation, Commercial Law and Litigation. He was named the Best Lawyers®‘ 2014-2015 Brisbane Commercial Law ‘Lawyer of the Year’ and 2023 Bet-the-Company Litigation ‘Lawyer of the Year’. Damian is listed as a ‘preeminent’, ‘leading’ or ‘recommended’ KC by Doyle’s Guide 2015-2019 in the areas of Commercial Litigation & Disputes, Construction, and Insolvency & Reconstruction. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021 guide ranked him Band 1 for Commercial Disputes.
Damian is the Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland’s Business and Consumer Law Committee, a Member of the Bar Association of Queensland’s Professional Conduct Committee and a former Member of the Queensland Law Society’s Commercial Litigation Specialist Accreditation Committee.
Recommendations
Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific – Selected as a leading KC for Dispute Resolution
- 2024 “We seek his advice for difficult matters“.
- 2023 “clever and outstanding in court and good for anything complex commercial, or resources or infrastructure-related“.
- 2022 “practitioner who is right at the top of his game, takes no backward step and is known in Brisbane as the barrister you brief for the hardest cases“.
- 2021 “widely regarded as an exceptional advocate” and “known in Brisbane as the barrister you brief for the hardest cases“.
- 2020 “leader of the future“, “ability to get on top of his material very quickly and to cut to the core of an issue” and “advocacy which is extremely clear, intellectually rigorous and forceful“.
- 2019 “very insightful in his case preparation and identification of issues” and “an outstanding advocate.”
- 2018 “outstanding analytical and advocacy skills, including a devastatingly effective cross-examination capability“
- 2017 “an exceptional advocate with a remarkable skill for articulating a case with the content and style that best convinces the judge and gives the client the best chance of success.”
Chambers & Partners Global – Selected as a leading KC for Dispute Resolution
- 2024
- 2022 “unbelievably smart and diligent, clever and outstanding in court and good for anything complex commercial, or resources or infrastructure-related”.
- 2021 “known in Brisbane as the barrister you brief for the hardest cases“.
- 2020
- 2018
- 2017
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Listed in Band 1 for Commercial Disputes
- 2024 “Damian is excellent”.
- 2023 “Elegant and concise in expression, and deft in managing clients and assisting them in making decisions“.
- 2022
- 2021 “He is particularly skilled at articulating complex issues where the content and style that gives the client the best chance of success“.
Australian Financial Review’s Best Lawyers Best Lawyers
2017-2025 (Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bet-the Company Litigation, Commercial Law, Insolvency and Reorganisation Law, Litigation, Oil & Gas Law)
2023 he was named Brisbane Bet-the-Company Litigation ‘Lawyer of the Year’.
2014-2015 named Brisbane Commercial Law ‘Lawyer of the Year’
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2024 – Preeminent KC for Commercial Litigation & Disputes (Queensland), Leading KC for Construction & Infrastructure (Queensland).
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2015-2024 – Leading KC for Insolvency & Reconstruction (Queensland and Australia).
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2015-2023 – Leading KC for Commercial Litigation & Disputes (Queensland and Australia).
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2015, 2017-2023 – Leading KC for Construction & Infrastructure (Queensland).
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2020 – ‘Recommended’ QC for Professional Indemnity (Queensland).
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2016 – Nominated as a ‘recommended’ QC for Insurance (Queensland).
Appointments
Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland’s Business and Consumer Law Committee
Member of the Bar Association of Queensland’s Professional Conduct Committee
Member of the Bar Association of Queensland's Queen's Counsel Consultation Group
Member of the Queensland Law Society’s Commercial Litigation Specialist Accreditation Committee
Member
Member of the Bar Association of Queensland
Sometime Instructor, Leading Evidence and Cross-Examination, Bar Practice Course
Career
2013 Appointed Queen's Counsel
2011 Appointed Senior Counsel
1996-present Practising Barrister
1996 Admitted, Barrister of the High Court of Australia
1995 Admitted, Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland
1994-1995 Associate to the Honourable Mr Justice Lee, Supreme Court of Queensland
1991-1995 Part-Time Tutor, Queensland University of Technology
1993 Research Assistant, the Honourable Mr Justice Spender and the Honourable Mr Justice Drummond, Federal Court of Australia
1993 Admitted, Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
1992 Associate to the Honourable JM Macrossan, Chief Justice of Queensland
1991 Article Clerk, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Solicitors
Education
LLB (QUT) (1st Class Hons)
Awards
1992 Inaugural recipient of the TE Cain Moot Trophy
1990 Queensland Law Society Prize (awarded to the graduating Bachelor of Laws student with the highest aggregate marks in the subjects of Commercial Law, Conveyancing & Drafting, Company Law and Partnership and Taxation Law)
1990 Power & Power Company Law and Partnership Prize
1990 Clarke & Kann Taxation Law Prize
1990 Law Book Co Pty Ltd Professional Conduct Prize
1989 Butterworths Pty Ltd Equity Prize
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