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Year of Call:
2012Overview
Stewart’s practice is focused on complex commercial disputes. His clients include multi-nationals, ASX200 listed companies, company liquidators and government entities. Stewart has particular experience in contract law, commercial equity and trusts, insolvency law, and large-scale disputes of reputational and strategic significance.
Before joining Level Twenty Seven Chambers, Stewart worked as a solicitor at Allens, as the Associate to the Honourable Justice J.A. Dowsett AM in the Federal Court of Australia and for Nishimura & Asahi in Tokyo. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor Arts from the University of Queensland.
Stewart is listed in Doyle’s Guide to the Legal Profession as recommended junior counsel for commercial disputes (Australia and Qld), insolvency matters (Qld) and building & construction disputes (Qld).
Experience
The following are a selection of significant matters in which Stewart has been retained as junior counsel:
- Anglo American – acting in a major contractual dispute with two power station customers (instructed by Gilbert + Tobin)
- IBM Australia – in litigation concerning IBM’s replacement of the Queensland Health Payroll and in relation to IBM’s role in the 2016 Census (instructed by Jones Day)
- Adani Australia – in judicial review challenges to mining, infrastructure and environmental approvals in the Supreme Court of Queensland, Federal Court and Full Federal Court (instructed by Ashurst)
- Airservices Australia – in Supreme Court proceedings brought by the Brisbane Airport Corporation relating to alleged environmental contamination from fire-fighting foam (instructed by Maddocks)
- Liquidators of companies in the Octaviar Group – acting in relation to a large and complex claim for damages against a firm of auditors (instructed by Clayton Utz)
- Brisbane City Council – acting in a complex IT dispute with TechnologyOne (instructed by Minter Ellison)
- Sunland Group – acting in Supreme Court proceedings for damages arising from land transactions in Dubai (instructed by Holding Redlich)
- Civil Mining and Construction – appearing for the plaintiff in an 8 week building & construction e-trial in the Supreme Court of Queensland involving claims for variations, extensions of time and liquidated damages and in a related appeal (instructed by Thomson Geer)
- Queensland Sugar Limited – acted in an oppression action brought by Wilmar Sugar (instructed by Allens)
- A global mining company – acting in a multi-party contract price arbitration (instructed by Allens)
- Liquidators of the Rivercity Motorway Group – acting in Federal Court proceedings for advice and complex directions (instructed by Johnson Winter & Slattery)
- State of Queensland – advising and appearing in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (instructed by Crown Law)
Stewart also has significant experience in unled advice and appearance work. He regularly appears in contested hearings in State Supreme Courts, Courts of Appeal and the Federal Court of Australia (including on applications for summary judgment, strike out, recovery of possession, directions for administrators and liquidators and short trials).
Recommendations
Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession
- Leading Commercial Litigation & Disputes Junior Counsel (Qld, 2015 – 2018; Australia, 2017)
- Leading Insolvency & Reconstruction Junior Counsel (Qld, 2015 – 2018)
- Leading Construction & Infrastructure Junior Counsel (Qld, 2017 – 2018)
Appointments
Reporter - Incorporated Council of Law Reporting (Queensland)
Member
Bar Association of Queensland
University of Queensland Law Alumni Association
Career
2012 Barrister (Brisbane)
2011 Solicitor, Allens (Brisbane)
2010 Associate to the Honourable Justice John A. Dowsett AM, Federal Court of Australia (Brisbane)
2009 Legal Editor, Nishimura & Asahi (Tokyo)
Education
2010 LLB (Hons) (UQ)
2008 BA (UQ)
Awards
2008 Lovells Prize for Excellence in Japanese and Law Studies (UQ)
