Level 6
169 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Administrative Law

Appellate

Commercial & Contracts

Conflict of Laws

Constitutional Law

Corporations

Criminal Law

Government Law

Human Rights

Immigration and Refugee

Inquests and Inquiries

National Security Law

Privacy Law

Private International Law

Public International Law

Public Law

War Crimes and Military Law

B. Media (Hons) (Adelaide), LL.B. (Hons) (Monash), LL.M., J.S.D. (Columbia)

Michael accepts briefs nationally in all areas of law. He has particular expertise in public law and statutory construction, regulatory law, criminal law, and public and private international law and the conflict of laws. He also hopes to develop an advice practice at the Bar.

Prior to being called to the Bar, Michael was a senior lawyer and Senior General Counsel (A/g) in the Office of General Counsel at the Australian Government Solicitor.  He advised in areas as diverse as the Commonwealth’s involvement in companies; workplace disputes; foreign state immunity; privacy; and migration law. He also advised on reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme; tobacco regulation; and the aged care system. For the latter, Michael received a Secretary’s Award for his service to the Commonwealth.

Before this, Michael practiced as a government barrister as the Counsel Assisting the Solicitor General and Crown Advocate for NSW. He routinely appeared as junior counsel in judicial review, appellate and constitutional matters, including before the High Court of Australia, and assisted the Crown Advocate in preparing for criminal trials and inquests. He was also for a period an international lawyer at Human Rights Watch in New York City.

Michael was the associate to the Hon. Justice Stephen Gageler AC of the High Court of Australia (as the Chief Justice then was) and the Hon. Justice Pamela Tate AM of the Victorian Court of Appeal.

He is a co-author of Emergency Powers in Australia (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which has been influential in the reform of emergency powers and cited by the High Court and in the media.