Dispute Resolution: The Bar - Australia
Band 2
What the Team is Known For
Dever's List is headquartered in Melbourne's Owen Dixon Chambers and is the oldest of the Victorian Bar's lists, with a history extending back some 160 years and a large stable of barristers, offering expertise across a broad spectrum of practice areas. Among them are to be found some of Australia's leading appellate advocates as well as eminent practitioners in the employment, insolvency, intellectual property, media, native title and taxation spheres. Several, including a number of retired judges, are also experienced arbitrators and mediators. One source remarks: "Dever's List has the most comprehensive list of talented barristers." Another appreciates that they are "both legally strong and commercially sensible." John Dever is the chief barristers' clerk and is frequently identified by name as one of the list's key assets.
Strengths
The clerks consistently provide prompt and efficient support, ensuring that our needs are met with a high level of professionalism and attention to detail.
Devers List is incredibly responsive, reliable and effective. It is one of the oldest lists in Australia and continues to be the best for a reason.
John Dever is very good to deal with.
Notable practitioners
David Shavin KC enjoys both a national and a regional reputation for his work in the IP space. He is best known for his work on patent cases, but he is also an experienced handler of trade mark issues, and he offers particularly focused expertise on pharmaceutical matters and questions of what materials can legitimately be regarded as patentable.
David Shavin is phenomenal.
Eugene Wheelahan KC is renowned in the field of tax. His expertise when it comes to the handling of anti-avoidance or transfer pricing disputes receives particularly strong recommendation.
Eugene is great. He has excellent technical knowledge and is well regarded by the ATO.
Eugene can decipher complex matters and synthesise them into a compelling argument.
Philip Crutchfield KC maintains a highly versatile practice in which insolvency cases feature particularly prominently, but which also covers a broad commercial range. In addition to his general commercial and insolvency work, he also handles insurance, intellectual property and taxation-related briefs.
Philip Crutchfield is my first choice on any large and complex commercial claim.
Philip Crutchfield is one of busiest commercial silks in Melbourne.
Sturt Glacken KC is generally acclaimed as a pre-eminent practitioner on the traditional owner side at the native title Bar. Interviewees regularly testify to his unrivalled experience in the space, technical excellence and outstanding performance at the appellate level.
Christopher Caleo KC is well reputed in the market for his extensive knowledge and advocacy skills. His broad practice covers not only general commercial, competition and professional negligence issues, but also questions of administrative law.
Christopher is always logical, structured in his thinking and can distil complex matters into the simplest of propositions. He's a practitioner you want on your team as often as you can get him.
With technical legal questions Chris is spectacular.
Matthew Follett KC acts for employers across the full range of general employment and industrial relations issues, offering particularly notable experience handling issues arising in the construction, engineering, resources and transportation sectors.
Richard Dalton KC offers over 25 years of experience in the representation of both private and public sector employers and of regulators in the workplace law field, winning particular praise for his technical excellence and skilful handling of appellate cases.
Richard Dalton has excellent attention to detail and command of the law, very positive and prepared with clients. He is a very strong advocate, well prepared and does not let you down.
Philip Solomon KC makes regular Supreme Court of Victoria, Federal Court and High Court appearances, handling matters across a broad spectrum which includes matters of administrative, commercial and corporations law and also embraces insurance, negligence and taxation issues.
Phillip is a very skilful advocate. He focuses on the crucial points, builds a strong rapport with the judge and presents the case in the best possible way.
Sandip Mukerjea has a broad practice with particular strength in media and defamation law. He is trusted by leading media organisations to represent them in high-profile, high-stakes matters and has also served in public inquiries and tribunal roles.
Mr Mukerjea is a confident junior barrister with the competence to back it up. We regard him as the leading defamation junior at the Victorian Bar.
Sandip has acted in some of Australia’s most high-profile media matters and is regarded as one of Australia’s best media and defamation junior barristers.
