Justin Brereton
- Commercial Law Tort Law
- Public Law
Justin practises throughout Australia in commercial, administrative, regulatory and tort law, particularly in matters involving commercial fraud, directors’ duties, professional negligence, and class actions.
He appears in all jurisdictions at trial and appellate levels. He also appears in Royal Commissions, inquiries, and inquests as well as urgent injunctions and freezing order applications.
Justin regularly advises government agencies and businesses particularly in highly regulated areas such as financial services, where he often works directly with in-house counsel.
Justin also regularly conducts high-level inquiries and investigations.
Since 2016 Justin has been annually recognised by Best Lawyers in the class action litigation category.
Before
signing the Bar Roll, Justin was a senior lawyer in the law enforcement
directorate of ASIC, where he was responsible for high-profile matters across
all areas of ASIC's jurisdiction.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Contact
- P03 9225 8357
- E[email protected]
- Connect on Linkedin
- Download VCard
Castan Chambers
Level 15
460 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Jane King
03 9225 8558
Expertise
- Banking & Finance
- Bankruptcy
- Class Actions
- Consumer Credit
- Consumer Law
- Contractual Disputes
- Corporate Insolvency
- Corporations & Securities
- Energy & Resources
- Equity & Trusts
- Insurance
- Sports Law
- Superannuation
- Regulatory Investigations
- Class Actions
- Commissions & Inquiries
- Common Law
- Inquests
- Major Torts
- Negligence
- Professional Negligence
- Administrative Law
- Aged Care
- Commissions & Inquiries
- Judicial Review
- White Collar Crime
Qualifications
Bachelor of Laws
Master of Laws
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
South Australia
Victoria
State and Territory Courts and Tribunals
Federal Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
Recent Cases
- NSW, Victorian, and Queensland Casino Inquiries;
- Advising in respect of the regulatory response to the Victorian casino Royal Commission;
- Victorian Hotel Quarantine inquiry;
- Commonwealth Financial Services Royal Commission - advising and appearing for one of Australia's best-performing superannuation funds;
- Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ bushfire class actions – appearing for Victorian government agencies in negligence claims;
- Victorian inquiries into PFAS contamination at the CFA Training College Fiskville and the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry;
- Commonwealth Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse;
- Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission – appearing for the State of Victoria on ‘systemic issues’ including the economic and safety regulation of the electricity industry, the funding of fire services and the adequacy of emergency communication systems;
- Mediterranean Shipping Company – appearing in both Victoria and Western Australia for one of the world’s largest shipping companies in its prosecution of commercial disputes relating to breaches of directors’ duties, fraud, and the tort of conspiracy;
- Australian Wheat Board – acting for ASIC in aspects of its investigation and subsequent litigation arising from alleged breaches of directors’ duties arising from alleged failures to comply with United Nations sanctions;
- Westpoint, Great Southern & Opes Prime – advising and appearing for financial service providers and other professionals involved in these matters, including in claims of professional negligence;
- Acting for various peak sporting organisations – advising and appearing for administrative bodies such as the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board, Football Federation Victoria, and AFL football clubs, in commercial disputes and Inquiries.
- In addition to his work at the Bar, Justin also has extensive experience as a non-executive director in the financial services and not-for-profit sectors.
Publications
Commercial Law Update - ASIC Litigation Update 2016
01 March 2015Commercial Law Update - Company directors - civil penalties and criminal sanctions
09 February 2011Commercial Law Update - ASIC's growing sphere of influence
01 June 2009Commercial Law Update - ASIC deterrence and its approach to securities litigation
Memberships
Victorian Bar - Commercial Bar Association