Thomas Rawlinson
- Commercial Law Employment & Industrial
- Intellectual Property Tort Law
- Public Law
Commercial and regulatory law: Tom has significant experience in class actions, having been briefed in class actions in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Victoria. His class actions experience includes shareholder actions, consumer law and product liability claims, and mass tort claims involving novel duties of care. He is briefed by representative plaintiffs, litigation funders, and defendants, and has appeared as a Court-appointed Contradictor in several matters.
Tom is also briefed (led and unled) in commercial and regulatory matters across all courts and subject matters, including corporate governance and directors duties, contracts, consumer law, franchising, property and leasing disputes, and confidential information.
Public law: Tom is frequently briefed by departments of the Victorian Government to advise on issues of constitutional law, administrative law, and statutory interpretation; including as junior to the Solicitor General and Crown Counsel for the State of Victoria.
Tom lectured in administrative law at Melbourne Law School in 2023.
Before coming to the Bar, Tom practised as a senior associate at Phi Finney McDonald in Melbourne, an associate at Kaplan Hecker & Fink (now Hecker & Fink) in New York, and an associate at Allens in Melbourne. Tom is admitted as an attorney in New York and has appeared in U.S. federal courts and New York state courts.
Tom was an associate to the Hon Justice Geoffrey Nettle AC at the High Court of Australia and the Hon Chief Justice Trevor Riley AO at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Tom has a Master of Laws from Columbia University, where he graduated a James Kent Scholar. Tom graduated from Melbourne Law School ranked second in his cohort, winning four subject prizes and the prize for Top Student. He was an Editor of the Melbourne University Law Review.
Tom read with Sarala Fitzgerald. His senior mentors are Elizabeth Bennett SC (now Bennett J of the Federal Court) and Lachlan Armstrong KC.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under the Professional Standards Legislation.
Contact
- P+61 3 9225 8558
- M0431 415 413
- F+61 3 9225 8668
- E[email protected]
- Connect on Linkedin
Owen Dixon Chambers West
Level 18 Room 12
525 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Jane King
03 9225 8558
Expertise
- Appellate
- Aviation
- Banking & Finance
- Bankruptcy
- Class Actions
- Commercial Arbitration
- Competition
- Consumer Law
- Contractual Disputes
- Corporate Insolvency
- Corporations & Securities
- Energy & Resources
- Equity & Trusts
- Insurance
- Private International Law
- Real Property
- Residential & Retail Tenancies
- Superannuation
- Regulatory Investigations
- Confidential Information
- Discrimination
- Employment Contracts
- Work Health & Safety
- Information Technology
- Media & Entertainment
- Privacy & Data Protection
- Telecommunications
- Class Actions
- Defamation
- Major Torts
- Product Liability
- Professional Negligence
- Administrative Law
- Appellate
- Civil & Human Rights
- Commissions & Inquiries
- Constitutional Law
- Immigration
- Judicial Review
Qualifications
Bachelor of Music (Adelaide)
Juris Doctor (Melbourne)
Master of Laws (Columbia)
Victoria
New York
State and Territory Courts and Tribunals
Federal Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
Recent Cases
Mallonland Pty Ltd v Advanta Seeds Pty Ltd (2024) 98 ALJR 956; [2024] HCA 25. Appeared for appellant in appeal regarding duty of care to avoid causing pure economic loss. Led by William A D Edwards KC, with Blair Hall.
LCM Funding Pty Ltd v Stanwell Corporation Limited (2022) 292 FCR 169 (Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia). Appeal regarding application of managed investment scheme legislation to class action litigation funding. Junior counsel to court-appointed contradictor William A D Edwards KC.
Southernwood v Brambles Limited, VID972/2018 (Federal Court of Australia). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative applicants to appear at trial. Led by Bernie Quinn KC, with William A D Edwards and Tim Chalke. (Judgment reserved.)
Stallard and Napier v Treasury Wine Estates Ltd, S ECI 2020 1590 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative plaintiffs. Led by Melanie Szydzik SC, with Tim Chalke. (Settled subject to court approval.)
Watters v Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd, VID760/2024 (Federal Court of Australia). Product liability class action concerning defective pipes installed in residential homes. Led by Fiona Roughley SC, with Tim Rogan. (Ongoing.)
Yong v Westpac Banking Corporation, VID1373/2019 (Federal Court of Australia). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative plaintiffs. Led by Wendy Harris KC, with Leana Papaelia, Dion Fahey, and Chadwick Wong. (Ongoing.)
Lay and Batchelor v Nuix Limited, S ECI 2021 04360 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative plaintiffs. Led by Peter Collinson KC and Kate Burke SC.
Lieberman v Crown Resorts Limited, S ECI 2020 04566 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative plaintiffs. Led by William A D Edwards KC, with Rebecca Howe.
Thomas v The a2 Milk Company Limited, S ECI 2021 03645 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Shareholder class action; briefed by the representative plaintiffs. Led by Melanie Szydzik SC, with Alexandra Folie.
Andrianakis v Uber Technologies Inc, S ECI 2019 01926 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Appointed as Contradictor (with Kate Burke SC) on settlement approval application.
Levitt v Luke, VID59/2024 (Federal Court of Australia). Appointed as Contradictor (with Lachlan Armstrong KC) on appeal from settlement approval.
Corum Systems Pty Ltd v Fred IT Group Pty Ltd, [2023] VSC 208 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Joint venture dispute involving breach-of-contract and restitution claims; briefed by plaintiff to assist in evidence preparation and to appear at hearing of discovery dispute (did not appear at trial). Led by Peter Wallis KC, with Sam Ure.
Zhang v Liu Investment Pty Ltd v Nando's Australia Pty Ltd, S ECI 2021 03517 (Supreme Court of Victoria). Acted for franchisee in dispute concerning franchising agreement and commercial lease. Led by P G Nash KC. (Settled.)
Yoorrook Justice Commission - Briefed to assist Counsel Assisting to prepare for cross-examination of key Government witnesses, including the Attorney-General for the State of Victoria.