Christopher McDermott

• Class Actions
• Commercial Law
• Employment & Industrial
• Environment & Planning
• Equity
• Inquests & Inquiries
• Professional Negligence
• Public Law
• Sports, Gaming & Licensing

Christopher has a broad civil law practice, with particular expertise in:

• Employment and industrial law, anti-discrimination law and human rights
• Workplace investigations
• Administrative law (judicial review and merits review) and regulatory matters, including coercive examination processes
• Disciplinary proceedings (professional, university, sports)
• Royal Commissions, public inquiries and coronial inquests
• Class actions and major torts (government liability)
• Privacy, freedom of information, confidentiality, public interest immunity, the law of privilege, and general interlocutory civil procedures (for example, discovery)
• Intentional torts and civil claims (malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, assault/battery)
• Directors’ duties, and the law of associations (particularly for Not-for-Profit charitable organisations)

Christopher regularly advises, and appears for, Federal and State Government departments and agencies, the private sector, Universities and non-government organisations.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Christopher was a Senior Lawyer at the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS), representing a diverse array of Commonwealth departments and agencies in superior courts and in tribunals. Prior to joining the AGS, Christopher was Senior Associate to the Hon John  Faulks, Deputy Chief Justice of the (then) Family Court of Australia.

Christopher is the Secretary of the Victorian Bar’s Indigenous Justice Committee. He is a member of the Industrial Bar Association Committee, the Australian Bar Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and the Victorian Bar’s LGBTIQ Working Group (which he helped to establish).

Christopher is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has extensive experience as a Board Director in the Not-for-Profit sector, including as a director with:

• Pride Community Legal Centre Ltd (Deputy Chair since 2021)
• Mental Health Victoria Ltd (2019 to present; Deputy Chair since 2021)
• Relationship Matters Counselling and Mediation (since 2021)
• Advocacy & Rights Centre Ltd (Loddon Campaspe and Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centres and Housing Justice) (2019 to 2021)
• Vice President of the Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Centre (trading as Thorne Harbour Health) (2013 to 2019)

Christopher read with Catherine Symons (now Her Honour Judge Symons of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Div 2)).  His senior mentor is Jenny Firkin KC.

From 5 May 2017, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation. The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister's clerk have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.