Hamish Williamson

• Class Actions
• Commercial Law
• Competition
• Equity
• Inquests & Inquiries
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Intellectual Property
• Media, Entertainment & Broadcast
• Professional Negligence
• Public Law
• Sports, Gaming & Licensing

Area of practice

Hamish has a broad practice in all areas of commercial law, with a particular focus on property.

He accepts briefs to appear, led or unled, in trials, hearings and mediations in all Victorian courts and tribunals. He also accepts briefs to advise, and to prepare pleadings and other documents.

Recent matters

Along with frequent appearances in VCAT and the Magistrates’ Court, Hamish’s recent matters in the County and Supreme Courts include the following:

Property

• Ming Jiang v E Scaunich Nominees Pty Ltd S ECI 2024 01966. Acting for the purchaser in a dispute arising from the sale of an office building, involving alleged breaches of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Cth) and Australian Consumer Law (Supreme Court of Victoria, led by Georgina Costello KC).
• Wu and Li & Ge Holdings Pty Ltd v Dysin Investment Partners Pty Ltd S ECI 2020 04338. Acting for defendant in relation to a claim arising from a commercial property development (Supreme Court of Victoria, unled).
• Asia Digital Investments Pty Ltd v Mara Dextra Pty Ltd [2023] VSC 565. Acted for the purchaser in a successful application for the return of deposit money, and declarations of valid rescission of sale contracts under the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic), due to the vendor’s non-disclosure of earthworks on purchased land (Supreme Court of Victoria, led by Georgina Costello KC).
• J.J. Savage & Sons Pty Ltd & Anor v Parks Victoria S ECI 2021 04140. Acted for the plaintiffs, who operate a wharf and commercial marina on premises leased from a statutory authority, in seeking specific performance of a lease option term, among other remedies (Supreme Court of Victoria, led by Georgina Costello KC).
• In the matter of an application by Joan Elizabeth Waites S ECI 2023 02336. Acted for a party opposing an application for payment out of court of the surplus proceeds of a mortgagee sale (Supreme Court of Victoria, unled).

Commercial / other

• Vang v Dang & Le CI-24-02859. Acting for plaintiff in defamation proceedings in relation to social media posts (County Court of Victoria, unled).
• Ockwell & Payne v Bunyip A’Beckett Holdings Pty Ltd & Ors CI-24-0016. Acting for the purchaser in a dispute arising from the multi-million dollar sale of a civil construction business, involving alleged breaches of vendor warranties and the Australian Consumer Law (County Court of Victoria, unled).

Experience and education

Hamish read with Andrew Meagher, and his senior mentor was Georgina Costello KC.

After completing his Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne, and prior to coming to the Bar, he worked in the following roles:

• Aide to former Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
• Judge’s associate for Justices Elliott, Vickery and Cameron of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
• Solicitor at MolinoCahill, a boutique commercial firm specialising in major construction and infrastructure projects such as airports, highways and hospitals.
• Solicitor at Gordon Legal, on the commercial litigation and class actions teams. In this role, he worked on a wide range of matters — including contract, professional negligence, consumer law, corporations and defamation claims. He ran his own files and appeared unled in mediations and applications.

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.