Sophie has a broad practice, including commercial, public and quasi-criminal matters.

Before coming to the Bar, Sophie was associate to the Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC of the Supreme Court of Victoria, a litigation lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin, and a senior lawyer at the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.

Sophie has a Master of Laws from Columbia University, where she focused on constitutional and administrative law, and a Juris Doctor, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

Sophie has taught Principles of Public Law in the JD program at Melbourne Law School. She is also a member of the Bar’s International Advocacy Training Committee and in 2023 represented the Bar in Solomon Islands teaching advocacy to local lawyers.

Sophie read with Zoe Maud SC and her senior mentor was Peter Gray KC (now Justice Gray of the Supreme Court of Victoria).

Sophie’s appearance and advice work has included:

• Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (2022 to 2024) — Counsel Assisting
• Minnie McDonald v Commonwealth (Federal Court of Australia, ongoing) — class action; fiduciary obligations and trusts relating to historic wages — led by Fiona McLeod SC, Zoe Maud SC and Josh Ingrames
• ASIC v Keystone Asset Management Ltd & Anor (Federal Court of Australia, 2024) — resisting application for travel restrictions — led by Kateena O’Gorman SC
• Re WD (Supreme Court of Victoria, 2024) — appearing for the Commissioner for Children and Young People; parens patriae jurisdiction — led by Albert Dinelli KC
• Lennon v Sadik (County Court of Victoria, 2023) — appearing for the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner; costs appeal — unled
• Tarkine National Coalition Inc v Director, Environment Protection Authority & Anor [2023] TASSC 3 — judicial review; environmental law — led by Peter Gray KC
• Galpin v CEO, Australian Skills Quality Authority [2023] FCA 223 — appeal from AAT decision; cancellation of registration — led by Stephen Rebikoff
• Madafferi v The King (Supreme Court of Victoria, 2022) — s 317 application — led by Catherine Boston SC and Lachlan Cameron
• IBAC’s Operation Bredbo public hearings – Counsel Assisting (2022) — led by Catherine Boston SC
• Various NDIA matters in the AAT, led and unled
• Various migration law judicial review applications, led and unled
• Pro bono matters relating to discrimination, racial vilification, sexual harassment, human rights, consumer law and judicial immunity

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

Cases

• Trimuryani v Retail Food Group Ltd & Ors (Federal Court of Australia, ongoing) — class action — led by Caryn Van Proctor and Simon Frauenfelder
• Minnie McDonald v Commonwealth (Federal Court of Australia, ongoing) — class action — led by Fiona McLeod SC, Zoe Maud and Josh Ingrames
• Tarkine National Coalition Inc v Venture Minerals Ltd (Supreme Court of Tasmania, ongoing) — environmental law — led by Peter Gray QC
• Havenport Fixed Maturity Fund SPC v Huynh (Supreme Court of Victoria, resolved) — contract — led by Mark Costello KC
• MLK Group Pty Ltd v CommsChoice Group Ltd (Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, resolved) — contractual dispute — unled
• Various NDIA matters in the AAT, led and unled
• Various migration law judicial review applications, led and unled
• Discrimination matters for the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and for the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service