Nicholas is a barrister at the Victorian Bar, practising in commercial law, public law, and equity + trusts. He has a particular interest in energy, superannuation, and sports law. He has appeared both led and unled in the Federal, Supreme, County and Magistrates’ Courts, VCAT, and the AFL Tribunal.

He also lectures in Contract Law at Melbourne Law School, and is a reporter for the Victorian Reports.

In 2023, Nicholas was recognised in the Doyle’s Guide list of Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Barristers in Victoria.

Recent cases

Re Vaughan; Dunn v Dunn-Vaughan [2024] VSC 7 (complex estate dispute, led by Sue Gatford)

Hawkesdale Asset Pty Ltd & Anor v Bennett [2023] VSC 409 (application for enforcement of licence agreement, led by P Anastassiou KC, with C Tsang)

Hall v ABL [2022] FCA 163, [2022] FCA 1524 (approvals of settlement of shareholder class action, unled)

Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd v Tipakalippa [2022] FCAFC 193, [2022] FCA 1121, [2022] FCA 838 (judicial review of approval of environment plan, led by, variously, Ron Merkel KC, Claire Harris KC, Robert White, Chris Tran and Colette Mintz)

PTD Nominees v Deacon [2023] VSC 245 (judicial advice and removal of trustee and appointor, led by Matthew Harvey KC)

Re Curtis [2022] VSC 621 (application for grant of probate of remotely-witnessed will, led by Richard Boaden)

Re Moran [2022] VSC 776, [2023] VSC 83 (construction of a will, unled)

Re Cassar (No 2) [2022] VSC 398 (consequential orders following trial of forgery claim, unled)

AFL v Day, AFL v Sicily (led by Myles Tehan and Will Houghton KC)

Before coming to the Bar, Nicholas practised in public and constitutional law at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, where he advised the Victorian Government and acted in proceedings in the High Court of Australia.

Prior to that, Nicholas was a commercial litigator at King & Wood Mallesons in Melbourne and in London. He worked on a range of complex commercial disputes and regulatory matters in the Supreme and Federal Courts, including proceedings involving the ACCC.

Nicholas is also a former associate to the Hon Justice McMillan of the Supreme Court of Victoria, where he assisted Her Honour in her role as Judge in Charge of the Trusts, Equity and Probate List.

Nicholas read with Tom Clarke and his senior mentor was Peter Gray KC (now Justice Gray of the Supreme Court of Victoria).

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

Cases