Law Council of Australia

Federal Dispute Resolution Section

About the Section

The Federal Dispute Resolution Section consists of lawyers specialising in litigation and dispute resolution within the Federal courts and tribunals.

The Section was founded in 1987 and originally named the “Federal Practice and Litigation Section.” Over the years, the Section has undergone several name changes, with the most recent one taking place in 2023, when it was renamed to the Federal Dispute Resolution Section.

The Section focuses on liaison with Federal courts and tribunals, particularly in relation to practice and procedure issues for effective case management. It also responds to substantive law issues within the Federal litigation and dispute resolution sphere, particularly in the areas of administrative law, industrial law and Commonwealth compensation.

The primary functions of the Section can be classified into the following  categorises:

The Executive Committee is elected from the membership of the Section every two years. The Executive is responsible of the overall management of the Section, including its activities and finances. The current composition of the Executive is listed below:

Section Executive

Mr Peter Woulfe, Chair

Peter Woulfe has been recognised as one of Canberra’s leading commercial and dispute resolution barristers: Doyle’s Guide, 2020 & 2021. Peter has a civil practice in a range of practice areas, with a particular focus on government and administrative law. Peter has also been regarded as one of Australia’s foremost Commonwealth compensation barristers, having worked on various matters of importance to the application of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth).

Peter led the Law Council of Australia’s liaison with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. He managed stakeholder engagement, extensively contributing to the Tribunal’s various COVID-19 practice directions. Peter has liaised closely with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal since 2010 in bringing the twice-annual Hot Topics in Commonwealth Compensation seminar, which is chaired by the President of the Tribunal and attended by numerous industry leaders and practitioners.


Mr Robert Johnston, Deputy Chair

Robert is one of Australia's leading commercial litigation lawyers specialising in large scale, complex disputes and class actions.

Robert has been on the Federal Dispute Resolution Section Executive for eight years and a valuable contributor. He is very active on the Class Actions Committee and is Chair of both the Federal Court Liaison Committee and the Federal Circuit and Family Court Liaison Committee.

Robert has been involved in class actions in Australia since the regime was introduced and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading lawyers in that field. He defended AMP in the first ever major shareholder class action, defended Permanent Trustee in ASIC’s first ever s50 class action and has more recently been involved in the MFS, Dick Smith, Opal Tower and Quintis class actions. His expertise was also recognised by the judiciary with his appointment by the Full Federal Court as one of the first “contradictors” to assist the court in a ground-breaking appeal involving contingency fees.

Robert is also a recognised insurance expert not only advising on policy wordings and recoveries but having the confidence of insurers who have appointed him as defence counsel in numerous matters including class action defence work.

Additionally, Robert has dealt extensively with regulators including ASIC, APRA, the ACCC and the ASX. He also has Royal Commission and other major enquiries experience.

Robert is endorsed by his peers as a leading expert in the areas of dispute resolution, class actions, insurance and reinsurance including in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Euromoney’s Expert Guides, Legal Who’s Who, Doyle’s Guide and Best Lawyers. He is regarded as “strategic and approachable”, a lawyer who “really looks after his clients” with an “outstanding level of personal service”. Clients say Robert Johnston stands out for his mastery of the class action discipline describing him as "an outstanding communicator who keeps me completely up to date and can put a legal argument into straightforward language" and with his presence being one of the key reasons for using the practice for one major client.


Ms Lena Hung, Treasurer

Lena Hung is the Principal of Lena Hung and Associates and is an Accredited Immigration Law Specialist based in Melbourne, with over 20 years of experience in migration law.

Lena has been awarded the Law Institute of Victoria’s (LIV) President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2021 for her dedication and contributions to various LIV committees including the Migration Law Committee. Lena has also been recognised by her peers as Best Lawyers in Australia in Immigration Law for every year since 2021. Lena previously held the position of Chair of the Administrative Law and Human Rights section of the LIV from 2019 to 2024 and Co-chair of the LIV Migration Law Committee in 2017-2018. In November 2023, Lena was elected as Member Director to the LIV’s Board of Directors.

Lena is a member of the Law Council of Australia’s (LCA) Migration Law Committee and in December 2024 became Treasurer of the LCA’s Federal Dispute Resolution Section.

Lena is passionate about the integrity and reputation of the migration advice and legal industry as a whole. Lena also holds a Certificate in Mediation and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, qualifying her to operate her own CPD provider, Enriched Migration Training, which has a focus on upskilling and training migration professionals and lawyers in immigration law. She was Chair of the LIV’s Accredited Specialisation – Immigration Law Advisory Committee in 2022-2023 and has been regularly invited to present CPD topics in migration law and legal education. She has worked tirelessly towards upskilling legal practitioners and ensuring industry stakeholders are informed of evolving legislative developments and reforms.


Executive Members

The Federal Dispute Resolution Section Executive Members are:

Committees of the Federal Dispute Resolution Section
 

Contact

Ms Chelsea De Silva
Executive Officer
T. 02 6246 3722
E. chelsea.desilva@lawcouncil.au

Mr Joshua Woo
Administrative Coordinator
T. 02 6246 3711
E. joshua.woo@lawcouncil.au
 

Disclaimer

The Law Council is the peak body representing the interests of the legal profession at the national level. The Law Council does not offer advice on individual cases. If you do require legal advice, please contact your local law society or legal aid.
 

Last Updated on 13/01/2025

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