Barker, Paul

Paul provides advice to, and represents, a range of clients in relation to complex public sector employment issues, discrimination matters and matters arising under the Fair Work Act 2009 and Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act.

He is a litigation specialist and has successfully acted for agencies in many major and high-profile cases and inquests. He acts for clients primarily in employment, discrimination, industrial relations and WHS cases, but also acts in administrative law proceedings (both merits and judicial review), negligence, corporate regulation proceedings, insolvency proceedings and coronial inquests. Paul specialises in large and complex litigation and class actions, primarily in the areas of regulatory enforcement, discrimination, contract disputation and common law damages claims.

Paul won an AGS Australia Day Award in 2011, in recognition of extraordinary service to the Australian Building and Construction Commission in the long-running and high-profile Westgate litigation.

Relevant experience

Paul’s recent work includes advising/acting for the Commonwealth or Commonwealth agencies in:

• the ongoing class action alleging race discrimination in relation to the Community Development Program, being a program operating in remote Australia for persons in receipt of income support payments (Basil Dawson & Ors v Commonwealth (SAD154/19))
• complex public sector employment issues.