Current Practice

Annabelle Ballard accepts briefs to appear (led and unled) and advise in a broad range of matters.

Annabelle predominantly practices in commercial law, costs, administrative law, and regulatory matters. She is particularly passionate about achieving positive outcomes for clients in a timely and cost-effective manner. She has been briefed to appear in the Supreme Court of Victoria (Costs Court), Federal Court of Australia, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, VCAT, ART (formerly the AAT), and various Magistrates’ Courts. She is available to appear in both metropolitan and regional courts.

Annabelle’s commercial practice is focused on contract law, residential tenancy matters, commercial leasing, corporate regulatory matters, and legal costs. She also regularly appears unled in commercial matters in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria and VCAT. A distinguishing feature of Annabelle’s commercial practice is her experience advising and appearing in costs disputes in the Supreme Court of Victoria (Costs Court), Federal Court, and VCAT Legal Practice List.

With respect to administrative law, Annabelle Ballard regularly advises on matters arising under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth). She also has experience in advising and appearing in migration matters, both merits review and judicial review.

Annabelle read with Leana Papaelia, and her senior mentor is Charles Shaw KC.

Victorian Bar Committees

Annabelle Ballard is one of the founding members and the secretary of the Hock & Seltzer Society Barristers’ Association. She also sits on the Victorian Bar News committee and is the current honorary secretary of the Commercial Bar Association.

Academia

Annabelle has previously been an Associate Teaching Fellow and Sessional Tutor at Deakin University. She was the unit chair for Corporate Insolvency in 2025 and has also taught Administrative Law and Constitutional Law.

Education

In 2024, Annabelle Ballard completed a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne, achieving a H1 average. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University. While Annabelle was at Monash University, she was an editor of Lot’s Wife Magazine and studied abroad for a semester at Osaka University (Japan).

Cases

Commercial Law Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Darranda Pty Ltd (ACN 005 663 561) and Rent4Keeps (Aust) Pty Ltd (ACN 006 507 811) Briefed by ASIC in a dispute with Rent4Keeps, in which ASIC alleged contraventions of the National Credit Code (Federal Court of Australia, led by Fiona McLeod SC and Leana Papaelia).

Darranda Pty Ltd (ACN 005 663 561) and Anor v Australian Securities And Investments Commission (Ongoing)

Costs Jack Jones v Lifesaving Victoria Ltd – S ECI 2021 00375

Briefed to act for the plaintiff in a party-party taxation of costs that involved a dispute over whether costs should be taxed on a lower scale by reason of recovery less than the Supreme Court’s jurisdictional limit (Supreme Court of Victoria, unled).

Jadwan Pty Ltd (ACN 006 203 112) v Rae & Partners (a firm) & Ors – TAD39/2016

Briefed to act for the plaintiff in a party-party costs dispute in the Federal Court of Australia (Tasmanian Registry) regarding a general objection raised under the costs indemnity rule.

Owners Corporation Plan No. SP023744S v Scarlett – MLG1993/2023

Briefed to act for the applicant in a dispute regarding consequential orders (particularly costs orders) following the setting aside of a sequestration order.

Administrative Law FVGP and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (Migration) [2023] AATA 1440 (24 May 2023)

Briefed to act for FVGP, who applied for review of a decision by a delegate of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to refuse a Bridging E (Class WE) (Subclass 050) on the basis that the FVGP did not pass the character test in s501(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). Senior Member Morris applied Ministerial Direction 99 (effective 3 March 2023). Despite finding FVGP did not satisfy the character test, Senior Member Morris set aside the delegate’s decision and substituted a decision that the delegate should not have exercised the discretion conferred by s501(1) to refuse the visa (led by Shannon Finegan). Cummings and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (Migration) [2023] AATA 3773 (17 November 2023)

Briefed to act for Mr Cummings, who applied for review of a decision by a delegate of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to cancel his Special Category (Subclass 444) visa on the basis he did not pass the character test. Mr Cummings had previously conceded past affiliation with an organisation involved in criminal conduct (under s501(6)(b) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)). Applying Ministerial Direction 99 (effective 3 March 2023), Deputy President Britten-Jones reversed the delegate’s exercise of their discretion under s501(2) to cancel Cummings’ visa (unled).

Publications

Australian Climate Change Litigation Annual Review (2025)

Law Institute Journal – April 2024 Edition

Victorian Bar News – VBN 175, 176, 177, and 178