CHRISTOPHER FURNELL

Bar Roll – 20thNovember, 2003   
Admitted – 1982

Phone – (03) 9225 6971
Mobile – 0419 337 545
Email – cfurnell@vicbar.com.au
Chamber – Floor 10, Room 1002, Douglas Menzies Chambers

CHRISTOPHER FURNELL

Bar Roll – 20thNovember, 2003   
Admitted – 1982

Phone – (03) 9225 6971
Mobile – 0419 337 545
Email – cfurnell@vicbar.com.au
Chamber – Floor 10, Room 1002, Douglas Menzies Chambers

Admitted to practice in

  • Victoria
  • New South Wales
  • Western Australia
  • Federal Jurisdictions

Area of Law

  • Administrative Law
  • Banking and Finance
  • Bankruptcy/Insolvency
  • Commercial Law
  • Contract
  • Corporations (Company) Law
  • Energy & Resources
  • Equity and Trusts
  • Freedom of Information
  • Property Law/Sale of Land
  • State Taxes
  • Succession
  • Trade Practices

About

Chris was admitted to practice in 1982. He has over 30 years broad experience as a commercial lawyer, more than 13 of which was as a partner of one of Australia’s largest law firms.

Chris’ experience extends to most aspects of commercial law, including administrative law, trusts and equity, general corporate law (such as matters concerning directors’ duties), statutory construction, contract interpretation and enforcement, and capital markets’ issues. He has, however, particular experience in State taxation, infrastructure and energy projects and utilities regulation. [show_more]

As for State taxation, Chris has been a member of the Victorian Law Institute’s State Taxes Committee since its inception in the late 1980s, has

been involved in providing general advice on State taxes for around 30 years and has appeared as counsel in a number of stamp duty, payroll tax and land tax disputes.

As for infrastructure, Chris has had considerable experience, having acted for the State, financiers and private sector proponents in relation to a wide variety of projects (such as Melbourne’s City Link and Sydney’s M2 toll way projects). Material prepared by Chris is cited in the Commonwealth’s National Public Private Partnership Guidelines and in documents published by various State governments concerning the private provision of public infrastructure (relating, in particular, to infrastructure project risk allocation issues).  Chris lectures annually on risk allocation to post graduate law students studying project finance (in the context of a subject offered in Melbourne University’s master of laws course).

As for energy projects and utilities regulation, Chris has provided literally hundreds of advices concerning the regulation of Victoria’s privatised utilities, both to regulators and to private sector participants. Additionally, Chris has acted as counsel in a number of disputes concerning the operation of regulated access regimes, again acting for both regulators and private sector participants.

In addition to extensive advice work, Chris has appeared as counsel before the Supreme and Federal courts, before Tribunals established under the NER, and before the Australian Competition Tribunal and VCAT.

In the Lexis Nexis publication “Legal Profiles” last published before Chris ceased to act as a solicitor he was recognised (in the project finance, energy, road and rail and stamp duty categories) for his “professional style, level of expertise” and “response time, thorough research and analytical strength, practical and commercial approach and good knowledge.”

Quite apart from material he has prepared for presentations, Chris has authored approximately 30 articles.

In 2006 Chris was awarded a certificate of service by Victoria’s Law Institute.

From 1/07/2008: Professional Standards Act 2003 [Vic] “Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards

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