Justin McDonnell concentrates on resolving commercial disputes. He has extensive experience in matters involving issues such as resource disputes, trade practices, telecommunications, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, insolvency and banking. Justin has particular expertise in dealing with large pieces of litigation involving numerous documents and witnesses that have significant commercial and strategic importance to clients. Most of these cases have been successfully resolved through Justin's use of mediation and other dispute resolution procedures.
Justin has been a Senior Counsellor for the Queensland Law Society since 2013. He is also a Senior Solicitor on the Lexon Insurance panel for the Queensland Law Society to deal with Insurer/Insured disputes (one of only two Brisbane lawyers). Justin is also a practitioner participant for Federal Court consultations with the Brisbane legal profession on urgent interlocutory matters, Corporations panel, fast track and the new Federal Court work streams.
Justin's work highlights include:
- Queensland Government dam authority Seqwater: successfully defending the Queensland Government dam authority in $2bn proceedings following a lengthy trial that spanned almost 1.5 years arising from the 2011 Brisbane floods. One of Australia's largest ever class action.
- Gladstone Ports: in defending a $100m class action recently brought by commercial fisherman alleging financial loss suffered as a result of dredging in the Port of Gladstone dating back to 2011.
- Aurizon: acting in a challenge to in the Qld Supreme Court over resumptions of land for a rail line given to Adani by the Queensland Government that could de-rail the whole mine development, and in suing environmental activists in the Qld Supreme Court who have been blocking rail lines.
- Shine Lawyers: defending and settling (for a confidential amount) a $250m class action claim in the Queensland Supreme Court, one of the first class actions in the Court under the legislation allowing class actions in Queensland.
- PanAust: in an arbitration concerning the world's largest copper mine project in PNG.
