Brian O’Donnell QC

Mr. O’Donnell was called to the Bar in 1983. He became a Queen’s Counsel in 1993. He holds degrees of Bachelor of Laws (with honours) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.

His entire time at the Bar has involved practising in commercial litigation, i.e. civil disputes usually arising out of business transactions and usually involving corporations. The majority of his work concerns or arises out of company matters, insolvency, insurance matters, trade practices litigation, contractual disputes, professional indemnity claims and intellectual property matters.

Mr. O’Donnell has acted for, or on the instructions of, many large public companies, private companies, insurers, banks and government agencies. He regularly appears in the trial division, and at the appellate level. He has acted in many substantial trials, including:

Naomi Marble & Granite Pty Ltd v FAI General Insurance (1999) 1 Qd.R. 507 and (1999) 1 Qd.R. 518.

Charter Pacific Corporation v Coventry (2002) QSC 301 and before the Court of Appeal at (2003) 179 FLR 438. (Mr. O’Donnell was unavailable for, and did not appear, when the case went onto the High Court (2005) 227 CLR 234)

Pacific National (ACT) Pty Ltd v Queensland Railways (2006) FCA 91

Aquila Coal v Bowen Central (2013) QSC 082

ASIC v Anderson (No.9) (2016) 308 FLR 216

Wilmar Sugar Australia Ltd v Queensland Sugar Ltd (2016) 335 ALR 72

CMC v Wiggins Island (2017) QSC 085

Burragubba v Queensland (2017) 254 FCR 175

W.B. Rural v Commissioner of State Revenue (2017) 322 FLR 13

Mr. O’Donnell is currently appearing in the 2011 Queensland floods class action in the New South Wales Supreme Court before Beech-Jones J. – Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd v Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority trading as Seqwater (Proceedings 2014/200854 – part heard)