Bernard Coles KC

Bernard Coles is head of chambers at University Chambers. Since 1991, he is one of Sydney’s pre-eminent commercial silks.

Formerly President of the NSW Bar Association (2011 – 2012).

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Law (LLB, University of Sydney 1974)
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA, University of Sydney, 1971)

Mark Ashhurst SC

Mark Ashhurst SC has over 30 years’ experience in equity/commercial, building and construction, trade practices and insolvency law. He took silk in 2007.

Since coming to the Bar, Mark has appeared in over 40 decisions of the NSW Court of Appeal as junior counsel and in over 60 decisions of that Court as senior counsel. Mark has also appeared in over 70 hearings of the Federal Court of Australia and in over 300 final hearings of the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

Before coming to the NSW Bar in 1992, Mark spent the first five years of his legal career as a solicitor for Clayton Utz in Sydney.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB, Macquarie University)
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc, Macquarie University)

Mark was Chairman of the Sydney Junior Rugby Union Judiciary from 2010 to 2019.

Marcus Young SC

Marcus Young served as a tipstaff in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of NSW from 1989 to 1993. In 1993 he became a barrister at the NSW bar, an occupation he has held continuously ever since. In 2011 he became Senior Counsel. His practice has always focussed on equity, commercial and real property matters, primarily in the Supreme Court of NSW, and has included many appeals. Often (but far from always) his cases involve disputes about real property. His chambers has  been consistently located within University Chambers throughout his career.

Marcus has co-written a book on mortgages, which has gone into two editions. He particularly enjoys appearing at mediations. He also amuses himself constructing in-house Continuing Professional Development practical exercises. Outside of work, he enjoys reading military history, playing a variety of indoor games and creating and participating in elaborate live-action role-play events.

Three interesting (yet true) facts about Marcus:

  1. Marcus is a fifth-generation lawyer, with each successive lawyer having been admitted exactly 30 years after the lawyer of the previous generation.
  2. NSW parliament once amended the Forfeiture Act a couple of weeks before Marcus’ appearing at a trial so as to enable his client to ensure her sister’s killers did not benefit from her estate.
  3. Marcus once had his T-shirt stolen by the Taliban.

Some interesting (but not necessarily representative) cases in which Marcus has appeared over the decades of his practice can be found here.

Publications

Co-author of The Essential Guide to Mortgage Law in New South Wales, Lexis Nexis, 2008.

Co-author of The Essential Guide to Mortgage Law in Australia, Lexis Nexis, 2013.

Andrew Fernon SC

Andrew Fernon was called to the NSW Bar in 2000, having been previously admitted to practice in 1988 in both NSW and the ACT. He read with David Hammerschlag (now the Hon. Hammerschlag, Chief Judge in Equity, Supreme Court of NSW). Andrew has been a member of University Chambers since 2001, taking silk in 2020.

Andrew maintains a broad practice; however he has particular interest and expertise in commercial, corporations, equity, insolvency, leasing / strata / real property. Andrew also appears in family law disputes, particularly involving issues of property, equity and insolvency. He has considerable experience in appellate work in all areas of his practice.

Andrew appears in all courts and tribunals in all jurisdictions. Whilst based in NSW, he has had considerable recent experience appearing in Queensland.

For a list of decisions / notable cases in which Andrew has appeared, please download his CV below.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons, Australian National University, 1988)
  • Bachelor of Economics (BEc, Australian National University, 1986)
  • Master of Laws (LLM, Sydney University, 1994)

Scott Robertson SC

Scott Robertson is a commercial barrister with an interest and practice in public law. In addition to his busy practice in Court and in domestic and international arbitrations, Scott has a substantial practice in anti-corruption commissions. That practice included acting as lead counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption in its investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct concerning the former NSW Premier, Hon Gladys Berejiklian.

Scott accepts briefs in a wide range of jurisdictions and areas of law. He particularly enjoys appearing in matters that straddle several areas of law, in jurisdictions in which he is not a regular and in matters raising difficult or novel points of law or equity.

Qualifications

Scott holds degrees in economics, international studies and law including a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford.

Sean Docker SC

Sean was appointed Senior Counsel in 2023. He was called to the Bar in 2004, after being admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1999.

Prior to his admission, Sean worked for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council in 1994-1999, where he worked on land claims, native title claims, cultural heritage protection and community projects as well as lobbying on legislation and policy.

Sean started his career as a solicitor in general practice with Horowitz & Bilinsky in 1999-2001 and then worked at Kemp Strang in commercial litigation and on judicial review cases in 2001-2004.

Sean’s practice is mostly in the Supreme Court of NSW, at first instance and on appeal and the Federal Court of Australia. He also appears in other courts and tribunals, including three final appeals in the High Court of Australia. He regularly attends mediations.

Professional Memberships and Activities

NSW Bar Association – Education Committee since 2017 and Accessibility Panel since 2019.

NSW Bar Practice Course – Advocacy Coach since 2012.

NSW Bar Association Practice Management Course 2020/2021 and 2022 – Organising Committee.

Presenter – UNSW Edge’s Property Intensive with Lucinda Cooper-Hackman on Aboriginal Heritage and conveyancing – March 2022.

Basketball Australia – Integrity Panel Member since 2021.

Director of University Chambers and Chair of its Readers and Recruitment Committee.

Qualifications and Awards

  • B.Sc (Hons) (University of Sydney, 1992)
  • LL.B (University of Sydney, 1994)

While resident at the University of Sydney’s St Paul’s College, Sean was Sportsman of the Year in 1990. During that year, he was also awarded a University Blue in basketball after being selected in the All Australian Universities basketball team.