Craig Phillips is a commercial litigation lawyer who has acted since the 1980s on some of the most significant and complex litigation in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
Craig was a partner at Allens Arthur Robinson from 1986 to September 2011 before joining Donaldson Trumble Lawyers on 1 October 2011.
Craig has been consistently rated by Chambers Global as a leading dispute resolution lawyer. In 2011 he was chosen by Corporate International as Australian Dispute Resolution lawyer of the year.
Craig has conducted litigation in courts in most Australian States, the Federal and High Courts of Australia, and in the courts in Papua New Guinea and the United States, His work focuses on litigation related to contractual disputes, regulatory issues, competition and trade practices law, corporations and administrative law, arbitration, environmental and resources. He has acted in infrastructure access claims involving Rio Tinto’s Pilbara rail facilities and Western Power infrastructure, in environmental matters involving Ok Tedi Mining Limited, Bougainville Copper Limited and Energy Resources Australia Limited. He has also acted in litigation involving regulatory bodies such as the ACCC, ASIC, National Competition Council and Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority.
Craig is the Co-Chairman of the International Bar Association Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
Craig is also a Legal Officer in the RAAF Reserve.
He is admitted to practice in Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
The major matters that Craig has worked on include the following:-
- Acting for Rio Tinto Iron Ore in relation to infrastructure access claims in respect of its Pilbara rail facilities. These claims have involved proceedings in the Federal Court, High Court and the Australian Competition Tribunal.
- Acting for AWB Ltd in respect of various class action proceedings in the US Federal District Court, New York and in the Federal Court of Australia in connection with its involvement in the US Oil for Food programme.
- Acting on behalf of Ok Tedi Mining Ltd in relation to class actions concerning the operation of the Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea. These proceedings involved claims for damages in respect of alleged environmental damage to areas adjacent to the Ok Tedi river.
- Advising Newcrest Mining Ltd in relation to its operations in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
- Acting for AWB Limited in respect of Federal and High Court challenges to its single desk marketing arrangements.
- Advising Rio Tinto regarding its interests in Papua New Guinea.
- Advising ERA in connection with environmental issues at the Ranger Uranium Mine.
- Acting for the National Australia Bank in relation to Federal Court proceedings brought by the ACCC in respect of credit card interchange fees.
- Acting for Dow Corning in Victorian Supreme Court class action concerning silicone breast implants.
- Successfully defending actions against VENCorp under the National Gas Marketing rules before the Dispute Resolution Panel in 2008 and 2009.
- Acting for Oil Basins Limited in an international arbitration concerning its royalty interests in the Bass Strait.
