About Robert (Rob) Davis

Professional & Academic

About

  • Law - Queensland Solicitors Admission Board (December 1978)
  • Bachelor of Social Science (major studies in psychology and human biology) - University of New England (April 1989)
  • Master of Laws - Bond University (September 1991)
  • Certificate - Australian Advocacy Institute (August 1994)
  • Second Master of Laws (Corporate and Commercial Law) - Bond University (February 1999)
  • Mediation Certificate - Bond University Dispute Resolution Centre (December 2001)
  • Bar Association of Queensland Bar Practice Studies - Queensland University of Technology & Bar Association of Qld (February 2007)

History

1979

In February 1979 Rob was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and in June 1979 also became a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

1979

Rob became Litigation Partner in a large Gold Coast Law Firm practising in both Queensland and New South Wales. He progressed to Senior Litigation Partner and in 1990 became the Managing Partner. He remained at this firm until 2000.

1980

Rob was also admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor in Victoria in May 1980.

2000

Rob commenced sole practice as a Litigation Lawyer and Legal Consultant while also serving as National President of the Australian Lawyers Association.

2003

Rob was also enrolled as a Barrister & Solicitor in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and has since conducted many major cases in that court.

2006

Rob was elected and served as President of the Queensland Law Society.

2007

Rob transferred to the Queensland Bar in July 2007 and has practised as a barrister throughout Qld, NSW and the ACT since that time.

NOW

Rob accepts briefs for clients who engage him via a Solicitor. He also accepts direct 'briefs to advise' from accounting firms, financial advisers and other similar professional providers.

About his career

Professional roles have included

Career

  • Chair, Consumer Law Committee, General Practice Section, The Law Council of Australia
  • Visiting Assistant Professor (Law), Bond University
  • Member of the Board of Governors, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Board Member, Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association Inc (APLA)
  • Member, Queensland Law Society Accident Compensation Committee
  • Queensland Law Society Professional Standards Committee
  • Queensland President, APLA
  • Advisory Board, Griffith University Innocence Project
  • Vice President, Queensland Law Society
  • Twice elected National President, APLA (now the Australian Lawyers Alliance)
  • Council Member, Queensland Law Society
  • Member, first Personal Injury Specialist Accreditation Committee of the Queensland Law Society
  • Director, College of Law Queensland Pty Ltd
  • Adjunct Professor, Centre for Tourism and Risk Management at the University of Queensland
  • Chair, Queensland Law Society Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
  • Member, Queensland Law Society Audit Committee
  • Director, Lexon Insurance Pty Ltd
  • President, Queensland Law Society
  • Member, Ethics Committee of the Bar Association of Queensland (current)

Authored Work & Associations

Publications, Presentations & Memberships

Work

Publications authored, books contributed towards and conference presentations made, include:

Journals

  • The Effect of The Decision of The Full Court of The Federal Court of Australia in Cooling -v- FCT (1990) 1(2) Revenue Law Journal 216.
  • The Origin of The Duty of Disclosure in Insurance Law (1991) 1 Insurance Law Journal 71.
  • Slips & Trips that Cost an Arm & a Leg (1993) 1(5) Tourism & Travel Review.
  • Litigation USA Style Jan/Feb (1994) Jan/Feb The Proctor.
  • Why Plaintiffs are The Losers in Personal Injury Negotiations (1994) April APLA Update.
  • Negotiating Personal Injury Cases: A Survey of Attitudes & Beliefs of Personal Injury Lawyers (1994) 68 Australian Law Journal 734.
  • SCUBA Diving, Andrewartha -v- Rawlings & Coolangatta Dive Pty Ltd (1994) December APLA Update.
  • Ciguatera Poisoning: How Diners Can Get Their Revenge (1995) Feb/Mar APLA Update 6.
  • The Regulation of Recreational SCUBA Diving (1995) 25(1) South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal, 10.
  • Can Obvious Dangers Constitute Defects under Part VA of the Trade Practices Act? (1995) 6(2) Australian Product Liability Reporter 17.
  • Risk Management for Scuba Diving Operators on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (2000) 21 Tourism Management 591 (with Dr. J. Wilks).
  • Negotiating Personal Injury Cases (2001) 43 Plaintiff 12.
  • Citizens' Rights Under Attack (2001) 52 Plaintiff 4.
  • Interesting Times for Plaintiff Lawyers (2001) 46 Plaintiff 4.
  • Medical Indemnity Reform & Structured Settlements (2001) 47 Plaintiff 4.
  • Premiums, Propaganda & The Push for Tort Reform (2001) 48 Plaintiff 4.
  • Media Distortions in the Public Liability Debate (2002) 50 Plaintiff 4.
  • Death of Journalism (2002) 51 Plaintiff 4.
  • The Tort Reform Crisis (2002) 25(3) University of New South Wales Law Journal 865.
  • Queensland emphasises dispute resolution for personal injury claims to resolve premium 'crisis' (2002) 5(2) ADR Bulletin 1.
  • Tort Reform & Other Weapons of Mass Distraction (2003) 147 Lawyers Weekly 10.
  • Defining Justice (2003) 57 Plaintiff 4.
  • Legal Notes: Current Tourism & Leisure Issues for Older Travellers (2003) 46(2) Australian Parks and Leisure 41 (with Dr. J. Wilks).
  • Duty of Care to Resort Guest Who Drowned (2003) International Travel Law Journal 4 (with Dr. J. Wilks).
  • International Tourists and Recreational Injuries (2003) 58 Plaintiff (with Dr. J. Wilks).
  • Pleadings Tips and Strategy (2022) 90 Hearsay Dec 2022.
  • Should I Disclose That Document? (2023) 93 Hearsay Sept 2023.
  • Barrister’s Conduct Rules and The Integrity of Evidence (2023) 93 Hearsay Sept 2023 (with John Meredith).
  • Actions for Aviation Injuries & Death (2024) 95 Hearsay March 2024.

Books

  • Kellam, Travers & Davis, Product Liability Law & Practice (Legal Books, 1996).
  • Griffin QC & Davis et al, Personal Injury Litigation Queensland (Butterworths, 1996).

Presentations

  • Product Liability, The Past, The Present & The Future, (1993) Qld Law Society Legal Symposium Materials.
  • The Legal Liability for Alcohol Intoxication Related Injuries, (1996) APLA Annual Conference Papers, October.
  • Surveys Into Issues Relating to The Safety of School Bus Travel for School Children, Paper Presented to The Injury Coalition, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, (4th August 1995).
  • Class Actions: Do They Have a Future, Paper Presented at the Australian Legal Convention, Hyatt on Collins, Melbourne, (17th September 1997).
  • School Bus Safety in Australia, Paper Presented to Accident Investigation & Reconstruction, Insurance & the Law Conference, Travel Lodge Hotel, Brisbane, October 1997.
  • Injury to International Visitors, International Visitors & Road Safety Summit, Queensland Parliament, 14th May 1999.
  • Liability of Schools for Injuries occurring Outside the School Gate, Paper presented to School Law Conference 1998, February 1998.
  • The Legal Liability of Schools & Bus Operators for School Bus Related Injury to Children, Paper Presented to APLA Annual Conference, Hamilton Island, North Queensland, (16th October 1998).
  • Strict Product Liability: How to Protect Your Company From Claims & Damages, Paper presented to Trade Practices & Competition Summit, ANA Hotel, Surfers Paradise, (17th September 1998).
  • Student Death Occurring at School or while The Child is Under The Control of School Staff: Advice to Schools & Teachers on What To Expect & How to Cope With The Legal Process, Paper Presented to School Law Conference 1999 (27th April 1999).
  • SCUBA Liability from Legal Perspective, Safer Limits 2000 Conference, Wesley Hospital Auditorium, Toowong, Qld (6 September 2000).
  • Medical Negligence Litigation from a Plaintiff Lawyer’s Perspective, 2000 Medico- Legal Society Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Main Beach (5th August 2000).
  • Causes for Public Liability Premium Increases, APLA National Conference, Coolum Hyatt Resort, October 2001.
  • Civil Litigation & How to Handle It, University of Queensland Business School Seminar on Risk Management in Marine Tourism Seminar, Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, 11 Nov 2001.
  • What do you do about Insurance for Non-profit Organisations? Panel Presentation, Queensland University of Technology Centre for Philanthropy and Non-profit Studies Conference, QUT, 14 Feb 2002.
  • Law, Compensation & Insurance Premiums, Volunteering NSE Seminar, Parliamentary Auditorium, NSW Parliament, April 2002.
  • A Plaintiff Lawyer’s Perception of Compensation for Personal Injuries, Personal Injury law & Practice Seminar, T.C. Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, 18 May 2002.
  • Public Liability Issues & Advertising Standards, Qld Law Society Personal Injuries Specialist Accreditation Conference 2002, Sheraton Mirage Main Beach Gold Coast, 31 May 2002 and 1 June 2002.
  • How will Proposed Legislative Changes in regard to Public Liability Impact Citizens?, IIR Public Liability Insurance Conference, Avillion Hotel, Sydney, 26-28 August 2002.
  • Tort Reform, Tenth APLA National Conference, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, 15- 19 Oct 2002.
  • Compensation Systems Design – The Injured Person’s Perspective, Panel Session Debate at the Australian Institute of Actuaries Biannual Conference, Adelaide Hilton, 28 Oct 2002.
  • Product Liability - Personal Injury & Death - Where the Law Stands, Asia Pacific Forum on Tropical Health Innovations, Cairns, North Queensland, 4 November 8-10 July 2004.
  • Legal Supports for Tourism, Fiji Law Society 50th Anniversary Convention, Shangri-la Fijian Resort, Sigatoka, Fiji, 27 May, 2006.
  • Litigating Across Borders: Untangling the Procedural & Substantive Mess for Clients Injured while Travelling or Working Interstate, 2013 Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference, Grand Chancellor Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania, 13 October 2007.
  • Just Where is the Clapham Omnibus Going? - A Queensland Perspective, Australian Lawyers Alliance Conference, Melbourne, August 2006.
  • The Essentials of Advocacy, Queensland Law Society Gold Coast Regional Symposium, Holiday Inn, Surfers paradise, 12 April 2008.
  • The Essentials of Advocacy, Thompson Reuters Queensland Legal Seminar, Brisbane, 2 September 2010.
  • Trial Advocacy, Thompson Reuters Brisbane CPD Conference, Marriott Hotel, Brisbane, 23 March 2012.
  • Essentials of Trial Advocacy, Queensland CPD Conference, Stamford Plaza, Brisbane, 19 March 2013.
  • Compensation for Aviation Injuries - 2017 Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference, Convention Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory, 20 October 2017.
  • Preparing Witnesses for Trial - 2019 Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference, Sheraton Port Douglas, North Qld, 24 October 2019.
  • Witness Preparation - 2020 Australian Lawyers Alliance West Australian Conference, Hyatt Regency, Perth, WA, 4 September 2020.
  • Everyday Issues of Ethics for Personal Injury Lawyers - Legalwise Qld Personal Injuries Conference, Hilton Hotel, Brisbane, 11 March 2021.
  • Wrongful Birth Damages - 2022 Australian Lawyers Alliance Qld State Conference, Star Casino, Broadbeach, Qld, 11 February 2022.
  • Wrongful Birth Damages Clarified - 2022 Australian Lawyers Alliance ACT Conference, Online Presentation Canberra, 3 March 2022.
  • Should I Discover That? - Ethics for Personal Injury Lawyers - Legalwise Qld Personal Injuries Conference, Soffitel Hotel, Brisbane, 10 March 2022.
  • Pleadings Tips and Strategy in Queensland - 2023 Legalwise Qld Personal Injuries Conference, Hilton Hotel, Brisbane, 10 March 2023.
  • Mandatory Pre-action Process Applicable to Medical Negligence Litigation in Queensland - 32nd Annual Medico-Legal Congress, Parkroyal Darling Harbour, Sydney, 14-15 March 2023.

Associations

- Bar Association of Queensland.

- Australian Bar Association.

- International Bar Association.

- Gold Coast Bar Association.

- Australian Lawyers Alliance.

find out more

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Rob's costs vary depending on the the amount of work required. Cost estimates can be supplied once a brief is received. In appropriate cases Robert is willing to work on a deferred payment or conditional basis. Further details are available upon request.

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