Gavin’s practice focuses on the specialist area of statutory recovery for workers' compensation claims brought pursuant to the Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) and Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic). He has acted for WorkSafe Victoria and its authorised insurers since 2003.
Gavin offers responsive, straightforward and practical advice to his clients and he believes in a no-nonsense approach in all types of dispute resolution. He is an expert negotiator and maintains excellent relationships with his clients and opponents.
Gavin is a preeminent Workers Compensation (Defendant) lawyer in Victoria in Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession. Gavin sees the opportunity to recover lost revenue for self-insurers in the often under-utilised area of statutory recovery legislation. He has been instrumental in the development and design of the Hall & Wilcox recovery application for self-insurers to assist with identifying potential claims and lost revenue for clients. This innovation was recognised as a finalist at the 2016 Australasian Legal Practice Management Association/LexisNexis Legal Thought Leadership Awards.
Experience
- Assisted a client in a record recovery settlement at mediation of several million dollars, including a future indemnity for the client of over $2 million. This matter involved multiple third party defendants, cross jurisdictional issues and complex calculations as the injured party had an entitlement to ongoing care for the rest of his life following a severe workplace injury.
- Assisted a self-insurer with a successful recovery of 100% of compensation payments to date plus an additional contribution towards the recently completed common law settlement. This matter involved a repairer’s improper maintenance of a machine which malfunctioned and would have required expert opinion and been difficult for negligence to be established. The repairer was in liquidation and no longer in business. When the repairer’s public liability insurer was located, the matter was quickly settled informally with the insurer before any proceedings were issued and expenses incurred.
- Experienced at providing simple training to self-insured clients in the complex and often misunderstood area of statutory recovery rights.
Awards and Recognition
Best Lawyers in Australia 2025
Insurance Law
Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2020-2023
Leading Workers Compensation Lawyers – Defendant (Victoria)