Paul Venus

Expertise

Paul is a Partner in the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Litigation group and has more than 20 years’ experience in complex litigation and providing commercial law advice. 

He specialises in intellectual property, information technology law, commercial law, privacy law, franchising and competition and consumer law issues. Paul is a recognised industry expert in relation to intellectual property law; and technology, media and telecommunications law in the 2017 edition of Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession.

Paul is known as a trusted advisor to his clients. His approach to disputes is to be a tough but principled negotiator and he adopts a highly commercial approach in his advisory role in non-litigious matters.

He represents ASX listed companies, multinational chemical and technology companies, government agencies, private companies and high net wealth individuals.

Paul is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation and highly experienced mediator.

Paul is also the Managing Partner of Queensland Holding Redlich.

Experience

Paul’s significant litigation experience consists of the following:

• ACCC investigations and litigation — defending individuals and corporations in ACCC investigations relating to competition issues, advertising, and consumer protection issues including responding to s155 notices
• ASIC litigation and investigations — representing directors subject to ASIC investigations and hearings, including hearings to disqualify directors
• Contract disputes and litigation — acting for clients in contractual disputes 
• Defamation litigation — acting for clients in defamation proceedings, including were the defamatory imputations have been published on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites
• Franchising litigation and mediation — acting for franchisors in franchising disputes with franchisees including defending allegations of misleading conduct against franchisors, assisting with communications with the ACCC
• Insolvency litigation — representing corporations and liquidators in litigation involving uncommercial transaction claims, preference claims, debt recoveries, as well as in bankruptcy-related investigations and litigation
• Intellectual property litigation — representing multinational and Australian corporations and individual inventors in patent infringement litigation and trade mark litigation, advising clients on all aspects of brand protection, acting in claims regarding breach of confidential information
• Misleading conduct litigation — cases involving claims for misleading conduct generally
• Negligence litigation — claims for professional negligence by clients against their former advisers
• Product liability litigation — acting for companies in trade practices and product liability cases, and suing companies on behalf of corporate clients in manufacturing disputes
• Shareholder disputes and litigation — acting for shareholders is disputes with other shareholders including shareholder oppression actions.

Paul also has significant commercial law experience including: