Stephen Free SC

Practice Areas

Stephen Free SC practises nationally, undertaking trial and appellate work in a range of areas in State and Federal Courts. He specialises in public and commercial law matters, including class actions, competition, civil penalty, planning and regulatory matters.

Stephen has appeared in a number of significant class action matters, including for Westpac in the High Court matter of BMW v Brewster; Westpac v Lenthall, concerning the validity of common fund orders. He appeared for the successful applicants in the Live Cattle class action (Brett Cattle Company v Minister for Agriculture), for the Commonwealth in the class actions concerning PFAS contamination at Airforce Bases, for Volkswagen in the Takata Airbag class action and for the claimant class in the defective product claim of Williams v Toyota.

In the competition law sphere Stephen appeared for NSW in ACCC v NSW Ports and appears for Apple in ongoing proceedings brought by Epic Games. Significant environmental and planning matters include appearing for the Bylong Valley Protection Alliance in Kepco Bylong v BVPA, for the successful appellant in the Court of Appeal in Ku-Ring-Gai Council v Buyoza and for the Commonwealth in Minister for the Environment v Sharma.

Other notable past matters include acting for former ICAC Commissioner the Honourable David Ipp in proceedings brought by Eddie Obeid and others, for the Commonwealth in the High Court in Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission and Williams v Commonwealth, for the Attorney General in judicial review proceedings arising from the Folbigg Inquiry, for Gai Waterhouse in racing tribunal proceedings, for David Hicks in proceeds of crime proceedings, for CITIC in various proceedings against Mineralogy and Clive Palmer and for a number of judicial officers in proceedings in the Judicial Commission of NSW.

Stephen has appeared in various Royal Commissions, Commissions of Inquiry and coronial inquests, including as Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He appeared for the Commonwealth in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and in the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

Specific practice areas include:

Administrative law

Appellate

Commercial & corporate law

Commissions of Inquiry

Constitutional law

Coronial inquiries and tribunals

Sports law

Environment and planning law

Trade practices, competition & regulatory law