A Leader’s Journey in Law
Perspectives from a leader in legal services.
The Hon Michael Bryan Joshua Lee
HCA is delighted to invite you to our Professional Leader’s journey event series, which features leaders from professional and business domains sharing their personal stories and offering insights on leadership's role in their careers. This event focuses on Legal Services.
We are delighted to have Justice Michael Lee, Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, share his journey as a prominent leader in legal. Justice Lee will offer insights into his professional journey from lawyer to judge and the challenges and lessons discovered in leading with purpose & vision while serving the community.
Ken Anand, PL Professional Journeys, facilitates the event. The discussion will be moderated by David Pumphrey, OAM Vice-President for Members and Former President of Harvard Club of Australia. Please join us for an exciting event to hear and learn from a highly acclaimed leader in Legal Services, plus a networking opportunity with fellow members over drinks and canapés.
Venue: Perpetual Group, Angel Place,123 Pitt Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Date: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Cost: $85 per person, including drinks and hors d'oeuvres
Dress code: Smart casual
BIO: Justice Michael Bryan Joshua Lee
Justice Michael Lee was born in Perth but was raised in Sydney. After graduating in arts (Political Science) and later in law from the University of Sydney, he commenced work as a solicitor in 1989 with a firm that later became Corrs Chambers Westgarth, one of Australia's largest national partnerships. He was made a senior associate of the firm in 1992 and was appointed its youngest partner in 1995. He eventually became a senior litigation partner and national practice group leader before coming to the New South Wales Bar in 2002.
Justice Lee developed a nationwide and eclectic practice and acted in a very broad range of superior court matters at both first instance and on appeal. He took silk, after nine years, in 2011. Both before and after taking silk, he acted primarily in civil proceedings but also in criminal matters.
While at the Bar, Justice Lee was involved in several high-profile cases ranging from building and construction disputes, insurance cases and employment law and workplace safety prosecutions; additionally, he was briefed as leading counsel in a number of the most significant commercial actions in Australia. In this role, he was at the forefront of all of the developments with regard to class actions in recent years. He has been a regular presenter at seminars involving issues relating to class actions and litigation funding.
While at the Bar, Justice Lee appeared primarily in Sydney and Melbourne but also conducted cases in every superior State and Territory Court throughout the Commonwealth. He was also actively involved in a number of legally aided matters, pro bono and public interest cases.
Justice Lee was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia in 2017 and is also an Additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. His Honour deals with matters at both first instance and on appeal. He is also a National Coordinating Judge in the Federal Court’s Commercial and Corporations National Practice Area and of the Court’s defamation work.
Justice Lee is the section editor for the Australian Law Journal section on class actions and is a Fellow of the University of Melbourne. Justice Lee has also been long involved in the arts and was a director of the Bell Shakespeare Company.