Bilal Rauf

Call 2014

+61 2 9223 1522
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Background

Bilal has consistently been ranked in Australian and Global legal directories, including The Legal 500 and the Doyle’s Guide in employment law, industrial law and work health and safety. Complementing these core areas, he maintains a thriving practice in anti-discrimination law and restraint of trade matters.

Since being called to the Bar in 2014, Bilal has represented many of Australia’s largest corporations, employer associations and government entities in complex cases and large-scale litigation at trial and appellate level across multiple jurisdictions throughout Australia. He appears primarily in the Federal Court of Australia, Federal Circuit and Family Law Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of NSW, and Federal and State industrial tribunals.

Some of the matters in which Bilal has appeared have contributed to the jurisprudence of the law in his areas of specialisation; a testament to the depth and breadth of his experience and technical knowledge. Bilal has established relationships with his instructing solicitors and has a strong command of his clients’ key priorities in the litigation. He also has a deep understanding of his clients’ legal drivers and commercial imperatives which enables him to craft highly effective strategies, to their advantage. Bilal is a well prepared, thorough and accomplished advocate who adopts a measured approach and possesses highly developed cross-examination skills.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Bilal was a Special Counsel at Ashurst (formerly, Blake Dawson) in its Sydney and Brisbane offices.  He also practised as a lawyer at PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal, and was Research Assistant to Emeritus Professor Ronald McCallum AO at the University of Sydney. Previous experience also includes working as a Trade Practices Inquiry Officer at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Bilal regularly delivers presentations in his fields of expertise and has presented at judges’ conferences on issues of diversity and managing cultural sensitivities in the courtroom. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from the University of Sydney.

Principal Areas Of Practice

Select Matters

HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA 

FULL COURT OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA 

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA 

SUPREME COURT OF NSW

FEDERAL CIRCUIT AND FAMILY LAW COURT OF AUSTRALIA

DISTRICT COURT 

OTHER JURISDICTIONS 

  • National Heavy Vehicle Regulator v FNW Industries Pty Ltd (charges in Local Court of NSW commenced 2023) – Pending proceedings involving alleged contraventions under Heavy Vehicle National law (NSW).
  • Inspector Stephen Orr v Boral Resources (NSW) Pty Ltd (Case Number 2020/153099 and others in Local Court of NSW) (Led by Bruce Hodgkinson SC) – Prosecution under work health and safety laws relating to exposure of employees to substances exceeding the standard in the Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants.
  • Selamawit Mulholland v State of Queensland and Wavelength International Pty Ltd (QIRC Matter No: AD/2020/33) (Unled; instructed by Wotton Kearney) – Discrimination claims (matter settled).
  • Hardwick v Qantas Ground Services Pty Ltd 2016 WAIRC 00713 (Unled; instructed by Ashurst Australia) – Decision by Western Australian Industrial Magistrates Court about whether a higher duty allowance is payable to a cargo driver who works without direct supervision.
  • FAIR WORK COMMISSION AND TRIBUNALS (INCLUDING FULL BENCH DECISIONS)

Full Bench 

Single Member 

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NSW 

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