Elizabeth Main

Liz Main has broad experience in common law and commercial law.

Liz has particular expertise in defamation, media and privacy law. She is at the forefront of concerns notice requirements and the serious harm element of the tort of defamation. Before being called to the Bar, she was the Senior Associate to the Judge in Charge of the Defamation List of the County Court of Victoria, her Honour Judge Clayton. She was previously journalist at The Australian Financial Review newspaper.

Liz acts for plaintiffs and defendants, including business owners and media organisations. She is a contributor to the defamation chapter of Fitzroy Legal Service’s Law Handbook, to be published in October 2025. Liz is familiar with the new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy as well as the common law tort for invasion of privacy. 

She previously worked as a judge’s associate to Judge Clayton, Judge Marks and Judge Trapnell across the common law and commercial divisions of the County Court.

She has appeared both led and unled in the Supreme Court, and unled in the County Court, Magistrates' Court and VCAT.

She also worked for Slater and Gordon Lawyers where she garnered experience with shareholder and bushfire class actions.

Liz is a member of the Victorian Bar News Editorial Committee. She has previously served as chairperson of Victorian Women Lawyers’ Publications Committee. 

She holds Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Melbourne. 

Liz read with Sandip Mukerjea. Her senior mentor is Georgina Schoff KC. 

Recent notable cases include:
- Reiter v News Corp Australia Pty Ltd & Anor[2025] VSC 54 (proceeding summarily dismissed due to invalid concerns notice, unled)
- Laing v Bibby [2025] VCC 152 (100% of client's costs of and incidental to entire proceeding obtained for defendant in a fixed sum, unled)
- Ellis v Google LLC S ECI 2024 03415 (led by Georgina Schoff KC)

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