Olivia Callahan

Olivia has practiced extensively and is experienced in areas pertaining to commercial, regulatory, criminal, common law and serious injury matters and regularly appears in all Victorian jurisdictions.  

Olivia possesses specialist skills and has forged a practice in irrigation, public and private rights to water, catchment management, flood mitigation and duties of public authorities in context of the Water Act 1989 (Vic), the Water Act 2007 (Cth), Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) and the Murray Darling Basin Plan. Olivia also practices in matters concerning renewable energy technologies including declared offshore wind zones, wind farms, environmental management and protection.

Prior to admission in Australia, Olivia was a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Vietnam advising on commercial matters including shareholder agreements, foreign investment joint ventures, wind farms, property and construction, commercial leases and import/export across the legal jurisdictions of Vietnam, Hong Kong, the UK and Singapore.

From 2017, Olivia was a criminal defence advocate appearing regularly in the Magistrates’ and County Courts and instructing serious indictable matters before being called to the Bar in 2021.

Supreme Court Trials and Interlocutory Applications
Tratnik v Baer & Ors [2024] (Unled, instructed by Frank Giummarra Solicitor) Unreported; Urgent interlocutory application, appeared on behalf of the second defendant – property dispute – equity & trusts - dismissal for want of prosecution - failure to obey order – delay.

Morris v Victorian Farmers Federation [2022] VSC 407 (led by Peter King, instructed by HWL Ebsworth Lawyers) –Associations and Clubs - Expulsion, suspension, and disqualification –Denial of natural justice.

Barr Corporation Pty Ltd v Justin Roff and Ors [2021] (led by Tim North KC and David R J O’Brien, instructed by McDonald Slater & Lay) Common Law Major Torts List - trespass to land - environmental waste - EPA - breach of commercial lease - negligence.

Supreme Court Appeals 
Beklenoglu v Sunrise Cleaning Services Pty Ltd [2023] VSC 650 (led by Campbell Hangay, instructed by Zaparas Lawyers) Appeal from a decision of the Magistrates' Court to the Supreme Court on a question of law against finding of no compensable injury. 

John Barr Investments Pty Ltd v Mordialloc Sporting Club Inc [2022] VSC 100 (led by Tim North KC and David R J O’Brien, instructed by McDonald Slater & Lay) Appeal to the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal – s148 appeal – VCAT proceedings and discovery – property dispute - Retail Leases Act.

Federal Court   
Hera Project Pty Ltd v Woolworths Ltd [2021] Unreported (unled, instructed by William Murray Solicitors) Corporations Act - property dispute – commercial lease - application for strike out.

County Court 
Stephen English v Goulburn Murray Rural Water Corporation [2021 – 2024] (led by Claire Harris SC, later led by David Hallowes SC, also appeared unled) Declared water systems – water rights pursuant to the Water Act 1989 – water shares and water use licences – section 51 take and use licences.

Caridi v State of Victoria [2023] VCC 1708 (led by Tim Tobin SC, also appeared unled in an interlocutory application, instructed by Arnold Dallas McPherson) Police tort – serious injury – application for strike out and summary judgement – leave to amend proposed statement of claim.

Robert Dunn v Soltesz & Ors [2022] Unreported (unled, instructed by Barwon South West Lawyers) application to appeal conviction and sentence out of time for serious historical offending - Denial of procedural fairness in context of First Nations applicant with intellectual disability - Consideration of issues as per DPP v Archer [