Welcome

Four St James is a dynamic set of barristers' chambers in Phillip Street, Sydney, comprising 10 permanent members (two silks and eight juniors) as well as readers and associate members.

Members of chambers provide independent advocacy and advice of the highest standard. They practise in the High Court of Australia (Australia’s highest appellate court), the Federal Court, the Courts of Appeal and Supreme Courts, District Courts and various tribunals throughout Australia. Some members have international practices and accept briefs in the UK, South Africa, PNG and Fiji.

Chambers offers a diverse range of skills and experience. In addition to general commercial litigation, areas of significant expertise include:

Administrative law
Applications under the Family Provision Act
Construction Law
Corporations Law
Criminal Law
Defamation
Equity
Franchising Law
General Commercial Law
Insolvency
Intellectual property (patents, trade marks, copyright and designs as well as confidential information, passing off and contravention of section 52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth))
Trade Practices
Real Property
Wills and Probate

For a description of members' specialisms go to the Areas of Practice page.

A service provided by members is the publication of a monthly newsletter called LOCUTUS which reports on the latest developments in the law relating to intellectual property and franchising law. Members intend to publish additional issues of LOCUTUS dealing with other areas of the law.

Breaking news in members' main areas of specialisation, including up-to-date reports on important judgments and new legislation is posted regularly on this website.

In addition, members provide assistance to solicitors through the medium of seminars on the developments taking place in a variety of areas of the law.

The Clerk of Chambers is available to provide advice about the areas of practice of individual barristers, as to their availability for conferences and appearances in Court and as to their fees.