T. +61 3 8600 1717
M. +61 418 375 566
rivette@chancery.com.au
Level 25, 200 Queen Street, Melbourne
Clerk: List Y
Young’s List
T.9225 6367
Michael has a diversified commercial practice, which includes general commercial law, intellectual property and trade practices, trade secrets, privacy, confidential information, media, data protection, cyber law and cyber security.
He has particular knowledge and experience in advising and representing enterprises that engage in, and incorporate new technologies in their business operations or models, including organisations engaged in software development, telecommunications, data storage, e-commerce, internet services, information enterprises and digital new media.
Michael is at the forefront in the developing areas of privacy law, breach of confidence and data protection, having successfully argued the privacy issues in the landmark decision of Giller v Procopets (2008) 24 VR 1, (2008) 79 IPR 489. He acted as Counsel in the first privacy class action issued in the Federal Court of Australia, and regularly advises corporations and government departments and agencies on privacy compliance, risk and liability issues.
He has acted as Counsel for ASX and NYSE Listed corporations, Commonwealth Government departments, Hollywood actors, celebrities, corporations and individuals in relation to general commercial, privacy, data security and data breach issues.
Michael is the co-author of the Australian sections of the UK text Tugendhat and Christie The Law of Privacy and the Media, published by Oxford University Press, and Remedies for Breach of Privacy published by Hart Publication UK. He has also written on the area of privacy in a number of publications, including the Media and Arts Law Review and sits on the advisory board of the Centre for Media and Communications Law. He is also an Editorial Board Member of both the Privacy Law Bulletin (LexisNexis) and the Media, Technology and Communications Law Bulletin (LexisNexis). He has also been a speaker at the annual conference of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAAPANZ).
He has also written on Intellectual Property and related fields of passing off, misleading and deceptive conduct and competition law, for the Intellectual Property Forum, and has been a speaker at an Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) annual conference.
Michael is a regular guest lecturer in privacy and data protection law in the under-graduate and post-graduate teaching programs at the Melbourne University Law School, and presents at seminars to legal professionals throughout Australia on privacy, breach of confidence and related causes, data protection, media law and intellectual property.
Michael is listed in Best Lawyers 2019 in the field of Privacy and Data Protection and Best Lawyers 2020 as Lawyer of the Year for Privacy and Data Security Law. He is also listed in Doyles Guide as a leading Intellectual Property Barrister 2018 and recommended in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications barrister rankings for Victoria, 2019.
| Admitted: | 1 June 1981 |
| Signed Bar Roll: | 20 May 1982 |
| Nationally Accredited Mediator: | 20 December 2002 |
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation