Robert’s background has included practice as a solicitor with Gillotts Solicitors (now Minter Ellison, Solicitors), Associate to Sir Reginald Smithers Senior Judge of the Federal Court, Convenor of Law and Economics at Trinity College and tutor in Constitutional Law at Monash University.

His practice at the Bar has been in general commercial and administrative law intellectual property law, trade secrets law and planning law and he is a mediator and arbitrator qualified from Bond University and Adelaide University in mediation and arbitration and is a member of IAMA.

He is regularly asked to provide seminars on the protection of trade secrets and the obligations of ex-employees.

He is the author of “The Law of Trade Secrets” (1992 LBC) and the second edition of that work “The Law of Trade Secrets and Personal Secrets” (2002 LBC) and “Employers, Ex-Employees and Trade Secrets” (2006 LBC).  He has written many articles on company law, intellectual property, trade practices etc in journals such as the ALJ, LIG, Int. Prop. Forum  such as “A Right to Privacy?” ALJ (2004) 7 ALJ 101.

He has served as Parliamentary Secretary Justice, was appointed Attorney General in 1999 before the Kennett Government fell after which he served as Shadow Attorney General, Shadow Treasurer, and Shadow for Consumer Affairs and Aboriginal Affairs.