Michael O'Haire

Profile

Michael is a commercial barrister with a broad civil and administrative law practice. He is recognised in Doyle's "Best Barristers" guide as a Leading Administrative & Public Law Junior Counsel in Victoria. 

Michael appears in a range of commercial and administrative matters, including class actions, regulatory enforcement proceedings, ACL matters, oppression proceedings, contractual and equitable disputes. He welcomes cases involving data, spreadsheets, and models. He has appeared both led and unled in the Federal, Supreme, County and Magistrates' Courts and VCAT. A selection of cases in which Michael has appeared is set out below.

Before coming to the bar, Michael was a Counsel in the Dispute Resolution team at Ashurst. During his 10 years at Ashurst, he acted for large financial institutions, energy and resources companies and State and Federal government entities, specialising in complex commercial and administrative disputes. 

Michael holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance and Economics, from the University of Melbourne.  

Michael read with Kane Loxley. His senior mentor is Dr Michael Rush KC.

Commercial law and class actions

Batey-Smith v Vasco Trustees Limited - class action - Federal Court of Australia - led by Kane Loxley

• [2022] FCA 1203 - settlement approval application

Blain & Anor v Blain Dairying Pty Ltd atf The Blain Trading Trust & Anor - joint venture dispute - County Court of Australia - unled

• [2025] VCC 451 - judgment (following 20 day trial)

Neptune Investments & Ors v South Pacific Laundry Group Pty Ltd & Ors - contract and ACL claim - Supreme Court of Victoria - led by Elizabeth Bennett SC - settled

McAtamney v ANZ Banking Group Limited - superannuation - County Court and Court of Appeal - unled

• [2024] VSCA 8 - application for leave to appeal

Greenshift Energy Pty Ltd & Anor v ANZ Banking Group Limited - injunction application - VCAT - unled

• [2025] VCAT 130 - costs 

McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd v Maher & Quinlan - contractual dispute, injunction - Supreme Court of Victoria - led by Chris Archibald KC - settled

A&S Powerseller Pty Ltd v Kovacic - bankruptcy - unled

• [2022] VSC 77 - application for judicial review
• [2022] FCA 1203 - adjournment application

Public and administrative law

ASIC v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Pty Ltd - ASIC enforcement proceedings - Federal Court - led by Dr Matt Collins KC, with Tim Jeffrie

• [2022] FCA 1251 - penalty hearing

VVR v Trustee for Ironfish Property Melbourne Unit Trust - discrimination claim under the *Equal Opportunity Act 2010* (Vic) - VCAT and Supreme Court of Victoria - unled

• [2024] VCAT 222 - judgment
• [2025] VSC 64 - appeal

Equity

Westpac Banking Corp v Forum Finance Pty Ltd (in liq) & Ors - fraud - Federal Court of Austrlaia

• [2022] FCA 171 - injunction application, led by Paul Hayes KC
• [2022] FCA 981 - apprehended bias application, led by Lachlan Armstrong KC
• [2022] FCA 1206 - application to vary freezing order, led by Anthony McInerny SC