Areas of Practice

Administrative Law

Appellate

Banking & Finance

Commercial

Competition & Consumer Law

Corporations

Equity & Trusts

Franchising

Insolvency including Cross-Border Insolvency

Insurance

International Trade

Partnership

Professional Liability

Real Property

Wills & Estates

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws, University of Sydney

Bachelor of Arts (with honours), University of New England

Master of Business Administration, Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM)

Languages – Spanish (Intermediate - B2), French (Intermediate - B2)

About

Senior Counsel - 2020 First admitted to the NSW Bar - 1992 First admitted as a NSW solicitor - 1986

Tim Castle is an experienced senior counsel at the NSW Bar, with a broad commercial practice as a trial and appeal advocate. He is also admitted to the New York State Bar, is a Fellow of INSOL, a member of ARITA, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a former Chair of the Australian Bar Association’s International Committee. Tim has also worked as one of the Senior Executives at ASIC leading Financial Services Deterrence teams.

With an Economics degree majoring in Accounting, and a MBA (Exec) from AGSM, Tim’s experience spans a wide range of large and complex commercial cases, specifically in financial services, corporations, insolvency, competition law, franchising, and insurance disputes. Major cases include appearing as senior counsel for the Mercedes-Benz dealers in the Federal Court, and as junior counsel for Telstra in the C7 litigation, for Hungry Jack’s in the Burger King dispute and for News Limited in the Superleague litigation.

Background

Tim was appointed as Senior Counsel for NSW in 2020. He has been a member of 6 St James Hall Chambers in Sydney since 2015, where he leads the Insolvency Practice Group. Since 2018, Tim has also been an Interstate member of Francis Burt Chambers in Perth. He was previously a member of Seven Wentworth Chambers from 1992-2007, and Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers from 2013-2015.

He was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1986, starting work in Insolvency and Banking litigation at Stephen Jaques Stone James (now King & Wood Mallesons). Tim was seconded to work for the first Chair of ASIC, Tony Hartnell, in 1990, before joining the Bar in 1992. During the period 2008-2013, Tim returned to practice as a solicitor in a range of different roles including as General Counsel at Competitive Foods Australia Pty Ltd (the owner of Hungry Jack’s), at ASIC and as a partner at Atanaskovic Hartnell.

In 2013, Tim established in Australia, the first UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee. He has spoken at a number of UNCITRAL and other international conferences on CISG and cross-border insolvency, and has represented LAWASIA at UNCITRAL Working Group 1 in relation to a simplified company law for micro-, small- and medium- enterprises.

Tim also has a keen interest in legal history, having graduated with first class Honours in Australian History and a University Medal from University of New England in 2007. He has been a member of the Council of Law Reporting for New South Wales, and was the joint editor with Professor Bruce Kercher of Dowling’s Select Cases 1828-1844, one of the earliest sets of law reports for New South Wales.

Appointments

Fellow INSOL (first in class 2021/22)

Fellow Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Australian Chapter Co-Chair, New York State Bar Association’s International Section.

Former Chair, UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee for Australia.

Former Chair, Australian Bar Association’s International Committee

Member of the New York State Bar - 2022

Languages – Spanish (Intermediate - B2), French (Intermediate - B2)