Tom Birchall

tbirchall@hzc.com.au

Qualifications: LLB, GDLP

Memberships: SA Bar Association, Law Society of South Australia

Tom was admitted to practise in December 1985.

After 15 months as a Judge’s Associate to the Honourable Robin Millhouse QC, Tom has spent the last 32 years as an advocate.

After five years as an Assistant Crown Prosecutor, where he had the sole conduct of many jury trials in both the District and Supreme Courts of South Australia, Tom, from 1993, (and continuously for the last 26 years), has practised as a barrister.

In his early years at the Bar, Tom accepted many briefs predominantly in criminal law. During this time, Tom accepted briefs from both the State and the Commonwealth DPP as well as often appearing as defence counsel in many jury trials in both the District and Supreme Courts of South Australia. Tom also accepted briefs in the areas of workers compensation and defamation. He also appeared as counsel in various civil and commercial litigation.

From 2001, whilst Tom continued to conduct jury trials, he also began to accept briefs in defacto relationship property settlement matters. For 15 years, he practised predominantly in this area of family law.

Since 2016, Tom has practised as an advocate predominantly in the area of workers compensation and has had the sole conduct of many trials in the South Australian Employment Tribunal.

Tom was a committee member of the SA Bar Association from 1995 until 2003.

He has also delivered a number of CPD papers on various topics for the Law Society since 2003.

He was the player advocate for the Norwood Football Club for five years and also sat as a Commissioner for the SA Cricket Association to adjudicate upon breaches of the bylaws from 2003 until 2014.

He is a 30-year member of the Law Society of South Australia. He has also been a member of the SA Bar Association for 26 years, having signed the Bar Roll in February 1993. He is also a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Family Law Section.

As a result of his short stint as the wicket keeper for the SA Sheffield Shield team, he is also a member of the Australian Cricketers Association.

Tom joined Howard Zelling Chambers in 2016.