Francis Burt Chambers is pleased to welcome Gavan Cruise, Dr Michael Douglas and Thomas Ford who have all joined Chambers during February.
Gavan has broad experience in litigation and commercial arbitration. He advises clients on a wide range of commercial disputes involving contracts, shareholders, directors, trusts, leases, and property, with a focus on construction, intellectual property, and regulatory proceedings. He has acted on matters and appeared as counsel in a number of courts and tribunals.
Before commencing practice as a solicitor Gavan worked as an Associate in the Supreme Court of Western Australia to the Honourable Justice Tottle. Prior to joining the bar, Gavan was a Senior Associate at Bennett Litigation and Commercial Law.
Dr Michael Douglas is a barrister with specialist expertise in defamation, media law, torts, and the conflict of laws.
He accepts briefs in all areas of law but welcomes briefs involving conflict of laws problems.
Prior to joining the bar, Michael was a Consultant at Bennett, where he regularly drafted submissions for superior courts and worked on several high-profile matters. Michael advises on complex legal questions, drawing on his background as a legal academic.
Thomas was admitted to practice in 2012 and specialises in State and Federal criminal law. He regularly appears as counsel in trials, sentencing hearings, bail applications and other interlocutory hearings throughout Western Australia.
Prior to practising in criminal law, Thomas had a mixed civil practice in areas including litigation, commercial disputes and advice, and bankruptcy. From 2016, Thomas was a Federal Prosecutor at the Perth branch of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. As a Federal Prosecutor, Thomas managed a diverse range of prosecutions which involved organized crime, taxation, fraud, border protection and regulatory offences.
Between 2019 and 2024, Thomas continued prosecuting a wide range of indictable criminal matters as a State Prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (WA).
Thomas accepts both defence and prosecution briefs in criminal and regulatory matters.
Please join us in giving our newest members a warm welcome.
