Jason Ward

Specialising in contract and commercial litigation, employment law and insolvency, Jason has a broad practice appearing in the superior courts of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA and WA and has acted internationally with ongoing appearances in the Solomon Islands. Beyond Australian and English law principles, he also has a practical knowledge of international contractual conflicts and private international law issues arising through multi-jurisdiction transactions and a working knowledge of Chinese Law.

Jason has acted and appeared in: complex commercial and partnership disputes, tax law test cases at first instance and on appeal, applications for the appointment of statutory trustees, business name registration and related tribunal appeals; mining matters; business and corporate affairs (including both derivative and oppression actions); director and officer conduct liability issues including circumstances of statutory, contractual and equitable breaches corporate insolvency (including statutory demands and wind up proceedings); asset seizure and freezing orders as well as other interlocutory and injunctive proceedings.

Jason also has an interest in sport and sports law having served as the legal counsel of the Australian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) and Queensland Weightlifting Association (QWA) and has acted on a number of occasions for Intrust Super Cup players at the Queensland Rugby League tribunal.  He was a member of the Greater Brisbane Junior Rugby League (GBJRL) judiciary for many years and currently sits on the Brisbane Junior Rugby Union (BJRU) judiciary. He also coaches both rugby union and weightlifting.

Before coming to the law, Jason served in the Australian Army.  He is a graduate of the Royal Military College – Duntroon where he later returned as an instructor and served as an infantry officer on operations as a Captain in Bosnia Herzegovina and as a Major in Timor Leste before retiring in 2004.

He is the current managing director of 35 West Chambers and has been a member of the Queensland Bar Association General Litigation (Practice & Procedure/Insurance Law/Personal Injuries) Committee since 2014.  He has previously presented and taught on issues of evidence on the Bar Course and is a co-author of the book Civil Procedure in the Solomon Islands available through Lexis Nexis Australia (2020).

• LLM – Queensland University of Technology
• G’Dip Legal Practice – Queensland University of Technology
• G’Dip of Resource Management – Department of Defence
• Bachelor of Laws – Queensland University of Technology
• Bachelor of Professional Studies – University of New England

Jason was admitted as a solicitor in Queensland and the High Court in 2007 and after working in mid-tier solicitor firms in Brisbane was called to the Bar in 2009.  Jason was a foundation member of 35 West Chambers.

• Member, Bar Association of Australia

Reported and International

Austree Enterprise Pty Ltd & Ors v Shiyao Guo & Ors 322 of 2012 [2017] HC of Solomon Islands

South East Civil & Drainage Contractors Pty Ltd v AMGW Pty Ltd [2013] 2 Qd R 189

Allen (Trustee), Re; Allen’s Asphalt Staff Superannuation Fund v Commissioner of Taxation (2011) 195 FCR 416

Commissioner of Taxation v Trail Bros Steel & Plastics Pty Ltd (2010) 186 FCR 410

Recent or Significant

Three Two Three Pty Ltd v Cattanach [2022] QSC 002 (shareholder dispute)

Coggan v Mt Cotton Child care Centre Pty Limited [2021] FCA 1595 (Resisting the appointment of receivers)

Commissioner of Taxation v Douglas [2020] FCAFC 220 (Military Superannuation (DFRDB))

Douglas and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation) [2020] AATA 494 (13 March 2020) (Military Superannuation (DFRDB))

Nalini Asher Enterprises Pty Ltd v H and M Tracey Construction Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 2161 (Rule 7.23 pre-proceeding disclosure)

Pacific Crown Helicopters Pty Ltd v Helistar Aviation Pty Ltd [2019] QDC 278 (Contract construction, bailment, and penalties)

Alzheimer’s Association of Queensland Inc and ASIC, Re [2018] AATA 2403 (Business name registration)

Vassallo v Easitag Pty Ltd (C2017/6484) [2018] FWCFB 501 (Principles for constructing award)

Campbell v Superannuation Complaints Tribunal [2017] FCA 1509 (Military superannuation in Family Court proceedings)

Anythings Possible Transport Pty Ltd v Redox Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 1601 (Injunction principles)

Simon v Simon [2013] FCCA 432 (Trustees in bankruptcy in Family Court proceedings)