Ben is a Director of Clifford Gouldson Lawyers, and a well-known and trusted advisor to many Toowoomba, Queensland and national businesses over his more than two decades in the legal industry.
With a breadth of experience across multiple practice areas, Ben’s expertise is unrivaled. Whether in workplace law, corporate advisory, export advisory, intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution, construction law or tax, structures and estate planning, Ben’s capacity to see the big picture and guide clients to simple solutions for complex legal problems makes him a highly sought after legal practitioner.
Holding degrees in Commerce (Majoring in Accounting) and Law (with Honours), Ben brings a unique combination of skill sets to his practice.
Ben enjoys working closely with clients and delivering advice from the client’s perspective, in a way which ensures implementation of advice is possible. Ben acts as a sounding board for clients and other legal practitioners within CGLaw, drawing on his broad experience for the benefit of our clients.
Ben has been involved in significant litigation and high level legal work for clients over his legal career, including:
- Helping our client secure the first Anti-Anti Suit Injunction in Australia’s history involving an overseas software development agreement, where private international law became a key feature of the litigation. It unfolded as the developer failed to hit key milestones in software development.
- Securing a successful adjudication outcome for our client involving millions of dollars against listed company Transfield Services Australia Pty Ltd who were represented by Baker Mackenzie, one of the largest law firms in the world.
- Forcing a French Government owned Australian Corporation to remove 3000 plus 20-meter long and 2.5-meter wide aluminium framed glass mirrors abandoned on our client’s farming land after the company pulled out of a failed solar boost project in Queensland.
- Securing compensation Orders against the French Government owned Australian Corporation for the loss caused to our client after they abandoned the goods on our client’s land, following a six-day trial, up against Norton Rose Fulbright, one of the largest law firms in Australia.
- Recovering millions of dollars in compensation from Clarke Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd after the Court found the Clarke Energy Project Manager engaged in what appeared to be sharp practice, dealing with our client’s civil construction work on a project in Mt Isa, Queensland.
- Being instrumental in a decision by the Queensland Government to broaden the application of the Subcontractors Charges Act 1974 (Qld) so that work performed off site could be the subject of a claim of charge when principal contractors become insolvent in Queensland.
- Succeeding in dispute representation work for our clients against many of Australia’s largest law firms acting for opponents like AGL Limited, Powerlink, Certain Underwriters at Lloyds of London, Frankipile Australia Pty Ltd, Moody Civil & Pipe Pty Ltd, Sensis Pty Ltd, Onesteel Trading Pty Ltd, Roberts & Schaefer Australia Pty Ltd, Golding Contractors Pty Ltd, Coates Hire Pty Ltd, Masters Home Improvement Pty Ltd, McDonnell Dowell, Wanless Waste, Telstra Limited, Jet Care Pty Ltd, Laing O’Rourke Australia Pty Ltd, QGC, Toll Holdings Pty Ltd, BP Australia Limited, Ruralco Limited, Elders Rural Services Australia Ltd, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, to name a few.
- Succeeding in a trademark dispute against Masters Home Improvement Australia Pty Ltd so as to secure our clients trade marks and trading paraphernalia.
- Acting for a national Franchisor across a range of matters throughout Australia.
- Representing the University sector in advising in changes to risk frameworks, research projects, student misconduct / complaint matters, intellectual property, research and material transfer matters.
- Advising Regional Councils throughout Queensland on a range of matters, including intellectual property, risk assessment and decision making, and litigation and dispute resolution.
- Managing portfolios of intellectual property for our clients, including advising on their undertaking of commercialisation activities throughout Australia and worldwide.
A local boy, born and raised in Toowoomba, Ben has a passion for giving to others and the community. He volunteers on many local committees and boards, including currently being a Board Member for Toowoomba Mountaineers Limited, the founding Secretary of Study Toowoomba Inc, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Empire Theatres Foundation.
In addition to his board roles, Ben also volunteers as a mentor for the State Government’s Mentoring for Growth Program, as a mentor with the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce’s Future Leaders Mentoring Program, and judges the Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards each year.
Ben has served in executive capacities on the Saints Basketball Club, Toowoomba Basketball Association, Chiselhurst Kindergarten, Toowoomba Anglican School P&F, Fairholme College P&F, Darling Downs District Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee, University of Southern Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee, USQ Student Guild, Institute of Managers & Leaders Local Chapter Committee, and the Housing Industry Association Toowoomba Branch.
Outside of work, Ben loves spending time with his wife Dana and three daughters Izzy, Georgie and Anna-Lina, as well as coaching his daughters’ netball, basketball or debating teams. With family on his wife’s side in Germany, Ben loves a good Oktoberfest beer and pretzel and loves a Black Forest Cherry Cake, as does the family Golden Retriever Schnuckle.