William Isdale

Areas of Practice

Administrative and Public Law
Commercial (including Corporations and Contract)
Defamation
Employment / Industrial Relations
Environment and Planning
Equity and Trusts
Estate litigation
Inquests, Commissions of Inquiry & Statutory Tribunals
Insurance
Intellectual Property
Mining, Energy and Resources
Native Title
Professional Negligence
Property
Regulatory disputes (Inc Health, Law, Mining, OH&S)
Taxation
Trade Practices and Competition

CONTACT

Phone: 07 3333 9916
Email: wisdale@qldbar.asn.au
Reception: 07 3333 9921

William has a broad civil practice. He has a particular interest in commercial (including contractual and corporate), administrative, land (including resources, native title, environmental and planning), regulatory, employment / industrial, and succession matters.

Prior to being called to the Bar, William worked as an Associate at MinterEllison (focusing on commercial and regulatory work for financial services clients), and as a Senior Legal Officer at the Australian Law Reform Commission (working on the Corporations and Financial Services Inquiry).   

Previously he has served as an Associate to the Hon. Justice Dowsett AM on the Federal Court of Australia, and before that to Commissioner Graeme Neate AM on the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission and Industrial Court of Queensland.

William holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Queensland, a LLM in International Financial and Commercial Law from King’s College London, and a PhD in Law from the University of Queensland. He was the recipient of the Holt Prize in 2021 for his PhD thesis, which has since been published as a book by The Federation Press.

William’s recent court experience includes:

 Commercial  

  •  Rolleston Coal Holdings Pty Ltd v McDonald (BS1923/24) – [2024] QSC 310 – led by Jonathan Horton KC – acting for respondent pastoralists in relation to a contractual dispute concerning an environmental offsets area

  •  Comiskey v Fairhill Coking Coal Pty Ltd (QS7410/24; MRA418-24) – led by Jonathan Horton KC – acting for pastoralists in Supreme Court and Land Court proceedings concerning mining compensation

  • ASP Foundation Piling Pty Ltd v Berkley Insurance Company (QUD94/2024) – led by Adrian Duffy KC – acting for a respondent insurer in Federal Court proceedings concerning professional negligence

  • Bunyoung Investments Pty Ltd v Lardam Pty Ltd & Anor (BS251/24) – unled – acting for the respondent in relation to Supreme Court proceedings involving alleged breaches of equitable and contractual duties

Mining, real property / land law

  • Cost Pty Ltd & Ors v Valuer-General (LVA531-533, 538/23) – [2025] QLC 2 – unled – acting for the Valuer-General in relation to an appeal concerning land valuations for commercial properties

  • Elmes v South Endeavour Pty Ltd & Anor (MRA351-22) – unled – acting for the applicant in relation to Land Court proceedings seeking a mining lease and environmental authority

  • David Hambleton & Anor v Sharon Powe (BS8123/23) – unled – acting for the respondent in Supreme Court proceedings seeking removal of a caveat

  • Instructed by the Valuer-General in various Land Court and QCAT proceedings concerning issues of statutory construction and land valuation  

Administrative , regulatory and government

  • Clark v Sunshine Coast Regional Council (BS1742/24; AQL430-24) – led by Jonathan Horton KC – acting for the respondent in Supreme Court judicial review proceedings, and Land Court compensation proceedings, concerning the compulsory acquisition of land

  • Nagana Yarrbayn Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodians Ltd v Chief Executive, Department of Environment and Science (QS1902/24) – led by Jonathan Horton KC – acting for the respondent in Supreme Court judicial review proceedings in relation to alleged environmental impacts of a coal mine

  • Ganbros Pty Ltd & Ors v Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming & Anor (BS6515/24) – unled – acting for the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming in Supreme Court judicial review proceedings

  • Saunders v State of Queensland (Department of Housing) (QCAT APL170-22) – [2024] QCATA 81 – unled – acting for the appellant in a QCAT appeal concerning a review pursuant to the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld)

  • Abood v State of Queensland (BS5007/23) – [2024] QSC 257 – unled – acting for the State in relation to civil claims made against the Queensland Police Service

Employment / industrial

  • Bale v Workers’ Compensation Regulator (B/2024/27) – [2024] QIRC 235 – unled – acting for the applicant seeking leave to re-commence workers’ compensation proceedings

  • Laurence v NGI Holdings Pty Ltd (U2023/4075) – [2023] FWC 2425 – unled – acting for the applicant in Fair Work Commission proceedings concerning unfair dismissal

Native title

  • Quandamooka Coast Claim v State of Queensland & Redland City Council & Ors (QUD126/2017) – led by Jonathan Horton KC and with Tim Stork – acting for the Redland City Council in Federal Court native title proceedings

  • Georgina Pastoral Pty Ltd & Anor v State of Queensland & Ors (QUD201-203/2022) – led by Jonathan Horton KC – acting for pastoral companies in Federal Court proceedings concerning non-claimant native title determination applications

Estate law / succession

  • Campbell & Anor v Campbell (BD3641/24) – unled – acting for The Public Trustee in the District Court, concerning the sanction of a compromise of a family provision application

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation