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 unrivalled. 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:
- Acting for UPL Limited, one of the world’s top five agrochemical and crop protection firms, supporting their Australian operations including prosecuting their intellectual property portfolio.
- Representing our client in its defence of the first Class Action litigation proceeding ever filed in the Queensland Supreme Court, winning at first instance before Jackson J, winning in Queensland Court of Appeal (the matter is currently the subject of an application for special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia).
- 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 Gilbert & Tobin and then 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 Nufarm, Barenbrug, Sony, Nintendo, GRDC, AGL Limited, Powerlink, Certain Underwriters at Lloyds of London, Frankipile Australia, Moody Civil & Pipe, Sensis, Onesteel, Roberts & Schaefer Australia, Golding Contractors, Coates Hire, Masters Home Improvement, McDonnell Dowell, Wanless Waste, Telstra Limited, Jet Care, Laing O’Rourke Australia, QGC, Toll Holdings, BP Australia, Ruralco / Nutrien Ag Solutions, Elders Rural Services, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, to name a few.
- Succeeding in a trademark dispute against Masters Home Improvement Australia 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.
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, Toowoomba Mountaineers Limited, Study Toowoomba Inc, and the Board of Trustees for the Empire Theatres Foundation.