Justin
Wheelahan
Justin Wheelahan provides clear and pragmatic advice to assist clients make informed forensic decisions. Justin’s main areas of practice are copyright, designs, trade marks, confidential information, passing off, and cognate claims arising under the ACL and Corporations Act. Justin holds a Masters Degree from Monash University in Intellectual Property, and is a contributing author to LexisNexis’s Patents, Trade Marks and Related Rights commentary. He advises and appears in cases involving all aspects of infringement, validity and ownership, and was recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia (Intellectual Property) 2025. Justin is an experienced trial advocate and cross-examiner, and regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Victoria, and corresponding appellate courts.
Justin practises primarily in intellectual property. Justin holds a Masters in IP, and is a contributing author to Lahore’s Trade Marks, Patents and Confidential Information and Related Rights service published by LexisNexis.
Justin’s general commercial practice includes advice and advocacy in disputes involving copyright, trade mark, design and patent infringement, breach of confidence, misleading and deceptive conduct, breach of contract, unconscionable conduct, breach of director's duties, and insolvency related matters. He also regularly advises and appears in defamation proceedings, injurious falsehood claims, and Open Courts Act related matters.
Justin has a background in running jury trials appearing for the prosecution and the defence in commercial fraud trials involving offences against the Corporations Act. Justin is an experienced cross-examiner with a thorough understanding of the rules of evidence. He regularly appears for company directors and professionals in relation to allegations of professional misconduct in disciplinary and regulatory tribunals.
His public and administrative law practice extends to judicial review and appellate advocacy. Justin appeared as junior counsel in the High Court in Minister for Home Affairs v FRX17 (2020) 270 CLR 302, Frugtniet v ASIC (2019) 266 CLR 250, and Clayton v The Queen (2006) 231 ALR 500.
*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation