Our People - Adviceline Injury Lawyers

Michael Schaefer

Partner

Areas of Law: Personal Injury - WorkCover, Medical Negligence, Asbestos Disease
Phone: +61 (0)3 9321 9723
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Michael Schaefer is a partner in the personal injuries division of Adviceline Injury Lawyers, a division of Holding Redlich.

He has been practising as a solicitor for nearly 40 years, working in all areas of personal injury common law tort litigation.  He specialises in medical negligence litigation and litigation on behalf of people injured due to exposure to asbestos.  He has litigated numerous claims for injured people including obtaining many multi-million dollar awards and achieving the first award for punitive damages within the Australian legal system in a medical negligence claim.

Michael has a passion for social justice.  He led the legal team from Holding Redlich which conducted the landmark legal proceedings of Lorna Cubillo and Peter Gunner v The Commonwealth of Australia.  The litigation ran for 6 years, initially in the Northern Territory, seeking to obtain compensation for members of the Stolen Generation from the Northern Territory.  Evidence for the litigation was taken from witnesses all over Australia, including in most Australian States and Territories.

Michael is a former member of the American Society of Law Medicine and Ethics, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and of the Victorian branch committee of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association and of the Asbestos Diseases Society. He is also a consultant to a number of Melbourne ethnic community groups and a member of the Victorian County Court Medical Division Advisory Group.

Michael is married with two adult sons.  Outside the law Michael’s interests extend from politics, to scuba diving, golf, marine biology and vintage cars.

Qualifications
Bachelor of Laws - University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Arts - University of Melbourne

Awards & Achievements
Victorian Law Foundation and the Public Interest Law Clearing House 1998 Pro Bono Awards (Legal Team Category) in recognition of contribution to the provision of Pro Bono Legal Services.

The National Council of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association Civil Justice Award (October 2000) in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the delivery of civil justice.

Publications

• The Stolen Generations - in the aftermath of Kruger, Bray v The Commonwealth - University of New South Wales Law Journal December 1997; Plaintiff Journal of Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association December 1997

• Mass Torts - Stolen Generation Litigation - Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association - Victorian State Conference May 1998

• Persisting difficulties with serious injury applications. (co-author Andrew Ingram) - Law Institute Journal (Vic) June 2004

• Back to Manga-Manda - Kumanjai Creek Mission NT June 2004