The new appointment takes effect on 12 July
A new judge has joined the Federal Court of Australia’s Victoria registry.
Helen Rofe QC succeeds Justice Simon Steward, who transitioned to the High Court. She takes the bench on 12 July, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said.
Rofe was admitted to practise in 1993. She has held positions at Deacons (formerly Blake Sly & Weigall), Allens (previously Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks) and Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson Waldron).
She joined the bar in 2001, focusing on matters related to science and technology. She has guided clients across the pharmaceutical, agricultural, mining, and manufacturing sectors, as well as government bodies.
In 2014, Rofe took silk.
She has been ranked by Chambers & Partners and Doyle’s Guide as an IP and tech and media and communications practitioner. She was elected president of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand in 2007, a role she held until 2009.
At present, she serves as the Victorian Bar Council’s junior vice president.
Cash congratulated Rofe, and thanked her for her willingness to serve the people in her new judicial position. The Law Council of Australia also lauded Rofe’s appointment.
“Ms Helen Rofe QC’s appointment as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in the Victorian registry is most welcomed news,” Law Council President Dr. Jacoba Brasch QC said. “We look forward to the contribution she will make to the judiciary, to upholding the administration of
justice and serving the Australian community in this important area of law.”
