Top government lawyer joins boutique

A Sydney firm’s newest hire has led major inquiries for ministers and has both represented and gone up against the government

Top government lawyer joins boutique
Dr Gary A. Rumble has joined boutique firm Keypoint Law as consulting principal.

Rumble is recognised for his government and constitutional law work. He advises both the government and private-sector clients on a wide range of matters. He has also held senior positions in government, including chief counsel of the Commonwealth Department of Human Services.

For the government, he provides advice on complex policy implementation, ‘litigation-proof’ decision-making, and on defending decisions that are being challenged. For private-sector clients, he advises on dealings with the government and on complex regulatory issues. 

His expertise includes administrative law requirements for valid decision-making, liability issues for government agencies, legislation design and drafting of instruments and instructions, and conducting inquiries.

Rumble has conducted major inquiries for ministers and departments, including the well-publicised 2011-12 “Review of allegations of sexual and other abuse in Defence.” He has acted for the Australian Heritage Commission before the High Court, advised the Federal Airports Corporation on regulatory and environmental issues for its nationwide network of 25 airports, and acted for numerous private-sector companies fighting claims made by federal agencies.

An adjunct professor of the University of Canberra for 15 years, Rumble recently left HWL Ebsworth, where he spent nearly six years as a special counsel. Before that, he was a partner at DLA Phillips Fox (now DLA Piper) for nine years, and a partner at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) for three years. He was also a lecturer in law at the Australian National University, secretary to the Senate Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, and assistant to the Commonwealth Solicitor General and Head Commonwealth Civil Litigation.

Rumble was recently named as Constitutional Law Lawyer of the Year for Canberra in the peer-review rankings at Best Lawyers.


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