Nicholas Baum

He is recognised as one of Victoria’s leading juniors in wills and estates litigation, frequently acting in the most difficult family provision, contested probate, superannuation and trust matters.

He brings a distinctive breadth to this work. Alongside high-value estate and trust disputes, Nicholas has acted in regulatory investigations, superannuation litigation, class actions, oppression claims, and commercial equity cases — experience that gives him a unique perspective on how personal disputes intersect with business and financial structures.

In 2023, 2024 and 2025, Doyle’s Guide recognised Nicholas as a Leading Junior Counsel in Wills & Estates Litigation in Victoria. He serves as Secretary of the Commercial Bar Association’s Probate Committee, sits on the Supreme Court of Victoria’s Probate Users Group, and is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Nicholas also maintains an active sports law practice, regularly appearing in the AFL Tribunal.

Nicholas is a reporter for the Victorian Reports, and has lectured in Contract Law at Melbourne Law School. He has appeared both led and unled in the Federal Court, Supreme Court, County Court, Magistrates’ Court, and VCAT.

Before joining the Bar, Nicholas worked in the Dispute Resolution group at King & Wood Mallesons in Melbourne and London, practised in public and constitutional law at the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, and was associate to the Honourable Justice McMillan of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

He holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts (History, Politics and Economics) from the University of Melbourne, where he ranked first in his cohort in Contracts, Obligations and Torts. He read with Tom Clarke, and his senior mentor was Peter Gray KC (now Justice Gray of the Supreme Court of Victoria).

Recent cases

• Re Donat [2025] VSC 383 (judicial advice)
• Low v Hunt [2025] VSC 80 (removal of administrator)
• Re Kordos [2024] VSCA 84 (administrator ad litem, led by J Rizzi)
• Coffey v O’Halloran [2024] VSCA 52 (passing over)
• Re Tootell [2024] VSC 692 (will construction)
• Lehr v Matters [2024] VSC 640 (prima facie case)
• Re Steficar [2024] VSC 560 (executor’s commission)
• Re Haliem [2024] VSC 400 (removal of executor, will construction)
• Pozzebon v Pozzebon [2024] VSC 205 (will construction)
• Re Vaughan; Dunn v Dunn-Vaughan [2024] VSC 7 (complex estate dispute, led by Sue Gatford)
• XEX [2024] VCAT 26 (appointment of guardian)
• Hawkesdale Asset Pty Ltd & Anor v Bennett [2023] VSC 409 (application for enforcement of licence agreement, led by P Anastassiou KC, with C Tsang)
• PTD Nominees v Deacon [2023] VSC 245 (judicial advice and removal of trustee and appointor, led by Matthew Harvey KC)
• Cassin v Peak; Tonzing v Caldwell [2023] VSC 108 (approval of compromise)
• Spruyt v McLachlan [2023] VCC 2038 (further provision)
• Feldman v Huf [2023] VCC 743 (setting aside default judgment)
• Hall v ABL [2022] FCA 163, [2022] FCA 1524 (approvals of settlement of shareholder class action, unled)
• Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd v Tipakalippa [2022] FCAFC 193, [2022] FCA 1121, [2022] FCA 838 (judicial review of approval of environment plan, led by, variously, Ron Merkel KC, Claire Harris KC, Robert White, Chris Tran and Colette Mintz)
• Hall v ABL [2022] FCA 163, [2022] FCA 1524 (settlement of shareholder class action, led by D Batt KC and C van Proctor)
• Re Curtis [2022] VSC 621 (application for grant of probate of remotely-witnessed will, led by Richard Boaden)
• Re Moran [2022] VSC 776, [2023] VSC 83 (construction of a will, unled)
• Re Cassar (No 2) [2022] VSC 398 (consequential orders following trial of forgery claim, unled)
• Re Thompson; Thompson v Chen & Anor [2022] VSC 400 (contested discovery application)
• AFL v Day, AFL v Sicily (led by Myles Tehan and Will Houghton KC)

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation