About
Peter Agardy
Peter Agardy is a Melbourne barrister, Nationally Accredited Mediator, and the author of three books. He has practised since 1977 and has been at the Victorian Bar since 2003.
Recognition
- Doyle's Guide — Leading Mediator, Victoria (2025)
- Law Institute of Victoria President's Award for Outstanding Service (2023), in recognition of his contribution to the legal profession, the community and the Law Institute
- Member and former National Chairman of the Insolvency and Reconstruction Committee of the Law Council of Australia
- Member of the Editorial Boards of the Insolvency Law Journal and the Insolvency Law Bulletin
Mediation
Peter is a Nationally Accredited Mediator under the Australian National Mediator Accreditation Scheme (NMAS) and has been appointed mediator in a wide range of commercial disputes. He is a Conciliator on the AFL Vilification and Discrimination Panel, a member of the Victorian Association for Restorative Justice, and has spoken at the National Mediation Conference on The Importance of Language in Mediation (2021) and Mediation in Sports Disputes (2018).
Peter’s main areas of expertise are insolvency, commercial disputes and mediation. Peter worked as an auditor with Deloittes for a short time before doing his articles with Middletons, where he remained as an employee solicitor for a further year. He then joined Strongman & Crouch as an employee solicitor, becoming a partner in 1982. Peter joined Cornwall Stodart as a partner in 1991, where he remained until he joined the Bar in May 2003. Peter is well known for his insolvency expertise and has acted regularly for trustees in bankruptcy, liquidators, receivers, creditors and administrators of companies. He is a member and former national chairman of the Insolvency and Reconstruction Committee of the Law Council of Australia, and a member of the Editorial Boards of the Insolvency Law Journal and the Insolvency Law Bulletin. Peter was chairman of a committee which drafted the summary of Australian law relating to duties of directors of insolvent companies. The summary appears in the Insol International publication entitled “Directors in the Twilight Zone”. Peter was a speaker on that topic at the Insol Conference in London in 2001. Peter also authored the chapter on bankruptcy investigations in Laws of Australia and has represented the Law Council of Australia in a Senate Committee hearing. Peter is the author of the book ‘Risky Business – What happens to personal assets when business fails?” published by The Federation Press in 2012. Peter authored a second edition of “Trading Trusts Explained” published by Lexis Nexis in 2024. Peter recently authored “The Loan Book 2nd Edition”, published by LexisNexis.
Learn more about Peter's mediation practiceBooks
Peter is the author of three books:
- Risky Business (The Federation Press)
- The Loan Book, 2nd edition (LexisNexis)
- Trading Trusts Explained, 2nd edition (LexisNexis)
Professional contributions
Peter chaired the committee that drafted the summary of Australian law on the duties of directors of insolvent companies, published in the INSOL International text Directors in the Twilight Zone, and spoke on the topic at the INSOL Conference in London in 2001. He authored the chapter on bankruptcy investigations in Laws of Australia and has represented the Law Council of Australia at a Senate Committee hearing. He has published widely in the Insolvency Law Journal, the Insolvency Law Bulletin, the Australian Civil Liability Journal and the Sports Law Bulletin, and is a member of the Commercial Bar Association.
Selected cases
Peter has been briefed in many significant insolvency and commercial matters, including:
- Davidson v Official Receiver [2026] FCAFC 15 — notice under s 139ZQ of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (with Michael Gronow KC)
- Monarch Tower Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2025] FCAFC 137 — stay of proceedings (with Maryanne Loughnan KC)
- Donchiod Pty Ltd (in liquidation) v Merrion B Pty Ltd [2024] VSCA 44 — extension of time for a winding-up order (with Michael Gronow KC)
- St George's Development Company Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2022] VSC 295 — capital contribution or loan
- Lee v Liang [2021] VSC 33 — winding up on the just and equitable ground
- Goconnect Ltd v Sino Strategic International Ltd (in liquidation) [2016] VSCA 315 — setting aside a statutory demand
Contact