Background
Declan Byrne specialises in complex disputes concerning construction and infrastructure projects and large-scale residential developments.
Declan has particular expertise in disputes involving the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW), having appeared in a number of the leading cases, and the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW). He also has experience with intricate strata-law matters.
Declan regularly appears unled for a diverse range of clients including owners corporations, builders, subcontractors, consultants and developers (as well as the insurers, administrators and liquidators of same) in both the NSW courts and in arbitrations (both international and domestic). He also has an increasing interstate practice.
Declan has long-standing ties to the construction industry. Prior to coming to the Bar, Declan spent 3 years working for an ASX-listed engineering practice, Cardno Ltd. He then spent 6 years in the construction litigation teams at Herbert Geer (now Thomson Geer) and later HWL Ebsworth. During that time, he had an extended secondment to the tier one builder, John Holland.
Declan is a headnote editor for the Building and Construction Law Journal.
Professional recognition
Declan has been listed in Doyle’s Guide under the following categories:
- Construction & Infrastructure Junior Counsel (Australia) – Leading 2022, 2024, 2025 2026; Recommended 2020, 2021, 2023
- Construction & Infrastructure Junior Counsel (NSW) – Leading 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026; Recommended 2018, 2019 and 2020; Emerging 2017
Declan has also been recognised in the Best Lawyers Australia – Ones to Watch 2026 for Construction / Infrastructure Law.
Qualifications
- Bachelors of Arts and Laws from the University of Queensland (2009)
- Masters of Construction Law from the University of Melbourne (2016). Awarded the Corrs Chambers Westgarth Prize for Remedies in the Construction Context.
Specialisations
- Building and Construction
- Arbitration (Domestic & International)
- Property / Strata Law
- Insurance
- Commercial and Equity