P: 02 9930 7926
E: j.petry@nigelbowen.com.au
Clerk: Alistair Coyne
E: a.coyne@nigelbowen.com.au
Joe accepts briefs in all areas of law. He focuses particularly on intellectual property, media, commercial litigation, and all areas of public law.
Before coming to the Bar, Joe was a Senior Lawyer at the Australian Government Solicitor. He acted for federal law enforcement agencies in matters relating to national security and involving sensitive government information. He also acted in judicial review matters, and for regulators including the Commissioner of Patents. He acted in both first instance and appellate proceedings in federal and NSW courts.
He previously served as Associate to the Hon Justice Burley in the Federal Court of Australia. Prior to that, he practised as a solicitor in commercial litigation and for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW).
Joe is acting in patent infringement proceedings involving mechanical patents, and previously acted for the Commissioner of Patents as a solicitor in several landmark cases, including Commissioner of Patents v Thaler (2022) 289 FCR 45, a case considering whether an artificial intelligence can be an inventor. Further, he acts and advises in copyright disputes involving consumer products, photographs, drawings and software. Joe also has experience acting in the Trade Marks Office and Patents Office.
Joe has a particular interest in media law, having successfully defended a professional pet detective sued for defamation in respect of social media posts in Munro v Wheeler (No 3) [2025] NSWDC 3 (now before the Court of Appeal).
Joe’s public law practice is broad. He acts for a broad range of Commonwealth agencies in civil, judicial review, criminal, and high-risk offender proceedings. He has a particular focus on acting for and advising law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Joe also appears in public law matters for individuals and corporations.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I) and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism, with Distinction) from the University of Newcastle. He also holds a Master of Laws (Public Law) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
