READ ARTICLES WRITTEN BY NOEL DAVIS

Noel Davis is a Sydney barrister.

Background
He has practised in financial services, superannuation, life insurance and taxation for 40 years advising the large financial institutions, companies, governments, individuals and accountants on financial services and taxation issues. He has also conducted litigation involving some of the significant cases in superannuation and taxation disputes.

From 1985 to 2004, he was a partner of legal firms Hunt and Hunt and  Clayton Utz and was a consultant to King & Wood Mallesons.
Since 2004, he has practised as a barrister and has been a member of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.
He was a member of that tribunal from 2005 to 2018, hearing and  making decisions on a wide range of superannuation related disputes, including:
  • disablement claims,
  • disputes over who is entitled to receive the benefits of a deceased member or insured, from superannuation funds and life insurance policies,
  • legal issues in relation to the interpretation of legislation, trust deeds, insurance policies and the application of trust law principles and insurance and taxation law,
  • investment issues, and
  • complaints generally in relation to the conduct of superannuation funds and financial institutions.
He was, for a long period, a member of the Law Council Superannuation Committee and the Law Society of NSW Business Law Committee. In those capacities  and otherwise, he has been involved in consultations with governments on policy issues and the development of legislation.
He is a former lecturer in taxation at the University of NSW.
He has been a frequent speaker at conferences on financial services and taxation issues.

Directorships
He was, for many years, a director of the following companies:
  • Trust Company Superannuation Services Limited, which was a public trustee of a large number of superannuation funds.
  • Count Limited, one of the largest financial planning companies, which was taken over by CBA.
  • Pillar Administration which is an administrator of large superannuation funds, including State and Commonwealth funds, as well as industry and other private sector funds.
He was chairman of the board risk and compliance committees of the three boards he was on. He has also been a director of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia and chairman of a charitable foundation.

Publications
Author of the legal text The Law of Superannuation in Australia, which is a current publication first published in 1985 (LexisNexis).
Consultant editor and editor, for a long period, of the monthly publication, The Superannuation Law Bulletin (LexisNexis).
Author of many published articles on superannuation, life insurance and taxation.

Awards
Distinguished service award from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia.
Lifetime achievement award from the journal Super Review.