Dominique Hogan-Doran SC

Dominique Hogan-Doran SC is a distinguished Australian Senior Counsel (Silk) and barrister with a national practice in complex commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, public inquiries, and financial services law, known for her expertise in corporate governance, superannuation, and advocacy in major Royal Commissions.

She holds director roles with Natural Hazards Research Australia (including Chair of Risk & Audit Committee) and Australian Cricket’s Retirement Account and its new charity Players Cordon (including Chair of Governance Committee). She is Chair of the International Bar Association’s Bar Issues Commission Regulation Committee and Co-Convenor of the IBA’s new Climate Change Working Group.

Dominique degrees from the University of Sydney (BEc, LLB Hons, LLM) and Oxford University (BCL Hons), where she was a Menzies Scholar, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and the Governance Institute of Australia.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Dominique isn’t described as “risky” in a negative sense, but rather as a highly skilled, preeminent barrister specializing in complex areas like financial services, royal commissions, regulatory investigations, and public inquiries, known for her sharp technical skills, commercial acumen, and ability to handle sensitive, high-stakes matters for major clients, making her a formidable, trusted, and successful advocate in Australia’s legal landscape. The term “risky” might stem from her deep involvement in contentious, high-profile cases, including those involving misconduct in banking or aged care, where the stakes and potential fallout are immense.

Name your top 3 achievements

Dominique is a go-to silk for complex public inquiries and Royal Commissions (e.g., Banking, Aged Care, Disability), tackling legally and reputationally risky situations.

Over 30 years of practice at the independent bar, highlights include:

1. Senior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
2. Senior Counsel representing the Commonwealth of Australia in the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme
3. Senior Counsel representing the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation, and Financial Services Industry

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Starting it! Becoming a barrister offers independence, a sense of vocation, variety, and intellectual challenges. It has certainly proven an interesting and fulfilling job of now 30 years.

I first imagined a life at the Bar when I did a week of work experience as a 15 year old, intrigued by the book-filled chambers and the historic King Street Courts in Sydney.

A decade on, I fronted fresh-faced for my admission ceremony. When I signed the Bar Roll in November 1995, I was one of only 4 women in a 40 person course. When in 2015 I was appointed Senior Counsel, I was one of only 3 women in 26 people appointed Silk.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I once contemplated a career in music, as I am a classically trained pianist and vocalist.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Courage