Work history
Nicholas Poynder graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1983 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and was admitted to legal practice in Hobart in 1984. He began his career as a litigation solicitor with Gunson Pickard and Hann, where he worked for two years before relocating to Melbourne in 1986 to practice in commercial litigation.
After two years of international travel, Nicholas returned to Melbourne in 1990 and joined the Victorian Bar. In 1992 he volunteered as a legal adviser to asylum seekers in Port Hedland, Western Australia, and in 1993 he worked as a locum legal practitioner with the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service in Alice Springs. Later that year, he moved to Sydney to take up the role of Coordinator of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service.
From 1995 to 1998, Nicholas served as a Senior Legal Officer at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Sydney. He joined the New South Wales Bar in 1998, where he practised as a barrister for more than 25 years, specialising in immigration and anti‑discrimination law. His practice included appearances at all levels of jurisdiction, including the High Court of Australia.
In 2024, Nicholas returned to Hobart and established his own practice at Rosny Chambers. He continues to practise in immigration and anti‑discrimination law.
Nicholas has been listed in the Australian Financial Review’s Best Lawyers in Australia – Immigration category every year since 2012. He is the former author of the Judicial Review commentary in the LexisNexis Australian Immigration Law service and has served as a Consulting Editor to the Federal Law Reports. He has also taught in Practical Legal Training programs at the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Tasmania and has presented widely at legal seminars and conferences throughout Australia.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts (1979) and Bachelor of Laws with Honours (1983) from the University of Tasmania.
Master of Laws (1997) from the University of New South Wales.
Admitted to practice as a legal practitioner in Tasmania (1984), Victoria (1986), Northern Territory (1991), Western Australia (1992) and New South Wales (1995).
Admitted to the Bar in Victoria (1990) and New South Wales (1998).
Registered as a Migration Agent (1992-2021) - Migration Agent Registration No. 9256004.
