Lisa Filippin is Victoria University's General Counsel and leads the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), the University's in-house legal team. OGC supports the University’s strategic objectives by providing trusted, timely, and commercially sound legal advice across the full spectrum of the University’s operations.
Lisa is an experienced in‑house lawyer with a strong background in dispute resolution and litigation, insolvency, Royal Commissions and private and public sector commercial advisory work. She spent over 13 years in private practice, including over 10 years at Herbert Smith Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer), advising across a range of sectors, and two years at the Department of Justice and Community Safety. Lisa brings a pragmatic, solutions‑focused approach to legal risk, with a particular emphasis on aligning legal advice with organisational objectives and values, and partnering with University colleagues to achieve their commercial objectives.
Lisa is recognised for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to building high‑performing, modern legal teams that are business‑partner oriented and focused on delivering practical outcomes.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Modern Languages (Japanese) from the University of Melbourne. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is admitted to practice in Victoria.
Lisa is also a former high school teacher and remains committed to the education industry through her role as the lead author of two market-leading textbooks published by Oxford University Press for Year 11 and 12 Legal Studies: Access to Justice, and Justice and Outcomes. She lives in Yarraville with her young family.
