Reginald Barrett (born 1 April 1944) was a Judge (2001–2015), Judge of Appeal (2012–2015) and Acting Judge of Appeal (2016-2020) of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He had been a corporate and securities lawyer and a partner in Mallesons Stephen Jaques, general counsel for Westpac Banking Corporation and 20 year partner with Allen Allen & Hemsley. Early life and education Reginald Ian Barrett was born on 1 April 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of Ronald Arthur Barrett and Lila Jean née Frew who had married in 1941. He completed his secondary education (Leaving Certificate) at Newcastle Boys High School and matriculated to the University of Sydney. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1964 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1967. He returned to Sydney Law School for further studies and was graduated as a Master of laws with first class honours in 1971. He served as a councillor of Wesley College at the University of Sydney between 1970 and 1977 where he had been elected senior student in his penultimate undergraduate year. Career Barrett was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales on 17 March 1967. He was an articled clerk (19641967) with Allen Allen & Hemsley, a year behind William Gummow (later puisne justice of the High Court of Australia) and a year ahead of John Lehane (later a Federal Court judge). On admission he became an employed solicitor and made partner in 1971. From 1987 to 1989 he was their resident partner in London. Barrett was appointed as a part-time member of the Companies and Securities Law Review Committee between 1983 and 1987. In 1991 Barrett left Allens to become Group Secretary and General Counsel for Westpac Banking Corporation which had been one of his clients at Allens. From 1991 he was a part-time member of the Commonwealth Companies and Securities Advisory Committee and convenor of its legal committee. In May 1995 Barrett became a partner at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) where he practised until his commission as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2001. In 1997 he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Australian Stock Exchange Appeal Tribunal and then Chairman in January 1998. As a corporate and securities law specialist he was involved in several important and complex Australian corporate cases: the 1995 Westpac Challenge Bank merger, the NRMA