About
Professor Robert Cunningham is the Dean and Head of the Curtin Law School at Curtin University, where he also holds the rank of Professor. He is a barrister at Murray Chambers, specializing in corporate law, consumer protection, native title, intellectual property, and constitutional law. His academic work focuses on the intersection of law with international trade, ecological sustainability, and information governance. Cunningham has authored multiple books and articles, including his seminal work Information Environmentalism: a governance framework for Intellectual Property Rights, which proposes an environmental theory-based framework for regulating information in the 21st century. He has held research positions at prestigious institutions such as the University of California (Berkeley), New York Law School, and Queen Mary College (London).
Education: PhD (Australian National University), LLM (Hons) and LLB (Hons) from the University of Technology Sydney, BBus (Accounting), and GradCertLP.
Research interests include digital finance regulation, Taser use accountability, and the legal implications of emerging technologies. He leads the RegTech research stream in the $181 million Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre, focusing on algorithmic real-time enforcement. Awards include the Curtin Law School Dean’s Research Prize and recognition for educational resources.
Awards and grants include over $181 million in research funding through ARC and industry partnerships. His legal practice includes high-profile cases related to immigration, corporate law, and consumer protection. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and actively involved in pro bono initiatives through the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
