Richard Mitry meets with Lebanese Minister Tarek Mitri

Sydney Lawyer Rick Mitry returned this week from a whirlwind trip to the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon where he met with senior business and political figures.  A highlight of his meetings  in Lebanon was one with His Excellency, Dr Tarek Mitri (photo above), the Minister for Information and Culture, in which was discussed a number of significant issues regarding Lebanon and relating to the Lebanese emigrant community and media in Australia. That interview will appear in the next edition of this magazine.

Rick Mitry has appeared in many high profile cases for both litigants of Arabic origin, as well as some iconic Australian figures. His record of winning seemingly unwinnable case (often pro bono on behalf of impecunious clients) is widely regarded and highly esteemed. A quick search of Google would indicate some of the cases referred to.

Mr Mitry was born in Raskifa, North Lebanon, and migrated to Australia with his parents at the age of three. He is a fiercely proud Australian but has not forgotten his mother country, and is highly conscious of its needs. As he has said “If you forget your ancestry you forget yourself”. His tireless and hard work for the Australian-Lebanese community is unparalleled. He founded the Australian- Lebanese Lions Club (a Chapter of the International Association of Lions Clubs) in 1983 and the Australian-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce in 1985, and the Australian Lebanese International Council in 1999. He has served on a number of Unicef and other committees in the aim of raising awareness of and assistance for Lebanon.

Mr Mitry is the author of several legal publications including “The Business Law of the Middle East” and “The Law of Diplomacy and the Rules of Protocol”, and has tutored at the University of Sydney as well as the University of Technology (Sydney) He has led a number of high profile Australian Political and Business delegations to the Middle East.

He is married to Sandra who is of Lebanese origin and is the proud father of six children, the eldest of which is now a lawyer in his office.

(The article was translated into Arabic by the “Middle East Times International” and appears in Arabic Section.)