This book of essays is dedicated to Professor Michael Bryan on the occasion of his retirement after 37 years of legal scholarship. Michael, who was educated at the Universities of Oxford and London, taught at Oriel College Oxford and Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, before arriving in 1991 at the then Faculty of Law of the University of Melbourne (now the Melbourne Law School). Over his time in Melbourne, Michael has been a much-loved and respected teacher, mentor and colleague. Indeed, of the 24 scholars who have come together to create this book (22 authors and two editors), no fewer than ten have been students or colleagues of Michael during his Melbourne years. However, as the book attests, Michael's influence as a scholar has been felt far beyond Melbourne: he has earned the respect and affection of private lawyers all over the world, from both the common law and the civilian traditions. The authors of the essays in this book are judges and scholars from across Australia, as well as Canada, England, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. All of these authors jumped at the chance to participate in this project, and their essays are a heartfelt tribute both to Michael's scholarly achievements and to the quiet – and always positive – influence he has had on the research, the careers and the lives of his friends around the world.