Longtime Victorian criminal defence barrister Colin Lovitt QC has died.
Mr Lovitt retired from the job in 2015 after a 45-year career and appearing in around 200 murder trials.
He died on Sunday, aged 75.
"Generous to many, passionate barrister, lived the life he wanted to live," family wrote in a death notice.
In 45 years Mr Lovitt notched up wins in some of the state's most high profile cases, including helping Mark "Chopper" Read beat a murder charge.
Mr Lovitt also successfully defended Greg Domaszewicz when he was charged with the June 1997 murder of Moe toddler Jayden Leskie.
Mr Domaszewicz was the then-boyfriend of the boy's mother Bilynda Williams.
Mr Lovitt was also no stranger to controversy.
He was fined $10,000 in 2003 after calling Queensland magistrate Bruce Zahner a "complete cretin" during a court case.
The judge said at the time that jail would have been an appropriate sentence, but the state's attorney-general had not asked for it.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry posted a tribute to Mr Lovitt on social media.
"He was one of the bar's greatest characters and a formidable criminal defence lawyer," he said.
Mr Lovitt was a founding and life member of the Criminal Bar Association.
"He was also a friend. Vale Colin," Justice Lasry wrote.
Mr Lovitt is survived by his wife Margaret and sons Marcus and Zane.
