Vivi Tan

Vivi Tan researches across fields of consumer protection law, contract law, law and technology, including AI, and dispute resolution system and design, including alternative and online dispute resolution (ADR and ODR). Her PhD thesis (University of Melbourne) explores the integration of information and communication technologies into judicial and extrajudicial dispute resolution processes and their implications for dispute resolution regulation and practice as well as for consumer protection law. In particular, she examines ODR for consumer disputes. She demonstrates the design principles essential to providing a high-quality alternative for consumers to traditional court processes. Her findings establish how ODR can meet with the requirements of civil justice in the context of consumer protection having regard to rule of law values. 

The topic of her thesis indicates an awareness of the value of situating legal research within the context of real-world contemporary problems, such as the relationship between the law and changes in technology, barriers to access to justice, and consumer protection in a physical/digital marketplace. The thesis will be converted into a monograph and published by Oxford University Press in 2026.

Vivi has also taught and researched in the areas of contract law, commercial law and real property law for over fifteen years. She has co-authored textbooks on contract law and commercial law which were published by Oxford and Cambridge University Presses and she has also presented in various topics including in legal education and mooting as well as protection of online consumers in Australia and overseas. She has also published several articles and a blog on developments in ODR in Victoria.

Vivi continues to research in these areas and has successfully obtained a number of internal research grants from RMIT to conduct further research in ODR and generative AI. 

Vivi also holds Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching.

Vivi is able to provide expert opinions on consumer protection law, contract law, technology and law and other private law topics.