Both as a solicitor advocate and a barrister, Porter was involved in many high profile and contentious cases.
Of note among these is his appearance in 1991 for the then Leader of the Opposition in the Royal Commission into the Attempted Bribery of an MP.
Porter's client was Premier of Tasmania at the time of the events, and was a person of primary interest.
Porter also appeared for the family of the deceased at a lengthy inquest in 1992, and subsequent Supreme Court proceedings, in relation to a highly publicised police shooting.
The case involved historic allegations of sexual and physical abuse, and Porter appeared for the orphanage.
In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours Porter was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to the law, and to the judiciary, in Tasmania".