What does our dispute resolution team do ?

We assist domestic and international clients to:

  • resolve Australian disputes arising in varied corporate, property, commercial, trust, investor and HNW / UHNW family contexts;

  • manage overseas legal teams and co-ordinate responses to international disputes;

  • seek injunctions, freezing orders or other protective orders where appropriate;

  • assist groups and individuals impacted by corporate collapses;

  • respond to regulatory investigations, notices and actions; and

  • formulate and pursue settlement strategies at mediation, arbitration or via formal or informal offers of compromise.

What are our key areas of focus?

Some of our key areas of focus include:

  • disputes on key commercial contracts - performance, termination and damages;

  • finance and investor documents - defaults and enforcement;

  • Board, investor and shareholder disputes;

  • earn-out disputes, executive and accounting irregularity disputes;

  • contests for corporate control, board spills, takeovers panel disputes and challenging officers (directors, de facto directors, liquidators, receivers and administrators) who act outside authority;

  • Board disputes including Directors duties disputes;

  • trusts and breaches of trust, agency and equitable remedies;

  • negligence, deceit and misleading and deceptive conduct claims;

  • dissolving joint holdings of assets including residential, commercial, industrial or intellectual property;

  • succession disputes involving contests of control or elder abuse; and

  • defamation and reputation protection.

What makes us unique as litigators?

All our lawyers practice in more than one discipline, so they bring a broader perspective than just a litigation mindset.  Some of our litigators also practice as corporate lawyers, so they bring a contract drafting mindset to any contract dispute. Others practice in insolvency, and for them the route to recovery of any judgement order is paramount even before judgment is obtained.

What is our approach to litigation?

Our lawyers are not interested in perpetuating disputes. They are interested in narrowing the dispute to the real issues; articulating and pressing your best points; dealing with weaknesses and making a best effort to resolve the matter by settlement where that is beneficial you as the client, and pushing hard for Court judgements where that is necessary. 

What are our key strengths?  

Uncommon common sense.

A success rate track record in litigation that rivals the most successful domestic and foreign law firms.

Deep knowledge of the core areas of law relevant to company, trust and property litigation. We are not just litigators; our dispute resolution team has members with extensive experience in multiple areas of law.

More than 40 years’ collective experience working at global and/or foreign firms in the US, the UK, Hong Kong, and throughout Asia.

Deep curiosity to get to know our clients, the stakeholders, internal and external constraints, and to evolve our case management strategy .

Focussed, friendly teams.

Our reputation for collegiality / courtesy.