Greater Sydney Area
With my strong attention to detail and determination to add greater value for my clients, I offer many years of experience working in the legal services sector. I am dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for my clients and ensuring that I deliver a high quality and tailored service for my clients. As a senior legal professional, I have performed a broad range of senior roles across NSW Government.
In this role, I oversee the delivery of legal services in the Planning and Resources areas. I run recruitment, initiated several development strategies in the team, and continued the strong delivery of matters to clients. Key Responsibilities: DECISION MAKING ● Manage team operations and planning to achieve the overall agreed work program. ● Negotiate matters related to the area of responsibility, and make decisions in relation to the quality of work performed and methods and approaches for how to achieve business outcomes. ● Makes decisions and acts within Government sector core values, strategic plans and priorities, legislative and regulatory frameworks, delegations, and agency policy and procedural frameworks. LEGAL ADVICE AND LEADERSHIP ● Provide leadership and expert advice to a number of Ministers, the Secretary, General Counsel, Senior Executives and internal and external stakeholders. ● Ensure the efficient and effective briefing of Counsel and the barristers who appear in litigation on behalf of the Department to ensure they have accurate information. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION ● Direct the research, analysis and interpretation of complex policy, legal and regulatory issues, to prepare high quality and articulate submissions, reviews and recommendations. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ● Keep abreast of contemporary legal advancements and develop innovative policy and legal options in response to challenging operational requirements. COMPLIANCE ● Lead and monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the function’s service delivery and day to day operations ensuring policy, legal and regulatory compliance is met. CIVIL LITIGATION ● Lead and represent where appropriate the Department, relevant Cluster agency, and Portfolio Ministers in civil litigation and high-level negotiations and meetings.
As a Principal Legal Office, I conduct litigation on behalf of the Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Planning and Environment and the Resources Regulator. Key Responsibilities: LEGAL COURT PROCEEDINGS ● Native vegetation prosecutions in the Land and Environment Court. ● Resources: Austar – working directly with the Deputy Secretary after a challenge to the Department’s decision to issue a prohibition notice. LEGAL ADVICE AND SUPPORT ● Provide specialist, high level, timely and client-focused legal advice to the Minister for Planning, Secretary, senior executive and staff of the Department. ● Undertake and support Departmental engagement and liaison with other State agencies, local government and other external stakeholders to support delivery of reform projects. ● Undertake research and analysis, provide options, make recommendations on complex matters and develop solutions to support decision making. ADMINISTRATION ● Undertake legal tasks associated with legislative reform projects, including drafting and reviewing Cabinet Minutes, provision of instructions to Parliamentary Counsel, preparation of documents for passage of legislation through Parliament and provision of advice on implications of policy. ● Draft, review and finalise other legal documents. TRAINING AND BRIEFING ● Conduct information, training and briefing sessions, and develop training materials for clients and staff. Key Achievements: COURT CASES » Instructing the CSO on the Spencer litigation – this matter has been running through the Courts for 10 years, and was most recently in the Full Federal Court. It related to a challenge to the previous native vegetation legislation. » Sirius litigation – this was a high-profile challenge to the Minister’s decision not to list the Sirius building on the State Heritage Register in the Land and Environment Court. » Planning: Rocky Hill – challenging the Department’s refusal of an open cut coal mine, near Gloucester.
I took a year overseas, teaching English in Madrid, Spain.
In this role, I provided advice and undertook carriage of matters in the Federal Court of Australia and Supreme Court of NSW as well as the District Court. My major practice areas were contract law, equity and trusts, competition law and debt recovery. Cases as a lead solicitor: ◆ Acted for a member of the electricity industry in relation to a breach of contract issues arising from the imposition of the carbon tax worth tens of millions of dollars. ◆ A significant breach of contract claim in relation to a force majeure clause worth tens of millions. ◆ Defended professional negligence claims for professionals. ◆ A pre-litigation claim regarding confidentiality agreements and intellectual property in the pharmaceutical industry for tens of millions of dollars. ◆ Acted as a Court-appointed independent solicitor for an Anton Piller (Search) Order in relation to a breach of intellectual property matter. Key Responsibilities: CLIENT RESEARCH AND STRATEGY ● Worked with clients to identify key strategic questions facing the organisation. ● Conducted in-depth financial analyses of income statements and balance sheets to clarify the organisation’s financial model and current state of financial health. ● Designed and implemented a research agenda to inform a strategic or business planning process. ● Analysed and synthesised all research findings to identify key market implications and strategic challenges. CLIENT DELIVERIES AND REPORTING ● Led the process of developing major client deliverables, including writing and editing reports as well as presentations for clients. LEGAL MEETINGS ● Facilitated meetings of clients’ board, staff and other stakeholders as needed. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ● Participated in business development, including writing project proposals and attending meetings with potential clients.
Often my advice was provided alongside advice from other PwC teams, as part of a multidisciplinary approach to client service. Key Responsibilities: COMMERCIAL LITIGATION ● Acted for the plaintiff in complex matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in relation to a breach of contract and associated competition law claims. ● Acted for the defendant in lengthy Federal Court proceedings. ● Lead solicitor in various breach of contract matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. ● Lead solicitor in equity proceedings for high net worth individuals in the Supreme Court. ADVISORY ● Advised on pre-litigation and regulatory compliance in relation to the Australian Consumer Law. ● Performed a review of the securities enforcement procedures of one of Australia’s major banks and providing insolvency advice on improvement of their enforcement systems. ● Undertook various insolvency litigation, including acting for an overseas creditor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL ● Provided in-house legal advice for PwC Australia addressing corporate legal issues. ● Drafted legal documentation including relating to acquisitions and mergers, licenses, loan agreements, confidentiality agreements. ● Advised on corporate secretarial matters. ● Advised on general corporate governance and regulatory issues such as privacy, competition law, and issues arising from the Corporations Act. ● Drafted submissions to and negotiated with various regulatory bodies, including the ATO, ACCC and ICAC. Key Achievements: » Devised and implemented an in-house pro-bono practice for the Legal team. » Arranged fundraising and informative events. One example was a trivia night at which over 180 people attended which raised $14,000. » Training Co-ordinator 2010 - 2011: I was asked to set the curriculum and present the graduate training programme for new starters at PwC Legal. This role was in addition to billable work.
Following a competitive application process, I was chosen to undertake the first international secondment in our business unit. Caseload that I was involved with: ◆ Provided advice and assisted with a contractual dispute in the Swiss Chambers’ Court of Arbitration, valued at over 50 million Euros. Key Responsibilities: NEGOTIATION AND CONTRACTS ● Held responsibility for all major international client work conducted in English, negotiating and drafted intellectual property and data protection contracts. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ● Organised a large business development event, at which over 80 clients attended. The event included speakers such as the Australian Ambassador to Spain and the Australian Trade Commissioner. CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL ● Supplied agreements including relating to information technology, the supply of plant and equipment and professional services. ● Subcontract agreements, as both the subcontractor and subcontractee. ● Sponsorship agreements. ● Drafted legal documentation including relating to acquisitions and mergers, licenses, loan agreements, confidentiality agreements. ● Advised on general corporate governance and regulatory issues such as privacy, competition law, and issues arising from the Corporations Act. ADVISORY ● Advised on pre-litigation and regulatory compliance in relation to the Australian Consumer Law, for example in relation to misleading and deceptive conduct, retail price maintenance and warranty obligations.
Including graduate rotations in Corporate and Commercial, and Commercial and Regulatory Litigation. I did a summer clerkship in the summer of 2003/2004, and subsequently continued my employment as a paralegal. The main role of my role was to support lawyers in their work. Key Responsibilities: CASE PREPARATION AND RESEARCH ●Taking statements from witnesses. ● Interviewing clients and passing on relevant information. ●Researching cases and any pertinent legal information needed. ● Presenting applications to judges. ● Helping lawyers prepare for court cases, including opening and closing arguments and aiding in court pleadings or motions. ADMINISTRATION ● Filed case files and handling client caseloads. ● Drafted documents and letters, such as mortgages, sale agreements and trust agreements. ● Administrative duties such as taking phone calls, answering correspondence and filing.