CV

Education

I hold bachelor degrees in law, business and marketing from Western Sydney University.

I completed a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at The College of Law in Sydney, graduating with the Centre for Best Practice Prize for Overall Excellence.

On the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator I fall into the ENTJ Personality Type.

Citizenship

I am a dual Australian and European Union citizen.

Professional Experience

Senior Associate & Manager at Allens, 2007-
In 2007 I returned to private practice, with Allens Arthur Robinson appointing me Senior Associate from 1 July 2007. In this role I advised on day-to-day organisational and management matters, acquisitions, contract negotiations and disputes, and financial services and insurance laws, including compliance and regulatory matters involving ASIC, APRA and FIRB.

In late 2008 I took on a Knowledge Management Senior Associate role in the areas of commercial disputes and litigation, class actions, arbitration, restructuring and insolvency, insurance and reinsurance, and workplace relations. In 2012 the firm entered into an exclusive alliance with British Magic Circle law firm Linklaters, and rebranded as ‘Allens’.

Currently I advise lawyers of varying seniority in the areas of commercial litigation, dispute resolution, arbitration, class actions, insurance, regulatory investigations, restructuring & insolvency, and employment & safety.

I also develop and implement strategic plans for knowledge management, leverage value-add propositions to clients, develop and manage precedents and process maps to reduce costs and increase efficiency and productivity, draft policy, deliver training, and help with the integration of social media, and the practical implementation of emerging technologies and innovation projects, including document automation and AI tools.

My major achievements to date include the design, build, implementation and maintenance of a customised in-house online resource for delivering knowledge services, attracting over 20,000 views per month, the drafting and implementation of electronic filing policies and processes for the Federal and NSW jurisdictions, the establishment and management of ‘The Delta’, a restructuring and insolvency insights blog, which ran for six years from 2010 to 2016, the management of the firm’s annual Contract Law Update publication since 2012, and stepping into a central monitoring and information management role during the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry in 2018.

In-house Counsel at PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2005-2007

To experience legal work in a business context, in 2005 I moved in-house as corporate counsel at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In this role I provided day-to-day legal advisory services to the firm, and its related entities, to support commercial activities, including regulatory and compliance work, industry representations, and internal training.

I negotiated professional services contracts with a particular focus on indemnity and limitation of liability, and engaged in lobbying for regulatory reform and public policy development affecting the business both at a Federal and State level.

Graduate and Lawyer at Allens Arthur Robinson, 2002-2005

I worked as a litigator for two years, assisting clients in contract, employment, and liability disputes, with appearances ranging from the NSW District and Supreme Courts to the NSW Industrial Court, and the High Court of Australia on a special leave application.

Later I transitioned to commercial matters, advising on contract negotiations and disputes, and issues relating to financial services and insurance laws.

During this period I was also member of the legal team supporting HIH Claims Support Limited, a non-profit entity established by the Commonwealth Government and the Insurance Council of Australia, to deal with the fall out from the collapse of the HIH Insurance Group, and oversee the administration of the HIH Claims Support Scheme designed to help affected policy holders.

Summer Clerk at Allen Allen & Hemsley, 2000-2001

In my penultimate year of studies I secured myself a summer clerkship with Allen Allen & Hemsley, and later received a graduate offer from its successor Allens Arthur Robinson, following the merger of Allen Allen & Hemsley and Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks in 2001.

Paralegal at Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Allen Allen & Hemsley, 1999-2000

During the last years of my legal studies I was a student volunteer at Redfern Legal Centre, and worked as a paralegal at two leading commercial law firms, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, as King & Wood Mallesons was known at the time, and Allen Allen & Hemsley, the predecessor to Allens.