Dispute resolution: class actions in Australia

‘Experienced, thoughtful and well-rounded litigators.’

‘Easy to work with, highly commercial and switched-on disputes team. Good understanding of our values and commercial drivers. Bring thoughtful and clearly explained solutions to the client’s problems.’

‘The team has offered us great strategic insight, blended with very efficient and responsive client service and communication.’

‘Ian Bolster is an energetic, intelligent and perceptive partner. He is particularly sought after in financial services litigation. A very solid analytical lawyer with an unpretentious and genuine manner.’

‘Ian Bolster and his team are an absolute stand out. Easy going, commercial and able to think outside of the box to find solutions to complex problems. Happy to trust them with the most important pieces of litigation we have.’

‘Ian Bolster is exceptional as a litigator – focused, practical and with a clear view of the longer term objectives. ’

‘The litigation/class action team at Corrs led by Chris Pagent works with both plaintiffs and defendants in class actions which provides them with a unique breadth of experience and relationships. They also have deep experience of litigation funding and working with funders. The team is passionate about they work they do and aspire to the highest standards.’

‘Corrs use billing analysts in their finance team to work with clients on their large litigation projects which is an excellent value add as budget management is critical. The team members are always lawyers of the highest calibre and well trained and supervised. There is good continuity of team members across cases which can run for 2-3 years. ’

‘In Chris Pagent, I value the following: deep technical class actions and litigation funding knowledge; perceptive listener; strong strategist and lateral thinker; strong people manager.’

‘Brad Woodhouse – I have worked less with Brad but he exhibits many of the same qualities identified above. He and Chris work seamlessly together.’

‘Lots of good quality experience. Chris Pagent has good judgment, excellent technical skills and takes a considered, strategic approach to litigation. He is well supported by bright associates.’

‘They are unusual in that, due to their corporate client base, they act on both sides. This makes them formidable opponents because they understand a class action from all angles.’

‘A team that is full of energy – really smart people who consistently deliver. They listen to clients and work with them to get the best outcomes on cases. The partners are savvy and extremely experienced. A very safe pair of hands, and able to deal with the most complex of matters.’ 

‘The teams we work with have some exceptional associates who you can really trust. They are hard working and drive litigation. A number of the partners we work with too are extremely impressive and bring strategic direction to challenging litigation, and rigour to decision making.’

‘JWS has an experienced and hands-on team in its class actions practice. Something that sets them apart from other firms is their willingness and ability to get involved in the legal framing of the case and its development through to trial, and at trial. This includes legal analysis and preparation of evidence.’

‘Paul Reidy is one of only a handful of class action lawyers in Australia that I would trust with a significant investment. He is excellent – incredibly hard-working, sharp, a good strategist and very user-friendly.’

‘Paul Reidy is a highly experienced and strategic litigator. His strength is knowing when to get involved in strategic and forensic decisions, and when to let the solicitor and counsel team progress the case.’

‘Great team, really aware, good advice and presents balanced options.’

‘We have observed a high standard of client care and significant expertise in class action litigation. We have also been impressed by the firm’s commitment to culturally appropriate engagement with plaintiff communities and an ethical approach to structuring litigation to respond to clients’ needs.’

‘Unrivalled class action expertise. The team you want with you in the trenches – they know the corporate defendant playbook inside out.’

‘The people at PFM that I worked with were different from other practitioners because of the level of commitment and dedication they brought to the work. Brett Spiegel and Ben Phi are exceptional – strategic thinkers with a real commitment to their clients.’

‘Both their legal and strategic acumen is second to none, with a full service offering on class action matters.’

‘Ben Phi has the perfect all-round mix of commercial acumen and technical strength. Odette McDonald is super dedicated and fully immerses herself in her case work, living and breathing each step of the claim.’

‘Tim Finney is in the detail of claims, provides excellent strategic and legal advice in relation to class action matters and is a clear and concise communicator. A true pleasure to work with.’

‘Brett Spiegel is a class action specialist, with a wide range of experience, both domestically and internationally. He is always available and is extremely responsive. Brett has been willing to dedicate significant pro bono hours towards important public interest matters. He is client-focussed and comes up with creative legal solutions to seemingly impossible problems that arise on a case.’

‘Ben Phi, Odette McDonald and Tim Finney are well-regarded for their astuteness and legal expertise, as well as their commerciality, professionality and courtesy. Together they have led many class actions with successful results. I have also worked closely with principal lawyers Roop Sandhu, Brett Spiegel and Jeremy Zimet, who are all outstanding lawyers and assets to the firm.’

‘The team are highly engaged and efficient, quickly turning around good quality work product and effectively managing a number of complex matters.’

‘Piper Alderman’s class action team has breadth and depth and covers multiple AU jurisdictions. This makes it a “one stop shop” and obvious go to for funded class actions.’

‘The stand-out class actions partner in Sydney is Martin del Gallego, who combines energy and enthusiasm with experience and expertise gained in AU and overseas.’

‘The partner and senior associate team members of Piper Alderman (particularly in Brisbane) has been a stable and consistent group for a number of years. This kind of legacy provides certainty, familiarity, and consistent business relationships. A key benefit this long standing team is that there is accountability and ownership by all its members, which not only results in quality legal work but also excellent client service and communication. The team (and firm) is also willing and proactive in discussing commercial billing structures/arrangements.’

‘Intelligent, commercial, inventive, strategically focused, accountable, practical and genuine.

‘High level of competence in the practice area; work for both applicants and respondents; experience in running cases to trial; ability to deploy significant resources to meet deadlines.’

‘Martin del Gallego is very user-friendly. He is a good strategic thinker, calm and capable.’

‘Martin del Gallego is gaining a real profile in the class actions space.’