Acting at the regional, national and international level, Allens acts for a varied mix of blue-chip clients on a full scope of corporate and commercial contentious issues. The group is prominent in the areas of class action proceedings, regulatory investigations, competition litigation, and product liability litigation, among others. Its recent work also stands out in the banking and financial services sectors, particularly in the context of corporate crime allegations. Other industries of focus include mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, power, and government; in handling mandates in these areas, the group draws on the expertise of the respective subject matter specialists at the firm. Notably, the practice also prides itself on the high-level integration of the firm’s tech, legal, and review capabilities. Melbourne-based commercial litigator Andrew Maher leads the group, where Belinda Thompson (Melbourne) and Guy Foster (Sydney) are also key practitioners to note.

The sizeable team at Clayton Utz stands out for its ability to independently handle disputes out of the firm’s offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth; the group is led out of Melbourne by Andrew Morrison. Notably, the firm prides itself on its forensic and technology services capabilities, taken in addition to its full-service work across all areas of commercial litigation. The practice is a top performer in the areas of class actions, investigations, Royal Commissions and inquiries, and insolvency litigation. In addition, the teams based in Perth and Brisbane also count litigation in the energy and natural resources sectors among their strengths. In the regulatory investigations space, the group’s recent winning arguments, presented on behalf of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in relation to the Royal Commission, secured a growing number of instructions in the financial services litigation; Ross McInnes (Sydney) is a name to note in this regard. The recent work of Nicholas Mavrakis stands out in relation to claims involving financial reporting breaches; he is based in Sydney, where special counsel Edmond Park is also noted. Gary Berson and Paul Fitzpatrick both retired in the autumn of 2019.

Clients prize Gilbert + Tobin’s ‘unrivalled experience in large-scale matters in the financial services industry’. The team is renowned for representing notable clients in matters concerning the Royal Commissions, with the team consistently being instructed in relation to all key developments in this space, including mandates from the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The group is a suitable proposition for clients seeking class-action representation and is noted for its ability to act for both claimants and defendants; Crispian Lynch is a name to note in the class action space in Sydney. Further, the practice is also adept at handling insolvency litigation, which is an area of specialism for Colleen Platford. Richard Harris leads the national group out of Sydney; he is noted for his reputation in contentious regulatory matters. Janet Whiting leads the litigation team in Melbourne, which is acting for Cargill in challenging Supreme Court proceedings raising allegations of false information during the sale of a malt business.

Rendering a full range of legal services, Herbert Smith Freehills is considered by clients and peers alike to be ‘a go-to firm for the most complex, sophisticated large-scale disputes and litigation’. The team is recommended for its expertise in securities class action proceedings, but its standout recent workload also spans shareholder and product liability litigation; Jason Betts and Melbourne-based Damian Grave are the names to note in this area. The group is also adept at handling commercial disputes in the financial services, transport, construction, consumer products, mining, and pharmaceutical sectors, among multiple others. For cross-border mandates, the practice also benefits from being a part of the firm’s global network spread across 27 offices. Anna Sutherland leads the group and is based in Sydney, where contentious regulatory specialist Luke Hastings and Juliana Warner are also key practitioners. Also residing at the Sydney office, Andrew Eastwood is an expert in regulatory prosecutions. Elizabeth Poulos leads the disputes team in Brisbane, which has niche expertise in mining and infrastructure sector litigation.

King & Wood Mallesons is noted for its ‘timely, proactive and commercial advice’ and astute handling of claims in and out of court. The team has notable commercial litigation, class action, and contentious regulatory expertise, but particularly excels in the government and financial services sectors. The group has consistently been instructed in relation to high-profile Royal Commission matters – a valuable experience that culminated in its appointment to assist the Bushfires Royal Commission; Emma Costello (Brisbane) and Ben Kiely (Melbourne) are leading on the matter. Melbourne-based managing partner Matthew Swinn sits at the helm of the department. In Sydney, Moira Saville and Alexander Morris are especially active in the class actions realm.

Minter Ellison’s team of ‘subject matter experts’ focuses on representing ASX-listed and private companies in commercial litigation and regulatory investigations. The group is noted for the breadth of its sector-specific expertise, which spans banking, financial services, energy, insurance, technology, infrastructure, government, and multiple others. Notably, the dispute resolution practice has experienced a 28% growth in the past two years under the leadership of Sydney-based department head James Beaton. Melbourne-based Glen Ward is recommended for contentious regulatory matters. Ross Freeman (Melbourne) is well-versed in representing clients in investigations conducted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and so is Beverley Newbold (Sydney). Michelle Power is another prominent figure in Melbourne’s litigation space, with regular appearances before the High Court, Federal Court, and Supreme Court of Victoria.

Clients prize Allen & Overy LLP’s access to the firm’s global network and ‘high level of expertise and experience in commercial litigation matters’. The team underwent significant changes when former practice head John Samaha retired from the partnership; he currently acts as a consultant. Mark van Brakel took over the leadership of the practice and is based in Perth, where David Jenaway also comes in for praise by clients. The recent work of the duo van Brakel and Jenaway reveals the depth of the team’s expertise in energy sector litigation, particularly in relation to enforcing contractual obligations contained in drilling contracts and other concluded agreements. Another area of demonstrable strength is the enforcement of arbitral awards. The team in Sydney has standout credentials in the areas of contentious regulatory issues and white-collar crime proceedings; Michael Shepherd and Jason Gray are the key practitioners.

Arnold Bloch Leibler provides ‘excellent strategic advice’ in acting across a wide spectrum of corporate and commercial litigation. In the words of a client, it is 'the go-to firm for contentious regulatory matters'. In addition, the team has gained countrywide recognition for its ability to represent both large corporations as well as influential individuals in highly publicised disputes; the experience of Leon Zwier (Melbourne) and Susanna Ford (Sydney) would be difficult to match in this sphere. Zwier heads up the department out of Melbourne, where recently promoted partner Elyse Hilton and Teresa Ward are also key team members, among others.

Baker McKenzie acts across a broad spectrum of commercial litigation, including regulatory disputes, investigations, and defence in white-collar criminal proceedings. Georgie Farrant (Sydney) heads up the practice and has wide-ranging expertise, including sensitive investigations and contentious regulatory issues. In August 2019, the Sydney-based group expanded its competition litigation offering with the appointment of Lynsey Edgar from Dentons. The Melbourne-based team is also noted; former practice head and current managing partner Alex Wolff is singled out for being ‘a first-class litigator’.

Norton Rose Fulbright’s main focus is placed on regulatory disputes, with the team having a traditional strength in energy, infrastructure, and telecoms sector regulation; Grant Bonner is a stalwart of Sydney's regulatory litigation landscape. In addition, the group is consistently instructed on inquiries and Royal Commission issues, as well as class action proceedings involving insolvency, shareholder, securities, and product liability claims. Where needed in cross-border matters, the department draws on the expertise of the firm’s global capabilities across the Asia-Pacific, the US, Canada, and the UK; it also adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and acts hand in glove with its colleagues from the insolvency, environmental and construction teams. Rebecca Whittle (Sydney) sits at the helm of the litigation group and is a key contact for government prosecution work. Cameron Harvey (Melbourne) leads the disputes group.

Clyde & Co LLP prides itself on its litigation strength spread across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. The group is widely known for its strong performance in the insurance litigation area; in this space, it recently bolstered its Melbourne-based capabilities with the appointments of Nicole Wearne and Mark Attard from Norton Rose Fulbright. The construction, energy, oil and gas, technology, and agricultural sectors are the department’s mainstays. Sydney-based duo Janette McLennan and John Moran jointly lead the practice.

Acting on both domestically-originated and cross-border mandates, HFW is noted for its partner-led approach and established litigation reputation in the insurance, commodities, energy, shipping, and construction sectors. Melbourne-based department leader Nick Longley has niche expertise in heavy engineering disputes. Richard Jowett is well-known in the insurance litigation market in Melbourne. The group expanded its product liability offering when Michael Maxwell joined the Perth office from Clayton Utz in April 2020.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP prides itself on its well-known strength in critical litigation, and its recent workload backs its reputation up, spanning multiple high-profile class action proceedings. Product liability and contractual disputes are also at the core of the team’s focus. Sydney-based litigators Michael Mills and Michelle Fox share leadership of the department, which is a firm fixture on both the side of both plaintiffs and defendants.

Dentons relies upon the expertise of the firm’s global network across 78 countries. The group also significantly strengthened its insolvency and employment litigation capabilities at the partner level with the arrivals of six partners from Fisher Jeffries. Other industry-specific contentious expertise includes the financial services, real estate, and life sciences sectors. Formerly a barrister in London, John Dalzell now leads the national department in Sydney. Louise Massey (Sydney) serves as co-leader of the firm’s global dispute resolution group.

Sydney-based dispute resolution boutique Deutsch Miller acts for a varied client base consisting of listed and small-and-medium enterprises, financial institutions, charities, and private individuals. The group benefits from significant volumes of referral work from other legal practitioners; it is particularly well-versed in contentious regulatory, wills and trusts work. Mark Deutsch, Shane Anderton, and Chris Stevens jointly sit at the helm of the department.

Gadens Lawyers’ Melbourne-led disputes department is noted for its high-stakes work on contentious matters arising as a result of the establishment of royal commissions, regulatory investigations, and significant class actions. Another stable stream of instructions relates to contract-based disputes; Simon Theodore (Melbourne) is a standout practitioner in this regard. Patrick Walsh heads up the practice, which underwent changes in August 2019, when Dermott Lynch departed, while Edward Martin joined from Gilbert + Tobin. The team’s strength in Sydney is also noted, where Kathy Merrick is a key contact for bet-the-company litigation.

The Perth-based dispute resolution group at Jackson McDonald has a solid track record assisting clients with general commercial disputes, insurance litigation, and infrastructure and construction disputes. For more challenging disputes, the practice is ably assisted by the firm’s legal technology team; it is also noted for its use of online apps in the context of construction sector litigation. Practice head Karene Primrose is a go-to adviser for disputes relating to competition law, negligence, and contract law issues, among others. Neil Gentilli’s recent work stands out at the Supreme Court of Western Australia level.

Maddocks’ litigation group is spearheaded by Sydney-based Norman Lucas and Melbourne-based Gina Wilson. Recent work highlights testify to the department’s strength in acting for key government departments and agencies; notably, it also benefits from a number of panel appointments. Its other recognised strength lies in handling government inquiries. The team is also active in contentious competition and consumer law issues. Ian Temby departed to Clayton Utz in March 2020.

Praised for its ‘expertise and availability’, McCullough Robertson considers its work on regulatory contentious issues to be a core strength of the practice; it is particularly prominent in the investigations and enforcement space. Brisbane-based  Peter Stokes is a key contact for regulatory work in the education, mining, and energy sectors. Guy Humble (Brisbane) leads the wider department, while Jason Munstermann leads the dispute resolution team in Sydney. In addition, the group bolstered its insolvency litigation offering in Brisbane with the appointment of David O’Farrell from HWL Ebsworth in June 2020.

Split across five offices around the country, Mills Oakley’s practice is led out of Melbourne by Andrew Brown. The group finds itself at the forefront of insolvency litigation, where it represents administrators and liquidators in the aftermath of significant corporate bankruptcies. The team is also consistently engaged in general commercial disputes and contentious financial services sector work. Again in the financial sector, the department benefits from multiple panel appointments.

Established in February 2020, litigation boutique Banton Group is a new player in Sydney’s legal market. However, its leaders enjoy a stable reputation among their peers: Squire Patton Boggs’ former dispute resolution department head and name partner Amanda Banton shares leadership with Shaan Palmer and Elliott Smith. The team adopts a multidisciplinary approach by bringing talent in law, economics, forensic accounting, and quantitative analysis under one roof. The group is a firm fixture on the side of the plaintiff and represents financial institutions and external administrators in insolvency-related litigation and investigations.

Colin Biggers & Paisley places an emphasis on contentious work in the construction and property sectors.  Antony Riordan leads the wider dispute resolution group, while commercial litigator Leanne Walker heads up the property disputes team.

The Brisbane-based litigation department at Cooper Grace Ward has carved out a reputation based on its work on disputes involving regulatory issues and commissions of inquiry. The group’s client base included large companies and prominent private clients. Rocco Russo leads the dispute resolution group, where Graham Roberts specialises in securities and insolvency litigation.

Kennedys is known for its leading expertise in insurance litigation, particularly in the aged care and healthcare sectors; insurance disputes are an area of specialism for both Raylee Hartwell and Chris Finn. The team also has significant capabilities in employment disputes. Sydney-based practice head Patrick George is adept at representing high-profile private clients and individuals with celebrity status in sensitive media law and defamation actions. Rebekah Giles departed in February 2020. Commercial litigator Jane Kupsch joined the Melbourne office from Piper Alderman at the end of 2019.

Led out of Melbourne by Greg McKenzie, Lander & Rogers is a destination of choice for clients seeking assistance with complex insolvency issues (a specialism for Melbourne-based Lily Nguyen), property disputes, and corporate and consumer law contentious matters. Another area of focus for the team is litigation in the financial services sector, where its main strength lies in regulatory investigations and proceedings brought as a result thereof. Further, the practice is noted for its recent initiatives in the area of e-discovery and document analysis. January 2020 saw the departures of Andrew Forbes and Louise Nixon to TurksLegal.

The team at McCabe Curwood is well-equipped to handle disputes arising in relation to corporate law, consumer law issues, and antitrust matters. The department is led out of Sydney by the trio Andrew Lacey, Chiara Rawlins, and Foez Dewan.