Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Scott Butler
With over 25 years’ experience, Scott is a leading commercial dispute resolution lawyer with a broad practice working with clients, company directors, and advisers in a range of sectors.
Scott combines his industry knowledge with strong technical and dispute resolution skills to provide innovative, commercial, and cost-effective solutions.
Specialising in restructuring and insolvency, Scott is recognised as one of Queensland’s leading and most experienced lawyers in this field. As an expert in distressed turnarounds and restructures, Scott often works collaboratively with other turnaround and restructuring professionals, assisting with and documenting corporate restructures, and advising company directors in relation to their duties.
Scott is a former chair of the Insolvency and Restructuring Committee of the Law Council of Australia. Scott is a Fellow of INSOL International and an expert in cross-border insolvency law.
McLane Edinger
McLane specialises in estate, will and trust disputes, complex estate administration and elder abuse. He has acted and advised on several large-scale and high-profile estate disputes in both the Supreme Court of WA and Court of Appeal, including multi-jurisdictional estates.
McLane also practices in commercial dispute resolution and insolvency.
McLane provides his clients with thoughtful, practical, and commercial advice and guidance.
Julian Hammond
Julian is a commercial disputes and regulatory investigations lawyer. He is regularly briefed to act for, or against, government entities.
Julian’s specialist expertise includes the use and misuse of regulatory powers in investigations and enforcement proceedings by bodies such as ASIC, APRA, ATO, ASQA. He regularly advises clients in relation to their dealings with State and Federal governments and their agencies (and vice versa).
Julian is also an anti-corruption and integrity specialist, who worked with the Victorian Government and the Premier as part of a specialist team setting up the IBAC. He has acted for clients in IBAC investigations and provided seminars and training to Victorian and local government entities on the powers and functions of the IBAC.
Julian has acted for and advised clients in five Royal Commissions, at both State and Federal level. He acted for one of Australia’s best performing superannuation funds during investigations and appearances before the Financial Services Royal Commission and subsequent regulatory investigations.
Julian has significant experience in Government and administrative law, and has recently acted for a Victorian integrity body in sensitive judicial review proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria. Julian has acted for Departments and individuals in a number of high profile cases, including parliamentary inquiries. He also regularly receives instructions to act for registered training organizations in administrative law proceedings.
Julian also assists clients with general commercial and product liability litigation. His clients include government entities, large public and private companies, small-to-medium enterprises and high-net-worth individuals.
Kathryn Howard
Kathryn leads the Public Sector industry group at Hall & Wilcox, and is a partner in our Commercial Dispute Resolution.
Kathryn is a senior commercial disputes specialist, having practised in Melbourne, Tokyo and London. Her areas of expertise include commercial disputes, alternative dispute resolution, administrative law and public law.
Graydon Dowd
Graydon is a partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at Hall & Wilcox. He is known for his strategic and capable handling of the toughest matters, and has particular expertise in contract disputes, negligence cases, regulatory matters including ASIC and ACCC investigations, coronial inquests and commissions, and product liability. He has advised clients in both the private and public sector.
Natalie Bannister
Natalie lead’s Hall & Wilcox’s Commercial practice (which includes litigation, corporate and commercial, tax, employment, private clients, banking and finance and property and projects) and has broad experience across many areas of commercial law.
Natalie also has close to 20 years’ experience in property, planning and environment law. She acts primarily for institutional clients, utility providers, property developers and large companies. Her experience includes property due diligence, sales and acquisitions; commercial and retail leasing including managing national property portfolios; land contamination including compliance, risk allocation and liability, management and clean-up; obtaining development approvals; planning advice and compliance (including in respect of Aboriginal and European Heritage, native vegetation, traffic, noise, flooding and water quality impacts); rates and land tax objections; compulsory acquisition of land and compensation and property disputes and advice about easements, rights of way and adverse possession.
She regularly acts as an advocate before VCAT and at planning panel hearings.
Natalie has been recognised as a leading Australian lawyer in Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession. She has also been recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia in Real Property Law every year since 2017 and was a Finalist at the 2020 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Executive of the Year.
Natalie is customer-service focused and is constantly evolving and improving the way she delivers legal services to make it as easy as possible for clients to do business with her. Natalie takes an innovative approach to pricing, using fixed fees and other alternative fee arrangements to deliver price certainty and value for money. Natalie is responsive to clients and always does what she says she will do.
Nicola Johnson
Nicola has extensive subject matter expertise in administrative law, advising Commonwealth agencies on complex legal issues and the conduct of reputationally significant litigation. She regularly appears as solicitor advocate in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Federal Circuit and Family Court and Federal Court of Australia.
Nicola specialises in advising and representing government, particularly the Department of Home Affairs. With over 19 years of experience undertaking volume litigation and advice as a solicitor, she is known for delivering outcomes under strict timeframes and accountability frameworks. Her advice demonstrates an understanding of the needs of government agencies and the relevant legislative context in which they operate.
Nicola also has significant inquiries experience, representing the Commonwealth in high profile Coronial Inquests and Royal Commissions
Wayne Kelcey
Wayne is a leading litigation and insolvency expert, with over 20 years' experience, specialising in large and complex commercial disputes in all jurisdictions, including commercial arbitrations.
These disputes have incorporated insolvency related disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes as well as major construction and intellectual property litigation.
Wayne’s focus is on delivering the best possible commercial outcomes when it comes to litigation and dispute resolution, and clients appreciate his strategic approach and quick identification of issues.
His clients include well known international corporates, manufacturers, building companies and many of Australia’s leading accounting and insolvency firms. Specifically, Wayne has developed very strong relationships within the insolvency industry and has acted in a number of high profile insolvencies from a variety of perspectives. He has also acted for a number of clients in relation to large complex litigation matters.
Wayne has been recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia in Litigation every year since 2016 . He is also recognised as a Recommended Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyer 2018 in the Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession.
He is a member of the Melbourne Central Insolvency Discussion Group and is a regular presenter at various insolvency conferences nationally and is the co-author of the PPSA Survival Guide for Insolvency Practitioners.
Stephen Klotz
Stephen is a well-respected commercial litigation lawyer with over 30 years’ experience. His specialist area of practice is in corporate and commercial dispute resolution, including complex debt, consumer law, contract, corporations law, equity, real property, partnership and shareholder disputes, superannuation and regulatory investigations.
Stephen has represented both public and private companies across a range of industries and issues, in the Supreme Court, the Federal Court and High Court, and has led large-scale matters involving complex issues. His industry knowledge covers financial services, government, health, infrastructure, IT, mining, pharmaceutical, property, retail and transport.
Adrian Lasky
Adrian has been involved in litigation across a wide range of matters including corporate and personal insolvency, banking and finance litigation, property and contractual disputes. Adrian has broad experience in litigation and enforcement matters before all Victorian Courts, other State Courts, the Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia, and VCAT. Adrian’s clients include corporate insolvency (including receivers, administrators and liquidators) and personal insolvency practitioners (bankruptcy trustees).
Tom McMahon
Tom has extensive experience in acting for high net wealth families, private and public corporations and corporate trustees. He heads up the firm’s Private Client Dispute Resolution offering which has a focus on shareholder, joint venture, partnership, trust, estate and governance disputes.
Tom has extensive experience in acting in tax, regulatory, financial services, “white collar” malfeasance and contractual disputes and provides his clients with commercial, practical and timely advice with a view to resolving disputes efficiently. He is an assertive and proactive advocate for his clients’ interests.
Tom also has considerable experience in the not-for-profit sector, including as a board member and trustee.
Selina Nutley
Selina has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in the funds management, financial services and real estate sectors and in dealing with regulators.
In the funds management and financial services area, Selina is focused on assisting clients with managing contentious relationships between trustees, investment managers and investors, regulatory investigations (including with AFCA) and disputes arising from the licensee/authorised representation relationship.
In the property area, Selina advises clients in disputes concerning contracts, development agreements, resumption of land and also represents clients in the Planning and Environment Court.
Her general commercial litigation experience spans the likes of trade mark, defamation, partnership and restraint of trade disputes.
Selina is highly regarded for her engaging, practical, and carefully tailored in-house training presentations. Clients value Selina's common sense commercial approach, outcomes focus, and genuine industry knowledge.
Katherine Payne
Katherine’s primary expertise is in corporate insolvency, the PPSA, contractual disputes, misleading and deceptive conduct, and building and construction litigation in an insolvency context.
Katherine partners closely with her clients to achieve their best strategic outcome efficiently and effectively. She proactively seeks an early favourable outcome. Where this is not available, emphasis on commerciality and strategic decision-making drive her management of formal disputes.
Katherine’s clients include many well-known insolvency practitioners, advisory accountants, financiers, national and international corporates, suppliers and manufacturers of a variety of goods, and logistics providers.
Katherine regularly publishes articles and presents to clients and associations from a range of sectors, particularly on insolvency issues and regarding the impact of PPSA on their business. She has published PPSA: A Practical Guide for Financiers, and written and developed the PPSA Online Checklist, the first online PPSA claim assessment tool for insolvency practitioners.
Katherine sits on the Vic/Tas Committee of the Australian Reconstruction, Insolvency and Turnaround Association and is a Board Member of The Song Room, a national not-for-profit organisation which partners with schools to deliver music and arts programs for children in areas of disadvantage
Mark Petrucco
Mark lead's the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at Hall & Wilcox. He specialises in corporate insolvency matters, commercial litigation and corporations law disputes, intellectual property and copyright litigation, and financial services disputes including securities enforcement. He also has extensive experience working with banks and wealth funds, and advising on matters related to Royal Commissions and inquires.
Mark acts on behalf of a number of national clients on large pieces of commercial litigation and disputes in financial services industries.
Albert Ponte
Since arriving in Australia, Albert has worked on various types of commercial disputes, for a range of clients including the Greater Building Society, Newcastle Airport, Port Stephens Council and various engineering companies based in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. He continues to practice in the area of construction litigation, including adjudications of payment disputes under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) and disputes under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW).
Albert qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2003 after training with an established commercial law firm in London. He remained at the firm, practising commercial litigation until he migrated to Australia in 2012 with his Australian wife and young family. During his time practising in London Albert’s focus was on construction-related litigation and professional negligence disputes.
Albert has extensive experience of participating in mediations and is a nationally accredited mediator
Chris Sacré
Partner
Jacob Uljans
Jacob (Jake) is a member of Hall & Wilcox’s commercial dispute resolution team, practising predominantly in general commercial litigation.
Jake acts for clients in a wide range of contractual disputes, corporations and equity matters, insolvency proceedings, disputes with regulators, class actions, environment and sustainability disputes, trade practices and tax litigation. Jake specialises in legally and factually complex disputes and litigation, with a particular focus on disputes in the financial services and regulatory spaces.
As a co-founder and director of a Melbourne-based brewing and hospitality business, Jake has substantial business knowledge and experience, and has previously held roles as a director of the Craft Beer Industry Association and on the Board of Management of the Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre.
Hector West
Hector is a partner in the Hall & Wilcox Commercial Dispute Resolution team and is the office partner in charge of the Hall & Wilcox office in Perth. He has specialised in commercial dispute resolution, insolvency and bankruptcy for more than 20 years.
He has extensive experience in commercial dispute resolution matters and his clients include large corporates, high net worth individuals, financial institutions, accounting firms and government bodies. More specifically, his experience includes acting in disputes in relation to the Australian Consumer Law, financial services law, corporations, partnership law, equity, collection of overdue Federal tax debts and regulatory investigations.
He is also experienced in insolvency and bankruptcy matters, including acting and advising insolvency practitioners, directors, financial institutions in various claims and actions arising under security agreements, the Corporations Act or Bankruptcy Act.
Eden Winokur
Eden is a leading cyber, privacy, disputes and insurance lawyer who heads Hall & Wilcox’s cyber team.
Eden specialises in advising on the full spectrum of cyber risk. This includes:
acting as incident response provider/breach coach and/or legal advisor in the event of a cyber security incident or data breach, providing an urgent triage and assessment of the incident and risks;
managing the incident response process, including the engagement of cyber security and other expert vendors, along with directing IT forensic investigations. Beyond IT experts, cyber incidents can involve engaging specialist vendors for reputational risks, notification specialists, call centre services, credit monitoring providers, business interruption adjustors and ransomware negotiation experts. Eden has strong relationships with leading specialist vendors dealing with all aspects of cyber incidents;
cyber insurance coverage advice, including in relation to claims by SMEs as well as large and complex claims, which often require technical knowledge about cyber incidents;
providing privacy and other legal advice in respect of actual or suspected data breaches or security incidents, including drafting notifications to and engaging with the OAIC and individuals affected by data breaches;
advising clients in relation to regulatory investigations initiated by the OAIC, as well as assisting clients respond to and settle complaints with the OAIC following a data breach;
managing privacy advice from local experts in multi-jurisdictional incidents, particularly those involving European citizens under GDPR;
advising on notifications to regulators and regulatory bodies, including ASIC, APRA, ASX, ACSC and ACNC; and
defending or bringing subrogated claims arising from cyber incidents, particularly in relation to social engineering fraud, breach of contract or negligence.
Penelope Ford
Penny is a commercial disputes lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience managing high value and complex claims and disputes for a wide range of commercial and government clients.
Penny has a particular focus on construction, resources and energy and oil and gas disputes.
Penny has successfully advised both principals and contractors in relation to the management and resolution of major disputes including through structured negotiation, mediation, adjudication, contested superior court litigation and national and international arbitration. She has also acted for clients in commissions of inquiry and inquests.
Penny has also spent time in-house on secondment with several national and international corporations assisting them to manage and respond to claims and disputes. This experience has given her a very practical and commercial perspective on dispute management and resolution from which her clients are able to benefit.
Team Services
When our clients need to resolve disputes, we are in their corner. We take a highly strategic and commercial approach to disputes. We do not allow disputes to just ‘run their course’ – unless of course that is the client’s preference.
Our expertise spans litigation and dispute resolution regarding:
- banking and financial services
- commercial and contracts
- IP
- private client
- property and building
- regulatory investigations
- tax
We act in all courts and jurisdictions, and handle disputes and litigation arising interstate and overseas. We are also highly skilled in alternative dispute resolution and have significant expertise in risk management and compliance.