Dispute resolution: class actions Tier 2

Johnson Winter & Slattery is praised for being ‘knowledgeable about class actions and litigation funding’. Indeed, the group prides itself on the strength of its relationships with litigation funders and acts for the Association of Litigation Funders of Australia; it utilises this strength in acting for clients affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, the team specialises in corporate and commercial class action litigation, and is equally well-versed in acting on the side of plaintiffs and defendants. The dispute resolution department is spearheaded by Paul Buitendag  (Melbourne) and Paul Reidy (Sydney). Frances Dreyer has extensive experience in the financial products and securities space. Robert Johnston is noted for his longstanding class action experience in the Supreme and Federal Courts.

Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 2

Johnson Winter & Slattery fields 'an extraordinary team of highly capable partners and junior associates'. It is widely known for its strength in handling corporate and commercial disputes, as well as for acting on both sides of high-profile class actions; Sydney-based practice head Paul Reidy stands out in this space. Department co-head Paul Buitendag (Melbourne) is also noted for his strong relationships with litigation funders. The group’s client roster includes large corporations and government bodies, for which it handles work in sectors such as technology, renewable energy and resources, infrastructure, construction, and financial services, among others. Avendra Singh joined from Squire Patton Boggs, thereby expanding the team's ability to act on property-related disputes.

Energy (transactions and regulatory) Tier 2

Johnson Winter & Slattery has bolstered its energy practice, already a strong focus for the firm, with the arrival of highly-respected transactional partners Bruce Adkins and Stuart Claque from Corrs Chambers Westgarth, a significant boost to the Brisbane office. A full-service offering includes transactional advice, regulatory support, and planning matters for major domestic and international clients engaged in upstream and downstream oil & gas, electricity, and renewable energy projects. Jee-Seon Lee leads the team from Perth, and has great experience in the Western Australia gas and electricity sector, encompassing power station developments, transactions, and regulation. Melbourne's Peter Rose is an experienced transactional counsel who also offers regulatory and planning expertise. Adelaide-based Christopher Beame made partner in 2020 and specialises in regulatory advice to both the business and regulatory side.

Media and entertainment Tier 2

Johnson Winter & Slattery’s media and entertainment practice is fronted by Sydney-based Kevin Lynch, a lawyer vastly experienced in brand protection, defamation, broadcast regulation, contractual affairs, and IP matters, handling contentious and non-contentious mandates alike. His team is active across a broad range of industries, counting magazine broadcasters, magazine publishers, newspapers, and film companies among its client list. A notable distinguisher for the department is its 24-hour email and phone availability for pre-publication advice.

Tax Tier 2

Johnson Winter & Slattery stands out for its impressive client base of major Australian and multinational corporate groups, and in particular for its expertise in handling tax aspects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The practice is known for its capabilities across the spectrum of tax law, including international tax, income tax and capital gains tax, GST, payroll tax and stamp duty. Equally notable is the department's end-to-end experience in tax disputes. Practice head Stewart Grieve in Melbourne has a specialist focus on tax audits and disputes. Other key team members include the Sydney-based Prashanth Kainthaje, an expert in international tax (inbound and outbound) and private equity, and the veteran practitioner Richard Gelski.  In major team news, former practice head Reynah Tang departed for the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in June 2019 and Kathryn Bertram promoted to partner in June 2020.

Banking and finance Tier 3

Traditionally known for its expertise acting for sponsors and borrowers, Johnson Winter & Slattery has recently grown its practice in cross-border transactions advising international credit funds and investment banks. The team is particularly strong in Queensland. Team co-head David Beckett in Brisbane has a strong client base of private equity clients and has recently been active in the corporate finance space, while fellow co-head Joseph Scarcella in Sydney operates largely in restructuring and insolvency. In team news, debt finance expert Jim Hunwick departed for Pinsent Masons LLP in November 2019.

Competition and trade Tier 3

Corporate and M&A Tier 3

Labour and employment Tier 3

Johnson Winter & Slattery is known for its focus on certain key areas in contentious employment law, including sexual harassment and whistleblowing claims, post-employment restraint of trade obligations, and high-profile employment class actions. On the advisory side, the team is experienced in areas, such as industrial relations, especially for major change projects and enterprise agreements, and acting for private equity companies in post-acquisition organisational restructures. Sector strengths include media, transport, education, energy and resources, information technology, retail, financial services, health and aged care sectors. The team is jointly headed up by Jan Dransfield and litigator Ruveni Kelleher in Sydney, and Lucienne Mummé in Melbourne.

Natural resources (transactions and regulatory) Tier 3

Johnson Winter & Slattery has bolstered its resources practice, already a strong focus for the firm, with the arrival of highly-respected transactional partners Bruce Adkins and Stuart Claque, a significant boost to the Brisbane office. A full-service offering includes transactional advice, regulatory support, and planning matters for major domestic and international clients engaged in large-scale mining and minerals projects. Jee-Seon Lee leads the team from Perth, and has great experience in the Western Australia mining construction and procurement sectors. Melbourne's Peter Rose is an experienced transactional counsel who also offers regulatory and planning expertise. Adelaide-based Christopher Beame made partner in 2020, and specialises in regulatory advice to both the business and regulatory side.

Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

Johnson Winter & Slattery's restructuring and insolvency practice fields a team of lawyers capable of handling the full range of work in this area for both debtors and insolvency practitioners. In a key lateral hire this year, Peter Smith joined in March 2020 from Herbert Smith Freehills, having previously headed up the team there, and significantly bolstered the firm's Brisbane offering. Sydney-based practice head Joseph Scarcella is a respected litigator, while David Proudman lends deep experience in non-contentious insolvency and business reconstruction.

Financial services regulatory Tier 4

Johnson Winter & Slattery is highlighted for combining 'robust knowledge and skill' with 'a personalised service'. Its expertise spans all aspects of financial services regulations and the regulatory regimes relevant to funds/superannuation funds. Austin Bell is active on the Financial Services Council and other bodies that consider regulatory reforms, in addition to guiding clients through regulatory regimes. Simon Haddy, who joined as a partner from Herbert Smith Freehills in 2019, advises corporates on the regulatory aspects of their transactions, and Tom Jarvis (in Melbourne) has acted for ASIC in high- profile cases.

IT and telecoms Tier 4

Johnson Winter & Slattery advises a wide range of corporate and tech-focused clients on procurement, outsourcing, and regulatory matters, with a partner-focused approach to contract negotiation and documentation. The practice acts for both suppliers and customers, and has productive long-term relationships with Microsoft and Origin Energy. The practice is led from Sydney by Christine Ecob, who regularly advises in complex multi-party negotiations for a broad range of transactions and projects, and Ravi de Fonseka, who offers broad experience across domestic and cross-border commercial tech matters.

White-collar crime Tier 4

Johnson Winter & Slattery handles all aspects of white-collar crime, internal and external investigations, and its expertise extends to cross-border criminal matters, extraditions, and trade sanctions cases. The firm is equally well regarded for its approach to client relationships; one client reported 'true friendships can be developed and maintained.' Robert Wyld is well known for the breadth of his expertise – both domestic and international. In addition to commercial and criminal litigation, regulatory investigations, fraud, and corruption cases, he is also advising the International Bar Association; providing ongoing pro-bono work for the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association in respect of implementing the Anti-Corruption Guidelines.

Construction Tier 5

Johnson Winter & Slattery’s construction practice is focused on upstream oil and gas, electricity, mining and government infrastructure projects. Operating from Perth, Will Coulthard serves as department head, providing input at each stage of the project lifecycle from drafting and tendering through to back-end disputes. The practice, which has notably expanded in recent years, was further bolstered by the recent arrival of Sydney-based Avendra Singh from Squire Patton Boggs; he brings urban renewal, residential, public utilities and commercial property knowhow to the team.

Real estate Tier 5

At Johnson Winter & Slattery, Peter Trevaskis is a well-regarded name for development, acquisition and sale, investment, and the leasing of both commercial and industrial assets. Together with David Colenso, a transaction, joint venture and major project specialist operating from Brisbane, he heads the department which acts for a growing client list of REITs, real estate holding companies, investment funds, fund managers, foreign investors, and developers, among others. Carrie Follas is based in Sydney alongside Trevaskis; she provides the team with distinguished expertise in agribusiness, forestry, and agriculture matters.

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