Laura practises in commercial law and public law.
She advises and appears in a range of areas including building and construction, insolvency and bankruptcy, property, equity and trusts, class actions and insurance. Below is a selection of matters Laura has been briefed in since coming to the bar.
Before coming to the Bar, Laura was an associate to the Honourable Justice Kennedy at the Supreme Court of Victoria. She previously practised as a solicitor at Clayton Utz in commercial litigation.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from Deakin University. She was included in the Dean’s Merit List and was awarded academic prizes. She was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 awards. She is a monitor for the Victorian Bar Insolvency Committee.
Laura read with Dr Oren Bigos. Her senior mentor is James Peters KC.
Selection of Recent Matters
Commercial (class actions, property and general)
- McCoy v Hino Motors Ltd & Anor; Maglio v Hino Motor Sales Australia Pty Ltd & Anor (led by G Rich SC & C Winnett) – class action in relation to fuel emissions (ongoing)
- Resimax Group Pty Ltd v Eagle Rise Wollert Pty Ltd (led by T Mitchell SC) – claim concerning development fees and fiduciary duties (ongoing)
- Walters v Perton [2023] VSC 37 (led by D Farrands KC) and application for leave to appeal (ongoing) – Testator Family Maintenance claim that involved claims that the estate had equitable interest in property
- Arbitration concerning joint venture dispute (resolved in 2023 before final hearing)
- GP Building Holdings Pty Ltd v Voitin [2022] VSCA 210; [2023] HCATrans 82 (led by D Farrands KC) – knowing receipt claim
- Zelos v Zelos [2021] VCAT 62 (unled) – co-ownership dispute where third party held equitable interest in property
- Monaco Super Fund Pty Ltd v Mastrogiannopoulos [2019] VSC 632 (unled) – application to set aside default judgment.
- Various unled matters in the County Court, Magistrates’ Court and VCAT
Building and construction
- Mammoet Pty Ltd v Goldwind Australia Pty Ltd Supreme Court proceedings (led by M Scott KC) – related disputes primarily concerning delays in construction of wind farms (settled before trial)
- Façade Designs International Pty Ltd v Yuanda Vic Pty Ltd [2020] VSC 570 (trial); [2021] VSCA 44 (appeal); [2021] HCATrans 169 (special leave) (led) – application for judgment for under s 16(4)(a)(ii) of Security of Payment Act where payment claim included an “excluded amount”
- ICC Arbitration acting for principal against project manager and contract administrator concerning variations, latent conditions and delay claims (led by M Scott KC)
- Various unled matters in the County Court and VCAT and Security of Payment adjudications
Insolvency and bankruptcy
- In the matter of ACN 004 817 323 Pty Ltd (In Liq), formerly Laura Ashley (Australia) Pty Ltd – acted for liquidator in claim for recovery of compensation for loss resulting from insolvent trading against director (led by H Austin KC) (settled)
- Nash v Timbercorp Finance Pty Ltd (In Liq), Bankrupt estate of Nash (2019) 137 ACSR 189 (led by H Austin KC) – application by examinee in public examination to restrain solicitors from acting
Public Law
- WKBF v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (led by G Hill SC) [2023] AATA 3728
- Bowman v Commonwealth of Australia [2022] FCA 594 (led by R Knowles KC)
- EPU19 v Minister for Home Affairs [2020] FCA 541 (led by R Knowles KC)
- Various unled immigration matters in the Federal Court, Federal Circuit and Family Court and Administrative Appeals Tribunal
- Various unled taxation matters in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
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