Allens‘ defendant-side class action offering is co-led by Belinda Thompson in Melbourne and Alex Tolliday in Sydney. The group has notable financial services expertise, with extensive experience acting for banks. In addition, the team has seen an uptick in work for defendants in shareholder class actions, including those which relate to reputationally significant issues. Jenny Campbell, in Sydney, is appointed by the Supreme Court of NSW as an independent advisor to class members, and brings her specialist advice to a range of clients. Alongside contentious work, the team also advises clients on mitigating risk and class action liability. Guy Foster retired in June 2023.

The class action team at Ashurst can often be seen acting for clients in major disputes, ranging from underpayment matters to data breaches. Jeremy Chenoweth, Ian Bolster and Mark Bradley co-lead the team from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, respectively. Chenoweth heads the firm’s dispute resolution practice; Bolster is praised for his ‘keen strategic approach’ and involvement in market-leading claims; and Bradley has notable experience in financial services and corporate regulatory disputes. Sydney-based partner John Pavlakis is sought out for his shareholder class action expertise and strength in class actions against government bodies. Also in Sydney, senior associate Sally-Anne Stewart is recommended.

‘One of the leading practices in Australia‘, the Clayton Utz commercial litigation department boasts a range of sector expertise in class actions, and is equipped to handle product liability, employment, financial services and consumer action claims, among others. In Sydney, Greg Williams and Colin Loveday co-lead the team; ‘the doyens of the class action’, both are sought after for their product liability expertise, including in the pharmaceutical industry. Also in Sydney, Andrew Morrison maintains a practice that spans the automotive, consumer and competition sectors. Alexandra Rose is recommended for her ‘great tactical nous’. Matthew Spain joined the team in Melbourne from DLA Piper in May 2023, specialising in work for financial services clients.

Jason Betts leads Herbert Smith Freehills LLP' class actions group, an experienced defendant-side team carrying out large, complex class actions across a range of industries. Betts, in Sydney, specialises in product liability, with additional experience in shareholder class actions. In Melbourne, Damian Grave has particular strength in advising public companies on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters across both Australia and the UK. Expertise in the team also extends to mining and resources claims, consumer products, environmental events and securities; the last of these being a particular specialism for Christine Tran in Sydney. In Brisbane, Elizabeth Poulos has notable experience advising financial services clients. Ante Golem is the key contact in Perth. The team continues to develop, with Melissa Gladstone promoted to partner in May 2023.

Melbourne-based partner Matthew Swinn heads the class action offering at King & Wood Mallesons, advising on a range of claims from cybercrime to insurance, with an emphasis on the financial services industry, including work arising out of the Financial Services Royal Commission. In Sydney, Moira Saville acts for major corporate clients in defence of claims, while Alexander Morris focuses on financial services class action matters of high reputational significance. Emma Costello is a key name in Brisbane, with notable experience in infrastructure and environmental claims; Liam Burgess, in Sydney, has growing experience working with government and state-owned clients. Other team members are also based in Canberra and Perth, working collaboratively across the country.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth‘s class actions practice has notable strength in data and technology claims, with experience working for high-profile clients, which extends to its expertise in class actions arising from cyber security incidents. Team head Chris Pagent, in Sydney, has experience in such matters, alongside a range of shareholder, product liability and employment claims. Also in Sydney is Brad Woodhouse, who has notable strength in cases involving employee underpayments and natural disasters. Daniel Marquet is a key team member in Melbourne, and Katrina Sleiman and senior associate Thomas Scott in Sydney are also recommended.

The class actions team at Johnson Winter Slattery comprises 'highly strategic thinkers'. Under the leadership of Robert Johnston, it leverages years of experience on both the plaintiff and defendant side to support clients in industries from hospitality to insurance. Paul Reidy is noted for his ‘experience and wisdom’ as well as his 'highly commercial and practical approach'. Frances Dreyer specialises in claims related to financial and investment products and is highly recommended alongside Felicity Karageorge. All named lawyers are based in Sydney.

Plaintiff-side class action boutique Phi Finney McDonald specialises in complex, large-scale litigation, focusing on shareholder class actions. Firm co-founders Ben Phi, Tim Finney and Odette McDonald jointly lead the team from Melbourne. ‘Legal mastermind’ Phi has particular expertise in cross-border claims, Finney has notable experience in financial services litigation, and McDonald works across the UK and Australia; the trio are ‘well-regarded for their astuteness’. Clients range from pension schemes to private investors, alongside investment platforms and sovereign wealth funds.

Cameron Maclean and Kieran O’Brien lead the class action offering from DLA Piper, based in Perth and Melbourne, respectively. O’Brien is notably acting for the AFL in two concussion class actions brought by former players, and co-chairs the firm’s global class actions and collective redress group. Sydney-based partner Tricia Hobson has particular expertise in the insurance sector, also an area of strength for James Morse in Sydney. Liam Prescott is a key contact in Brisbane. John Middleton AM KC joined the team as a senior advisor in March 2023.

The ‘first class team’ at Gilbert + Tobin is led by Richard Harris, a class action specialist with particular expertise in financial services disputes and pre-litigation risk advice. Rebecca Spigelman has notable experience in class actions across Australia as well as in New York and Canada, including claims concerning product liability and antitrust. The team works on both the plaintiff and defendant side, with an emphasis on regulatory compliance matters. Colleen Platford is well versed in insolvency and restructuring-related cases.

Cameron Harvey in Melbourne leads the litigation offering at Norton Rose Fulbright, which works collaboratively with the wider firm internationally. Consumer markets are a particular area of expertise for the class actions team, which has also notable experience in the life sciences industry and growing activity in franchising disputes. Nigel Jones in Melbourne focuses on brand management and reputation protection; Sydney-based partner Ann Donohue specialises in long-running disputes. Also in Sydney, Kate Green is recommended for both domestic and international disputes.

The class action litigation team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is co-led by Damian Scattini and Michelle Fox, both in Sydney. The team acts for plaintiffs and defendants, with expertise across a broad range of areas, including shareholder class actions, consumer claims, product liability claims and mass torts. The group has notable international expertise - with Fox qualified in Massachusetts and England and Wales, as well as Australia - and has developed a strong practice handling COVID-related business loss class action claims.

Leon Zwier in Melbourne leads the dispute resolution and litigation team at Arnold Bloch Leibler, which has particular strength regarding elder care matters – an area of particular expertise for Sydney-based partner John Mitchell. Also based in Melbourne is Teresa Ward, who acts for both public and private companies alongside individuals in industries including professional services, telecoms and manufacturing.

The Baker McKenzie class actions team’s ‘deep experience instils considerable confidence’. Led jointly by Peter Lucarelli in Melbourne and Mark Chapple in Sydney, the team is developing notable expertise in the cybersecurity sector, an area in which Sydney-based partner Paul Forbes specialises. Chapple is particularly active in professional negligence issues. Special counsel Jayme-Lyn Hendriks, also in Sydney, is another key practitioner.

With expertise across the insurance, construction and maritime sectors, among others, Clyde & Co LLP’s commercial disputes team acts for both insurers and parties to class action proceedings. The team is co-led by Lucinda Lyons and Michael Tooma, both based in Sydney, and Maurice Thompson in Melbourne. Nicole Wearne, also in Melbourne, is experienced in financial services matters and regulatory investigations, while in Sydney, the highly regarded Janette McLennan specialises in commercial claims.

The disputes and investigations team at Colin Biggers & Paisley has particular expertise in class actions involving insurers, including those which involve companies in distress and liquidation. Michael Russell leads the team from Melbourne and is experienced in handling shareholder and employment class actions. The team also works from Sydney, where Greg Skehan a key name; Skehan specialises in construction-related cases, also an area of focus for Paul Bannon.

The class actions lawyers at Minter Ellison in Sydney ‘are at the top of their game’, acting as part of the wider dispute resolution group led by James Beaton and Beverley Newbold. Newbold specialises in class actions, with experience acting for listed companies. David Taylor is noted for his ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of the law’ and is an expert in shareholder and superannuation class actions with particular strength regarding quantification of loss. Jacky Wong is also recommended.

The dispute resolution and litigation team at Piper Alderman acts in class actions on both the plaintiff and defendant side, with particular strength in cases in the financial services and life sciences industries. Martin del Gallego leads the team from Sydney, a commercial litigator with notable experience in cross-border class actions. Greg Whyte, in Brisbane, is noted for his ‘technical ability’, and Anne Freeman, in Sydney, is an ‘exceptional practitioner‘. Also in Sydney, Kate Sambrook made partner in January 2023, and has notable experience in the financial services sector.