Ella practices in commercial and public law, including trial and appellate proceedings, class actions, large commercial and arbitral proceedings, public law and environment and planning.

Before coming to the bar, Ella was Associate to Justice Gordon at the High Court, Senior Associate to Justice Dixon at the Supreme Court, and a solicitor in commercial litigation at Arnold Bloch Leibler.  She completed her undergraduate law degree at Cambridge University on a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust scholarship, and received the Richard Akinjide Prize for exceptional academic performance.  Ella also holds an LLM from Melbourne University (first class honours GPA) and Masters from Columbia University, where she was appointed a Teaching Fellow.

Ella is listed in Doyle’s Guide for Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Junior Counsel in Victoria and was a reporter for the Commonwealth Law Reports from 2019 to 2024.

A selection of matters in which Ella has been briefed include:

Commercial Law

• Marianne Haverkort v Qantas Airways Limited (Federal Court): consumer law class action, led by Dr Oren Bigos KC, Michael Hodge KC, and Thomas Bagley, instructed by Echo Law

• Star Entertainment Group Class Action (Supreme Court): shareholder class action, with Ryan May and Rebecca Howe, led by William Edwards KC, instructed by Maurice Blackburn

• Warner v Ansell Limited (Supreme Court): shareholder class action led by Michael Rush KC and Kane Loxley, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills

• Advice for significant corporate group in relation to various commercial and tax issues, led by Allan Myers KC AM

• Habrok (Dalgaranga) Pty Ltd v Gasgoyne Resources Ltd (Federal Court), corporate insolvency, voluntary administration, application to terminate deed of company arrangement, conflicts, adequacy of sale process, led by Bret Walker SC, with Dr Elizabeth Boros KC, and Tim Boyle, instructed by ABL

• PharmX Pty Ltd (in its capacity as trustee of the PharmX Unit Trust) v Fred IT Group (Supreme Court): shareholder dispute, judicial advice; led by Carl Moller SC, instructed by Bridges Lawyers

• Braham Investments Pty Ltd v Charles Wantrup (Supreme Court): managed investment scheme, whether creation of trust, led by Mark Costello KC, instructed by MinterEllison

• Butler v Total Tools Holdings Pty Ltd (Federal Court) contractual/equitable dispute, whether entitlement to equity, whether specific performance available, led by Stephen Parmenter KC, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills

• Advice in relation to significant loan agreement, led by Allan Myers KC AM, instructed by Piper AldermanBarrett v Head, Transport for Victoria (Supreme Court), disputed acquisition, led by David Batt KC and Lisa Hannon KC, instructed by Maddocks

• Jeshing Property Management Pty Ltd v Yang & Ors (Court of Appeal), construction of registered instrument, led by Sam Horgan KC, instructed by JT Lawyers

Public Law/Commissions and Inquiries

• Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence (Crown Royal Commission): briefed for the Commission, instructed by Corrs Chambers Westgarth

• Grand Ridge v Valuer General of Victoria (Court of Appeal), meaning of capital improved value, led by David Batt KC and Geoff Kozminsky, instructed by State Valuer-General

• Advice on significant native title claims involving Northern Territory property (unled), instructed by Piper Alderman

• Advice as to constitutional validity of certain Northern Territory laws, led by Mark Costello SC, instructed by NAAJA

• Friends of Nyah-Viniferah Park Inc v Minister for Environment & Water & Anor (Federal Court), judicial review proceedings relating to the Murray Darling Basin plan, led by Brendan Lim, instructed by Environmental Justice Australia

• CYG20 v Commonwealth of Australia (Federal Court), judicial review proceedings under the Migration Act, led by Chris Tran, instructed by Commonwealth   

• CKT16 v Minister for Immigration & Anor (Federal Court), judicial review proceedings under the Migration Act, unled, instructed by Legal Aid

• 390A Queens Pde Pty Ltd v Yarra City Council (Supreme Court): judicial review, led by Stuart Morris KC, instructed by Best Hooper

• various environment and planning law inquiries and hearings including Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Panel Advisory Committee hearings 

Ella read with Kathleen Foley KC, and her senior mentor is Justice Catherine Button

* Liability limited under a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

Cases