Ella Delany

Ella is recommended by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Junior Counsel and is also recognised for her expertise in class actions. 

Before coming to the Bar, Ella was Associate to Justice Gordon at the High Court, 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, Masters from Columbia University, and a teaching fellowship from Columbia University. 

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

Commercial Law and Regulatory

• ACCC v Microsoft (Federal Court): regulatory proceedings relating to Microsoft’s AI rollout, led by Tamieka Spencer Bruce SC, instructed by ACCC

• Q News v Commonwealth (High Court): restitution and constitutional law issues, led by Mark Costello KC, instructed by Piper Alderman

• Celsius Commercial Kitchens v Commonwealth (Federal Court): class action, restitution and constitutional law issues, led by Mark Costello KC, instructed by Piper Alderman

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

• Star Entertainment Group Class Action (Supreme Court): securities class action, led by William Edwards KC, Ryan May and Rebecca Howe, instructed by Maurice Blackburn
• Warner v Ansell Limited (Supreme Court): securities class action, led by Michael Rush KC and Kane Loxley SC, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
• Advice for significant corporate group in relation to various commercial and tax issues, led by Allan Myers AC KC
• Habrok (Dalgaranga) Pty Ltd v Gascoyne Resources Ltd (Federal Court): insolvency, rival DOCAs, led by Bret Walker SC, Dr Elizabeth Boros KC and Tim Boyle, instructed by ABL
• Butler v Total Tools Holdings Pty Ltd (Federal Court): contract dispute, shareholders’ resolution, led by Stephen Parmenter KC, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
• Advice in relation to significant loan agreement, led by Allan Myers AC KC, instructed by Piper Alderman
• ETG International v Century Group (Supreme Court): shareholder dispute, led by Kathleen Foley SC, instructed by ABL
• PharmX Pty Ltd (in its capacity as trustee of the PharmX Unit Trust) v Fred IT Group (Supreme Court): shareholder dispute, construction of trust deed, led by Carl Möller SC, instructed by Bridges Lawyers
• Ma v Qin (Supreme Court): joint venture construction project, equitable claims, misleading or deceptive conduct claims, led by Kathleen Foley SC, instructed by ABL 
• Braham Investments Pty Ltd v Charles Wantrup (Supreme Court): disputed managed investment scheme, led by Mark Costello KC, instructed by MinterEllison
• Various commercial disputes unled, including Secure Funding v Torbeckin (Supreme Court) [2024] VSC 609, disputed loan agreement, instructed by Norton Rose Fulbright; North West Supermarkets Pty Ltd v Castlemaine Commercial Pty Ltd, injunction, instructed by ABL.
• Arbitrations under ACICA and UNCITRAL rules

Appeals

• Grand Ridge v Valuer General of Victoria (Court of Appeal) [2025] VSCA 299: meaning of capital improved value, led by David Batt KC and Geoff Kozminsky, instructed by Victorian Valuer-General
• Jeshing Property Management Pty Ltd v Yang & Ors (Supreme Court, Court of Appeal) [2022] VSC 306; [2023] VSCA 185: 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, led by Adrian Finanzio SC, Penny Neskovcin KC, Meg O’Sullivan KC and Geoffrey Kozminsky
• Advice as to impacts of religious discrimination bill, led by Bret Walker SC, Kathleen Foley SC, and Brendan Lim, direct brief
• 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
• Advice as to constitutional validity of certain Northern Territory laws, led by Mark Costello KC, instructed by NAAJA
• Advice on significant native title claims involving Northern Territory property (unled), instructed by Piper Alderman
• McIver v Australian Capital Territory (Special Leave), statutory construction, led by Kathleen Foley SC and James McComish, instructed by Ken Cush 

Valuation/Planning and Environment

• Barrett v Head, Transport for Victoria (Supreme Court), valuation dispute, statutory construction, led by David Batt KC and Lisa Hannon KC, instructed by Maddocks

• 390A Queens Pde Pty Ltd v Yarra City Council (Supreme Court): procedural fairness, statutory construction, led by Stuart Morris KC, instructed by Best Hooper
• Advised as to disputed acquisitions involving West Gate Tunnel Project, Suburban Rail Loop, led by David Batt KC
• Bellarine Peninsula DALSAC hearings, led by Paul Connor SC; various other Panel hearings

Ella was a reporter for the Commonwealth Law Reports from 2019 to 2024. Ella read with Kathleen Foley SC, and her senior mentor was The Hon Justice Button of the Federal Court of Australia.

*Liability limited under a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation