Jennifer is a highly respected and sought after advocate and advisor. She has had extensive experience in appearing before the High Court, the Federal Court and the superior State courts – mainly in commercial, equity and revenue matters.
Jennifer is a past President of the Australian Bar Association, the Victorian Bar, the Tax Bar Association, Australian Women Lawyers and a past Convenor of the Women Barristers Association.
She graduated with an honours degree in law and a commerce degree majoring in accounting from the University of Melbourne in 1987. She completed her articles with Blake & Riggall (now Ashurst) in 1988 and remained with that firm as a solicitor until moving to the Bar in 1991. She was appointed a KC in 2000.
With over 30 years’ experience at the Bar (including 20 years as a silk), Jennifer is a trusted advisor to a range of loyal clients. She has advised in relation to general income tax, superannuation and R&D matters, as well as GST, FBT, pay-roll tax, land tax and other State taxes. She has been consistently recognised as a leading tax silk in Doyles guide.
Jennifer is well known for her clear, concise and effective advice in relation to the interpretation of contracts, trust deeds and corporate constitutions. She has obtained court approval for trust deed amendments and cy-près applications. She has also advised in relation to resolving difficult trust disputes, perpetuity issues and complex superannuation fund matters.
In addition to assisting many large professional associations and corporate, academic and government institutions, Jennifer has been appointed as a consultant to provide independent technical advice to the Australian Taxation Office and has acted as an expert determiner.
Jennifer is known for her collaborative approach to conducting major complex litigation, as well as for her clear and concise opinions. She has a substantial practice in equity and trusts, particularly in the not-for-profit sector. She has assisted numerous not-for-profit entities to obtain or retain their tax concession charity status. She is a Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Law School teaching in the Melbourne Law Masters Program.
Jennifer was also the inaugural chair of the Law Council Not-for-Profit Practice and Charities committee, a director of the Charity Law Association of Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Melbourne Law School Advisory Council. She is a past member for the Victorian Legal Services Board.
Jennifer was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 8 June 2020 for significant service to the law, to the legal profession, and to women lawyers. She was also appointed a Paul Harris Fellow by Melbourne Rotary for an outstanding contribution to the ideals and work of Rotary.
*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation