Katherine (Kat) practises in commercial and public law.
Before coming to the Bar, Kat was a Senior Associate in the Disputes & Investigations team at Allens, a Senior Associate at Kaplan Hecker & Fink (now Hecker Fink) in New York, and an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team at MinterEllison. Kat also served as Senior Associate to the Hon Justice Michelle Gordon AC of the High Court of Australia.
As a solicitor in Australia, Kat acted for a range of public and private sector clients in proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia and various state Supreme Courts involving complex contractual disputes, shareholder class actions, professional negligence, competition law, and judicial review of administrative action. Kat also advised in relation to regulatory investigations and related issues of statutory interpretation.
As an attorney in New York, Kat acted for organisations and individuals bringing federal constitutional law claims (including concerning the 2020 racial justice protests and legislation restricting speech related to LGBTQ+ individuals), and for multinational corporations in relation to complex commercial disputes and competition/antitrust issues. Kat also advised in relation to discrimination in employment contexts (including Title IX allegations), and tortious matters (defamation and negligence).
A selection of matters in which Kat has been briefed since coming to the Bar include:
- Hird & Ors v Walkem & Ors (Supreme Court of Victoria) — for the plaintiff liquidators in an insolvent trading claim; led by J Evans KC, with A Di Stefano (resolved)
- Re Norstar Recycling Pty Ltd; Maradox Pty Ltd v Sailah & Ors (Supreme Court of Victoria) — for the first and second defendants in an oppression proceeding; led by D Batt KC, with G Kozminsky and M Roberts; instructed by King & Collins (ongoing)
- Nanut & Anor v Nanut & Ors (Supreme Court of Victoria) — for the plaintiffs in an oppression proceeding and related tenancy dispute; led by J Evans KC; instructed by Moray & Agnew (ongoing)
- Martin v Intilecta Corporation Pty Ltd & Ors (Federal Court of Australia) — for the second, fourth and fifth defendants in an oppression proceeding; led by J Evans KC (ongoing)
- Submissions to the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission — for a licence holder; unled; instructed by Baker McKenzie
- Advice concerning s 109 of the Constitution — for a confidential, not-for-profit organisation; led by Dr L Hilly
- Various statutory interpretation advices — for public and private sector clients; led and unled
Throughout her career, Kat has also maintained an active public interest and pro bono practice, with a particular focus on matters affecting the LGBTQ+ community and health care rights and access.
Kat holds a Juris Doctor from Melbourne Law School, where she ranked fourth in her graduating cohort and was an Editor of the Melbourne University Law Review.
Kat also holds a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, where she studied as a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow and was awarded a Dean’s Scholar Prize by Professor Martha Minow for “Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers, Federalism, and Fourteenth Amendment”. She completed her final research paper under the supervision of Professor I. Glenn Cohen, Director of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics.
Kat read with Geoff Kozminsky and Julia Watson. Her senior mentor is Frances Gordon KC.
*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
