Helen is a highly experienced litigator with deep expertise in administrative and public law, regulatory matters, inquiries, freedom of information, privacy law and judicial and merits review. She has advised and represented a broad range of agencies in both Commonwealth and State government, including leading major investigations and inquiries. She has also advised private corporate entities and directors on regulatory compliance issues and enforcement investigations, particularly in relation to corporations law, the AML/CTF scheme and privacy obligations.
Experience
With a diverse background spanning public sector, in-house and the private sector, Helen brings unique perspective and skills to assist clients in complex matters. Her strategic insight means she can understand all angles of complex matters and anticipate each parties' next steps and objectives. Helen helps her clients balance their competing legal, reputational and commercial risks in high profile contentious matters.
Helen is a highly experienced litigator, including as a solicitor advocate. She has conducted proceedings in a wide range of courts and tribunals and is frequently sought out by clients for her advocacy skills. She is also highly experienced in the conduct of investigations and inquiries.
Helen has also been called on by both public and private sector clients to advise on complex statutory schemes, particularly on compliance requirements in relation to new products and services and the exercise of statutory powers. Helen focuses on assisting clients to achieve their objectives while navigating compliance requirements.
Helen's areas of expertise include:
- ASIC investigations and civil penalty proceedings
- judicial and merits review of government decisions
- freedom of information and privacy laws
- AML/CTF compliance and enforcement
- advising on inquiries, including Royal Commissions, statutory commissions, Parliamentary and Ministerial inquiries and coronial inquiries
- regulatory compliance and enforcement investigations
- core obligations of AFSL holders and directors duties
- gaming and liquor regulation
- Probity requirements and investigations
- corporate governance matters.
Career highlights
Helen's career highlights include:
- leading the Solicitor Assisting team of the Public Inquiry into Liverpool City Council
- acting for ASIC in its investigation and prosecution of CBUS / United Super
- a senior member of the Solicitor Assisting team of the Commission of Inquiry into Crown Resorts Ltd ("Bergin Inquiry"), including providing direct instructions to Senior Counsel Assisting the Inquiry in more than 60 days of hearings and assisting with drafting the 700 page report
- acting for a large global payments company in relation to a compliance investigation and subsequent enforcement activity by AUSTRAC, which was ultimately resolved by entering into an enforceable undertaking, avoiding civil penalty proceedings and financial penalties
- acting in civil penalty proceedings brought by ASIC for a large global payments company involving allegations of unfair contractual terms
- advising the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports on their investigations and disciplinary proceedings into multiple registered clubs and gaming machine suppliers relating to unlawful offers of inducements
- advising the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports on the statutory scheme applicable to gamin tax in NSW, including its audit and investigation of potentially unlawful claims for rebates on the tax.
- advising a large global bank on various AML/CTF and privacy compliance issues, including whether AI assisted technologies complies with the identity verification rules and requirements attaching to new products being launched in the Australian market
- advising a large strata management company in relation to compliance and enforcement investigations involving breach of fiduciary duties and disclosure obligations
- acting for the liquidator (Grant Thornton) in relation to the collapse of the Ralan Group
- successfully defending a decision of the Lord Howe Island Board to undertake a major pest eradication project through multiple merits review, judicial review and equitable claims
- upholding Cabinet in confidence claims attaching to inter-governmental decisions on the firearms legislation regime
- appearing as Solicitor Advocate for the Australian Information Commissioner in judicial and merits review matters concerning FOI Act and Privacy Act investigations and decisions
- appearing as Solicitor Advocate for the Commissioner of Police in reviews of a variety of decisions, including firearms licensing, security licensing, government information and privacy complaints
- acting for the Department of Defence in multiple challenges to decisions relating to the reserve support payments scheme
- representing an NDIS provider in a Coronial Inquest.