Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC AustraliaThe chance of an Australian company facing a significant class action is a material and increasing business risk as Australia’s class action landscape continues to heat up. While the funding landscape continues to face scrutiny, the class action risk to Australian corporates is unlikely to abate any time soon.
This webinar hosted by leading Disputes + Investigations experts Richard Harris and Colleen Platford, with insights from Corporate Advisory partner Tim Gordon, will explore the boiling Australian class action landscape and how companies can protect against this major risk. It will cover:
• factors contributing to the ongoing expansion of the class action regime in Australia;
• the funding market, tightening regulations and their impact on the prevalence and nature of class actions;
• the role of the regulator;
• navigating the new norm of competing class action claims;
• the future of class actions – including shareholder class actions and the rise of data breach class actions; and
• how to mitigate against the risk of a class action.
Please note: If your company/organisation is deemed to be a competitor of the host organisation for this event, you may be excluded from attending this event. If you believe there may be a conflict or are uncertain, please enquire with ACC Australia.
Speakers
Richard Harris, Partner - Gilbert + Tobin
Richard is a partner and the head of Gilbert + Tobin’s Disputes + Investigations group.
An experienced, strategic and pragmatic litigator, Richard specialises in significant commercial litigation and class actions and investigations. He regularly advises banks, large corporations and their boards on major dispute, regulatory and governance issues and, particularly, regulatory disputes.
Richard is currently leading the team acting for Westpac in relation to a continuous disclosure class action commenced in the wake of AUSTRAC’s allegations that the Bank breached anti-money laundering laws (as well as the related ASIC and APRA investigations). Richard also leads the teams advising in relation to a further five current class actions.
Colleen Platford, Partner - Gilbert + Tobin
Colleen is a senior partner in Gilbert + Tobin’s Disputes + Investigations practice.
Colleen has extensive expertise in commercial litigation, class actions litigation and proceedings involving insolvency issues and restructuring. She has over 30 years’ experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, including high profile and highly contested litigation and regulatory investigations. Colleen’s clients include major corporations, including US corporations. She is considered one of the pre-eminent commercial litigators in Australia. She is highly regarded for providing strategic advice, dealing with complex issues and obtaining commercial outcomes. Colleen also has substantial experience in advising high profile directors and companies involved in investigations, Royal Commissions and litigation brought by ASIC, the ACCC and liquidators and administrators.
Tim Gordon, Partner - Gilbert + Tobin
Tim is a partner in Gilbert + Tobin's Corporate Advisory group.
Tim advises listed and unlisted companies and Australian and offshore private equity fund managers in relation to mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, corporate governance, complex joint venture and shareholding arrangements, restructurings and regulatory investigations.
Tim is a regular commentator in the media on corporate governance and was the Lawyer’s Weekly M&A Partner of the Year in 2018.
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