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Experience

Colette practises primarily in public and commercial law.

Before coming to the Bar, Colette served as Associate to Justice Edelman of the High Court of Australia.

Earlier, she practised as a solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons, predominantly in competition law, and served as Associate to Justice Katzmann of the Federal Court of Australia.

Colette holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, with first class honours, from Monash University and a Master of Laws from Columbia University, which she attended on a scholarship and where she was named a James Kent Scholar.

Colette has served as a Fellow at Melbourne Law School, where she lectured in constitutional law. She has also published work in the Public Law Review.

A selection of her recent matters is as follows:

Commercial law

• Slea Pty Ltd v Connective Services Pty Ltd (No 9) [2022] VSC 136 (oppression, directors’ duties): for the successful plaintiffs, following a 52-day trial, led by Michael Hodge QC, with Kathleen Foley and Geoffrey Kozminsky.

• Lees v Connective Services Pty Ltd [2019] VSCA 143 (statutory construction, Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)): for the successful respondents, led by Catherine Button QC, with Geoffrey Kozminsky.

• Flash Lighting Company Ltd v Australia Kunqian International Energy Co Pty Ltd [2021] HCASL 50 (contract): for successful respondent, led by Jonathon Moore QC, with Geoffrey Kozminsky.

• iSignthis Limited v ASX Limited (Federal Court of Australia, resolved) (challenge to decision to suspend applicant’s securities from quotation on the ASX): for the ASX, led by Neil Young KC, with Brendan Lim.

• Andrianakis v Uber Technologies; Taxi Apps Pty Ltd v Uber Technologies [2022] VSC 643 (legal professional privilege, misconduct exception): for successful respondent, led by Tony Bannon SC, with Robert Yezerski.

• Salter Brothers Asset Management Pty Ltd v Hendry (contract, employment): for respondents, successfully obtained order for summary dismissal of proceedings (McElwaine J, Federal Court of Australia, unreported, 10 June 2022), unled on dismissal application; otherwise led in proceeding by Robert Craig QC, with Franceska Leoncio.

• Townshend v Fendall Farms Pty Ltd (Federal Court of Australia, ongoing) (oppression, fiduciary duties): for defendants, led by Ian Waller KC, with Hannah Douglas. See Townshend as Legal Representative for the Estate of Mervyn Townshend v Fendall Farms Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 848.

• ACCC v TasPorts (Federal Court of Australia, resolved) (proceeding under s 46 of Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)): for the ACCC, led by Wendy Harris QC and Nick De Young QC, with Chris Tran.

• Thexton v Mialls Gun Shop (Supreme Court of Victoria, resolved) (negligence, misleading conduct): for defendants, led by Richard Attiwill QC.

Public law

• COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry: for Department of Premier and Cabinet, led by Richard Attiwill QC.

• Ridd v James Cook University [2021] HCA 32 (construction of enterprise agreement): for appellant, led by Stuart Wood QC, with Ben Jellis.

• Plaintiff M1/2021 v Minister for Home Affairs [2022] HCA 17 (administrative law): for plaintiff, led by Richard Knowles QC.

• Santos v Tipakalippa [2022] FCAFC 193 (administrative law): for successful respondent, led by Claire Harris KC, with Nick Baum.

• Secretary, Attorney-General’s Department v Bhagwandas [2023] FCA 398 (administrative law, appeal from AAT on question of law): for successful respondent, unled.
  

• Asmar v Albanese (No 4) [2021] VSC 672; Asmar v Albanese [2022] VSCA 19; Asmar v Albanese [2022] HCASL 71 (proceeding concerning validity of Federal ALP intervention in Victorian Branch of ALP): for plaintiffs / appellants, led by Ron Merkel QC, with Emrys Nekvapil and Katharine Brown.

• Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority [2021] FCA 1160; Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 2) [2021] FCA 1337 (administrative law, ban on helicopter use during Melbourne protests): for successful applicants, led by Will Houghton QC.

• Melton City Council v Minister for Planning [2021] VSC 700; [2022] VSCA 144 (administrative law): for plaintiff / appellant, led by Emrys Nekvapil.

• Celsius Fire Services Pty Ltd v Magistrates’ Court of Victoria [2019] VSC 835; Celsius Fire Services Pty Ltd v Magistrates’ Court of Victoria (No 2) [2020] VSC 120 (administrative law): for the successful plaintiff, led by Anthony Strahan QC.

• WOTCH v VicForests (Supreme Court of Victoria, reserved) (environmental law): for plaintiff, led by Richard Knowles KC and Kathleen Foley SC, with Shawn Rajanayagam. See WOTCH v VicForests (No 2) [2020] VSC 99; WOTCH v VicForests (No 3)[2020] VSC 220; WOTCH v VicForests (No 4) [2020] VSC 433; WOTCH v VicForests (No 8) [2021] VSC 268; WOTCH v VicForests (No 9) [2022] VSC 503.

• ABC v Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal [2021] VSC 730 (statutory construction): for successful applicant, led by Alistair Pound SC.

Colette is also regularly briefed to advise government on questions of constitutional law and statutory construction.

Colette read with Kathleen Foley, now SC, and her senior mentor is Wendy Harris KC.

From 3 May 2019, Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.