Rena Solomonidis Partner

Rena is a dispute resolution lawyer specialising in commercial litigation, corporate insolvency and class actions.

Rena advises insolvency practitioners in prosecuting claims from national insolvencies including for breaches of auditors’ and directors’ duties, insolvent trading claims as well as issues in external administrations such as restructuring via deeds of company arrangement and enforcing security interests.

Rena also prosecutes and defends class actions relating to investments in securities, insurance purchases and audit and accounting failures. The claims have involved financial institutions, auditors, lawyers, a resources multinational and companies in liquidation.

Rena’s experience in commercial litigation includes contractual disputes, professional liability claims, misleading and deceptive conduct claims, commercial leasing disputes and disputes in corporate trustee services, the engineering industry and resources sector.

Experience

Litigation

Allianz

Acting for the lead plaintiffs in proceeding against Allianz alleging misleading and deceptive and unconscionable conduct in relation to the sale of valueless add-on insurance products sold through car dealers. JWS are joint solicitors on the record with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers following consolidation of two competing class actions. This is another class action flowing from the evidence and findings in the Banking Royal Commission.

Bill Express (In Liquidation)

Acted for the liquidators of one of Australia’s largest pre-paid phone card and bill payment facility collapses in claims against former auditors, Pitcher Partners and KPMG, for professional negligence and misleading and deceptive conduct for claims in excess of $200 million, as well as against former directors of the company for insolvent trading.

Gunns Ltd (In Liquidation)

Acted for the liquidators in claims with a combined value of approximately $250 million arising from the collapse of one of Australia’s largest timber and forestry management companies. Claims were against former auditors, KPMG, for professional negligence and breach of contract, and against former directors in respect of misstatements in the annual reports. Also defended a class action for alleged losses from managed investment schemes regarding the establishment of timber plantations across Australia.

Aus Streaming Ltd (In Liq)

Acted in a Supreme Court of Victoria proceeding to appoint special purpose liquidators, PwC, over Aus Streaming Ltd (In Liq) to investigate spurious investments of the company valued at $145 million – the company was established to provide metal streaming services and revolutionise the Australian and international critical metals/resources markets.

Inductotherm Group

Acted for an engineering company specialising in induction heating and other processed electronic engineering methods in international litigation against NZ Steel Ltd involving a complex contractual dispute.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws, Monash University
  • Bachelor of Arts, Monash University

Memberships

  • WIRV – Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Victoria:
    • Member, Advocacy Sub-Committee (2021 to present)
    • Co-Chair, Advocacy Sub-Committee (2016 and 2017)
    • Committee of Management (2015 - 2017)
  • Turnaround Management Association Australia
  • Law Institute of Victoria
  • Law Society of South Australia

Insights Read more insight

Launching our 2023 Insolvency & Restructuring Case Summaries publication

We are delighted to share with you the next edition of our Insolvency & Restructuring Case Summaries. With over 45 case summaries highlighting the key takeaways and the practical implications for...

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The Class Actions Law Review - Seventh Edition

Partners Robert Johnston, Felicity Karageorge, Rena Solomonidis, Special Counsel Nicholas Briggs and Senior Associate Sara Gaertner have written the Australian chapter in The Law Reviews 7th...

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Launching our Insolvency & Restructuring Case Summaries for 2021-2022

We are delighted to launch the first edition of our Insolvency & Restructuring Case Summaries for 2021-2022, with over 45 case summaries highlighting the key takeaways and the practical...

More