Handling the largest and most complex litigation
JWS is uniquely placed as a top-tier Dispute Resolution practice in Australia, handling the largest and most complex litigation across regulatory prosecutions, insolvency, plaintiff and defendant class actions, corporate, commercial and competition and tax disputes.
There are few firms that can now match JWS across the size, scale and sophistication of its dispute resolution work. No firm of a comparable size has a similar practice. Our partners’ hands-on involvement, and our drive and determination to succeed in the cases we conduct in the most cost-effective and efficient matter, have seen more and more clients choose JWS for their big ticket claims and defences.
We are renowned for our DR experience and expertise across the spectrum of class actions, insolvency, regulatory claims, corporate, commercial, competition and tax disputes and civil and criminal regulatory investigations and prosecutions for companies, directors and senior executives. We are unique in the marketplace, combining top-tier capabilities with a service model that promotes the hands-on involvement of our senior lawyers.
We also have considerable expertise in acting for litigation funders who drive class action litigation in Australia. This experience provides us with invaluable insights into the judgment calls made for both plaintiffs and defendants in the conduct of complex claims. Our clients obtain commercially attractive results, based on our savvy, strategic and non-process-driven advice.
We provide a compelling offer of outstanding litigation services. Our independence and relative conflict-free positioning enables us to pursue plaintiff-based litigation, as well as defendant work. Our focus on providing strategic advice to Australian funds on class actions puts us in a unique position to prosecute their claims.
We are dedicated to the causes we fight, and to achieving the best case scenario for our valued clients.
Our team acts in disputes across the following areas:
This guide covers the fundamental things you need to know and do to ensure you and your organisation is best placed to respond to and manage the fallout from an inquiry.
Acted for the former Treasurer of Arrium Limited in defending a $120M+ dispute brought by a banking syndicate concerning solvency representations made prior to the company’s $2b collapse in the Supreme Court of NSW.
Acted for ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Limited (the Australian Submarine Corporation) in disputes with Donau Pty Ltd over the construction of the Australian Warfare Destroyer.
Acting in Supreme Court Commercial List Proceedings on complex technical matters and damages analysis concerning the operation of one of the largest coal seam gas fracking operations in Australia.
Acting for ALP in relation to the high profile “Operation Aero” public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a cash donation made to NSW ALP.
Representing our clients in an application to the Supreme Court of Victoria to re-open the trial in a proceeding brought by Cargill following hard fought litigation in the Victorian Supreme Court over the sale of Joe White Malting.
Acted for Horizon Power multi-party proceedings in Supreme Court of Western Australia concerning the Karratha component the Pilbara Underground Power Project.
Representing the Kingdom of Spain in their high profile and complex defense of four arbitral enforcement proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia in which the Kingdom of Spain has been ordered to pay over $650 million.
Secured a significant jurisdictional win for Lighthouse Corporation against East Timor over a $320M oil contract dispute allowing the claims to be decided in Australia.
Acting for Origin Energy/Australian Pacific LNG Pty Ltd against C3 IoT International, Inc around damages and breach of IT contracts relating to complex oil fracking operations.
Successfully represented the State of Victoria in two significant disputes with Tabcorp Holdings Ltd and Tatts Group Ltd over compensation following the expiration of their gaming licenses in 2012.
Acting for our client on a number of high-value, complex litigations arising from major infrastructure projects including the ongoing Lane Cove Tunnel litigation by Transurban against the builders and designers of the tunnel.
Advised in Federal Court proceedings against ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac for alleged market manipulation and rigging of the bank bill swap rate for financial gain.
Representing ASIC in a Federal Court proceeding against GetSwift Limited and directors concerning ASX announcements which ASIC says were misleading and a failure to notify the ASX of material information in relation to these client agreements.
Successfully acted for Australia’s major private hospital operator in its defence of significant civil penalty proceedings brought by the ACCC in 2017 in the Federal Court of Australia.
Represented Unilever ANZ in the long running ACCC prosecution against Colgate Palmolive, PZ Cussons Woolworths for engaging in alleged price fixing, information sharing and boycott behaviour.
The Samarco and Brumadinho tailings dam disasters in Brazil were (in no small part) the impetus for the creation of the ‘Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management’. The Standard is now being...
A green light on the last lap (and after two red lights): The High Court by majority of 3:2 recently upheld the taxpayer’s appeal in Automotive Invest Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2024] HCA 36.
The Supreme Court of Western Australia recently dismissed a defamation claim brought by a plaintiff who had not given a concerns notice before commencing the relevant proceedings. In dismissing the...
The Australian Government last week introduced the long-anticipated Bill overhauling the Australian merger review regime to bring it into line with most international jurisdictions. The proposed...