About Alf Pappalardo
Alf has almost four decades' experience in insolvency and commercial litigation. A former national leader of Allens' restructuring and insolvency practice, he has acted in some of Australia's most significant insolvency and litigation matters.
Alf's industry recognition includes:
Insolvency and restructuring
- Australia's No. 1 restructuring lawyer in Lexology Index's 2027 Client Choice Awards, as voted for by corporate counsel;
- pre-eminent insolvency and restructuring lawyer in Australia by Doyle's Guide 2026, sole Market Leader for Insolvency and Reorganisation Law in Queensland by Doyle's Guide 2021, and pre-eminent insolvency lawyer in Queensland by Doyle's Guide from 2023 to present;
- Insolvency Law Expert of the Year in Australia in the Corporate INTL 2027 Global Awards;
- Insolvency Law Expert of the Year in Australia in the Lawyer Network Annual Awards 2026;
- one of the world's leading restructuring and insolvency lawyers in Lexology Index 2025;
- one of the world's leading insolvency lawyers in Chambers Global every year since 2006;
- one of Australia's leading lawyers in insolvency in Best Lawyers in Australia from 2009 to present, as published by the Australian Financial Review;
- leading insolvency and restructuring lawyer in Queensland in a Australian Financial Review survey;
- a leading restructuring and insolvency lawyer in Asia Pacific (and the only Queensland lawyer) in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 editions of Asia Pacific Legal 500;
Commercial litigation
- one of the world's leading litigation and dispute resolution lawyers in Chambers Global every year since 2006;
- pre-eminent litigation and dispute resolution lawyer in Australia by Doyle's Guide 2026;
- one of Australia's leading lawyers in litigation and alternative dispute resolution in Best Lawyers in Australia in every year since 2011, as published by the Australian Financial Review;
- pre-eminent litigation lawyer in Queensland by Doyle's Guide every year from 2023 to present; and
- one of Australia's best 109 lawyers in an independent survey of 160 general counsel published by The Australian.
Alf's experience includes:
Commercial litigation
Alf has appeared in matters across all levels of state and federal courts, including appellate courts and the High Court, as well as the Land Court and the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Insolvency and restructuring
Alf has almost four decades' experience acting for all major banks and insolvency practitioners in thousands of matters, and has acted in some of Australia's most high profile insolvencies including Ansett Airlines, Virgin Australia and Presbyterian Church of Queensland.