This is Allens

I started out in litigation, spending the first part of my career dealing with disputes and in courtrooms. Over time, I found myself drawn to the more collaborative side of the law. Today, I specialise in front-end restructuring and insolvency. It's an area that, in addition to deep knowledge of insolvency law, also draws on a broad base of legal knowledge from M&A and banking and finance to tax, employment, and property. It’s a complex, fast-moving, high-stakes area, where the goal is – depending on your client's positioning – to create value or minimise value destruction. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of designing complex novel structures that help companies restructure and enable lenders and funds to deploy capital in value accretive ways.

My clients operate in strategically sensitive environments. My job is to help them navigate that risk with clarity and confidence. My disputes background plays a role; I know from experience that litigation is rarely the best solution and that perspective shapes how I approach negotiations – with a focus on practical and mutually acceptable outcomes.

To me, exceptional client service means meeting the client’s needs in three key respects: quality, timeliness and value. That means providing advice which is technically correct and commercial. Clients should feel that our advice is aligned with what matters most to them, easily digestible, delivered on time, and the cost proportionate to the complexity of the issues and the 'value add'.

During my career I've been fortunate enough to work for extensive periods in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. This has given me a national network and a broad perspective. I’ve worked with a wide range of partners and sought to learn something from each of them: whether it be technical excellence, people management or business development, I’ve tried to absorb the best of what I’ve seen and use it to round out my own skillset.

For me leadership is about open communication and genuine interest in people. I want my team to know that I’m invested in their growth. Whether they’re aiming for partnership or planning a different path, I want them to always be developing and expanding their own skillset to be better equipped for whatever comes next. I get genuine satisfaction from seeing the people around me succeed.

Restructuring and insolvency is an area of the law that is endlessly interesting. I really enjoy the pressure and novelty of each situation and helping my clients find the optimum path through complexity.