Kate was called to the Bar in 2002, after obtaining an LL.M from Harvard Law School and practising at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York.
Kate is ranked in the Doyle’s Guide (2024, 2022, 2021) as a leading Senior Counsel in Administrative and Public law in Australia. She also has particular expertise in regulatory matters, privacy, disciplinary proceedings, professional liability, environment and planning, public inquiries and coronial inquests.
Her clients have included major corporations, federal and state government Ministers and agencies, professionals of all kinds and their insurers.
Public law: Kate acts for federal and State Ministers and agencies and for major corporations, such as Facebook, Telstra, Qantas and NAB bank. She argued the same-sex marriage/plebiscite case in the High Court. More recently, Kate argued multiple test cases for Redfern Legal Centre in the NSW Supreme Court that ultimately lead to the invalidation and withdrawal of every COVID penalty notice issued by the NSW government (approx. 56,000 notices).
Regulatory matters: In regulatory matters, Kate has acted for various federal agencies and for respondents in civil penalty proceedings, including Facebook, Dell and the Commonwealth Bank. She was lead counsel for the ACCC in successful proceedings against Google LLC in relation to its tracking and use of location data (in which Google paid a $60 million penalty).
Privacy: Kate has particular expertise in privacy matters. She acted as lead counsel for Facebook Inc and Facebook Ireland in civil penalty proceedings brought by the Australian Information Commissioner (relating to Cambridge Analytica) which were resolved after Facebook gave an enforceable undertaking under which it paid $50 million for a compensation scheme for affected users. Kate is currently acting for Optus in a class action brought in relation to the September 2022 cyberattack.
Disciplinary proceedings: In disciplinary proceedings, Kate regularly acts for both the prosecution and defendants, including medical practitioners, barristers and solicitors. She appeared for the HCCC in disciplinary proceedings brought against prominent neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo.
Professional liability: Kate regularly acts for defendants in high-value medical negligence suits. She also advises numerous medical insurers in relation to insurance contractual issues and class actions.
Environment and planning: In environment and planning matters, Kate frequently appears for federal and state government Ministers and agencies, and acts for developers.
Public inquiries: Kate has extensive experience in appearing for interested parties at public inquiries. She has acted for: the Commonwealth in the Royal Commission into Aged Care; The Star Casino in the ILGA’s inquiry into the Crown Casino; The Star Casino in the ILGA’s inquiry into its suitability to hold a casino licence; and the Australian Federal Police at the Board of Inquiry into the Criminal Justice System (in relation to the R v Lehrmann trial).
Coronial Inquests: Kate also has wide-ranging experience in both appearing for interested parties and as Counsel Assisting in major Inquests.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.