Current practice

Andrew is a partner in the Sydney Litigation group.

His particular expertise includes corporate regulatory matters and has also worked in a number of general corporate law areas, including insolvency, trust law, directors’ duties and the construction of contracts.

Industry experience

Andrew has acted for various clients since joining Freehills in March 1997, including:

• Citigroup Global Markets Australia Pty Limited, in the landmark Federal Court proceedings brought by ASIC alleging a failure to adequately manage conflicts of interest and insider trading. The proceedings against Citigroup were dismissed in June 2007
• a professional services firm in a long-running trial in the Supreme Court of NSW arising from the collapse of New Cap Reinsurance Holdings Ltd. The proceedings against the firm, and other defendants, were dismissed in March 2007
• the National Australia Bank in the AUSMAQ litigation, the largest (and most high profile) commercial case in Australian legal history. The matter has involved a claim for in excess of $50 billion, numerous proceedings in Australia and overseas, a principal hearing which ran for over 220 days and the delivery of over 50 interlocutory judgments. The claims against NAB (and others) were dismissed with costs in January 2002 (for failure to pay security ordered by the Court in September 2001), and an appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal from that dismissal was dismissed in August 2002. In June 2003, an application for leave to appeal to the High Court was refused
• MLC, in relation to a long-running investigation by ASIC, and an inquiry by APRA, concerning certain unit pricing issues
• NRMA Insurance, in relation to its demutualisation in 2000, which involved litigation in the AAT, the Supreme Court of NSW and the NSW Court of Appeal, and
• the Northern Territory government, in relation to a complex contractual dispute concerning an electricity transmission line from Darwin to Katherine.

He has also been involved in preparing advices to clients such as Lend Lease, Mayne Nickless and IBM in respect of a number of areas of general corporate law including insolvency, trust law, directors’ duties and the construction of contracts.

Andrew’s particular expertise includes corporate regulatory matters. Andrew has provided advice in relation to regulatory inquiries and investigations initiated by regulatory agencies including ASIC and APRA, and has represented a number of individuals at examinations conducted by ASIC and APRA. Andrew has also prepared papers on regulatory issues, including an article published in the Company and Securities Law Journal (‘Legal professional privilege and the investigative powers of ASIC’).

Andrew is a member of the editorial panel for the Butterworths’ publication, Civil Procedure News, New South Wales.

Professional background

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of New South Wales.

He is admitted to practise as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia.