Connect with meZoe acts on behalf of both government and private sector clients across a wide variety of litigated claims. Her practice focuses on large-scale multi-party matters, with particular expertise in public inquiries, investigations, and class actions. Zoe’s practice also spans commercial litigation, including defamation, debt recovery, personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical negligence, and public liability claims.
She has extensive experience as part of Solicitor Assisting teams to significant public inquiries in Australia and internationally, including Commonwealth and NSW state-based inquiries. She has also represented witnesses and authorised parties before the Independent Commission Against Corruption in NSW (ICAC), as well as other state government-led inquiries concerning governance, financial management and administrative decision-making.
Zoe’s experience in this area includes advising and assisting in complex inquiry environments involving particular procedures, multiple stakeholders, significant evidentiary material and high volumes of disclosure. She has particular expertise in managing large-scale document review processes and overseeing the collation, analysis and production of material relevant to statutory and regulatory inquiries.
Zoe provides clients involved in public inquiries and investigations with strategic advice that is sensitive to the complexity of the matters before the inquiry, tailored to the procedural and evidentiary challenges involved, and grounded in her practical experience working alongside both public and private sector clients. She understands the unique pressures faced by witnesses and organisations involved in public scrutiny and is committed to delivering clear, practical guidance to assist them in navigating these processes.
Zoe has a particular focus on the public sector, having worked with and advised Commonwealth and state government clients throughout her career, including a secondment with the Commonwealth Department of Defence.
- Representing a key affected person before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption in relation to Operation Navarra, a public inquiry into allegations concerning governance, recruitment processes and the use of council systems within a NSW local government authority. Zoe gave advice regarding giving evidence before ICAC, including in respect of the ICAC investigation from its initial stages, attendance at compulsory examinations, and giving public evidence. This included the operation of section 38 of the ICAC Act, the role of privilege and potential risks of defamation in relation to the matters raised in evidence.
- Advising Liverpool City Council in relation to a major statutory public inquiry conducted under the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW), involving extensive documentary production, multiple witnesses and detailed consideration of governance, financial management and administrative decision-making processes within local government. Zoe assisted in leading the Wotton Kearney team to represent Council’s interests before that inquiry, including supporting Council staff and councillors to give public evidence and respond to summons to produce documents and statements to that inquiry.
- A key member of the Office of Solicitors Assisting the UK-wide Inquiry into Covid-19, based in London, UK. Zoe managed the hearings relating to political and executive decision-making in Northern Ireland throughout the pandemic, including the decisions and evidence leading to lockdowns, school closures, social distancing and regulations made by government to manage the pandemic. This involved liaising between key government stakeholders, interest groups, Counsel to the Inquiry and members of the community to assist the Chair in preparing her report specific to Northern Ireland’s political decision-making during the pandemic. As part of her role, Zoe also managed the process of privilege claims received by the Inquiry relevant to its inquiries in Northern Ireland and negotiated resolutions of those claims between the Inquiry and its material providers.
- Being part of the Office of Solicitors Assisting the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, Zoe performed critical service delivery roles including tender bundle management, witness conferences and preparation, and conducting interviews with service personnel. As part of this role Zoe developed protocols to assist the Commission in its document management to ensure procedural fairness for all parties with leave to appear before the Commission.
- Advising the Department of Defence in relation to a multi-site class action in relation to PFAS contamination and the historical use of aqueous fire-fighting foams (AFFF) at a number of Defence sites around Australia. Zoe’s work included drafting lengthy and complex pleadings, preparing evidence, lengthy and comprehensive discovery, conferring with potential witnesses and engaging with third parties and stakeholders to ensure a consistent approach across all relevant Commonwealth departments.
- Advising the Department of Defence in relation to its debt recovery portfolio, managing more than 40 claims at any one time at different stages of proceedings. This included appearing in a variety of state and federal courts, seeking bankruptcy orders, garnishee orders and salary re-directions, sale and seizure orders, and negotiating payment plans on behalf of the Department and its insurer, Comcover.
- Secondee within the Department of Defence’s litigation team, advising and assisting in relation to negligence and nuisance claims relating to PFAS contamination from affected communities around Australia. Zoe assisted the Department with managing high volumes of claims and their intersection with ongoing litigated claims.
- Defending workers’ compensation and common law claims on behalf of Allianz Insurance, including drafting pleadings, appearing in court for interlocutory and final hearings, attending informal settlement conferences and court-ordered mediations, and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of claims made.
- Advising a large Australian banking corporation in relation to a foreshadowed class action dispute regarding superannuation and total and permanent disability claims. Zoe managed the process of responding to a number of claims including examining Product Disclosure Statements and histories of correspondence regarding relevant claims.
- Advising and assisting a large Australian banking corporation regarding compliance with ASIC-issued notices for compulsory production of documents and information in relation to deceased estate transactions. Zoe prepared responses to ASIC notices by conducting interviews across the client’s business and ensuring responses were consistent across a number of different notices.
- Advising the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in relation to long-running defamation proceedings, including preparing offers of amends, drafting pleadings, and preparing submissions for interlocutory proceedings.
- Class Actions
- Commercial Litigation
- Inquiries, Investigations and Prosecutions
- Public Sector
- Financial Institutions and Services
- Healthcare and Life Sciences
- Aviation
- Law Society of the ACT