Julia Avis
|Special Counsel

A commercial dispute resolution specialist and highly experienced commercial litigator, Julia Avis specialises in investigations, inquiries and enforcement in corporate governance, market misconduct and securities class actions.

Julia advises and represents ASX listed companies, non-executive directors and individuals.

Julia's practice covers matters related to directors' duties, continuous disclosure, corporate governance, market misconduct and financial services regulation, investigation and enforcement. Her work often involves strategic liaison with regulators (particularly the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) when representing and assisting clients in relation to regulators' investigations, hearings and examinations.

Julia has conducted large and complex civil penalty proceedings and securities class actions. Her prestigious court experience includes acting for Billabong International Limited and Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd in securities class actions and in the James Hardie complex civil penalty proceedings. She also defends clients facing prosecution for market misconduct and other white collar criminal offences.

Julia regularly presents in-house seminars and training for clients on such topics as legal professional privilege, ethics and responding to regulatory investigations and inquiries. She won the Law Institute of Victoria's Rogers Legal Writing Award in 2009.

Expertise

Professional Background

Areas of expertise include:

Class Actions

Julia has significant experience in securities class actions, including acting for Billabong International Limited and Sigma Pharmaceuticals Limited in large and complex shareholder class actions relating to continuous disclosure obligations. She has also assisted individuals in relation to the Oz Minerals shareholder class actions.
Commissions and Inquiries

In 2014 Julia was a senior member of the Solicitors Assisting team at the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, working closely with the Commissioner, Counsel Assisting, investigators and the Office of the Royal Commission. She regularly advises clients (corporate and individual) in investigations by ASIC. These investigations have included financial markets misconduct (insider trading, market manipulation) continuous disclosure, directors duties and financial reporting. In addition, Julia has guided clients to manage internal investigations into alleged misconduct, including in relation to a market disclosure in the UK.
Corporate and Commercial Disputes

As a commercial disputes resolution specialist Julia is highly experienced in corporate and commercial discputes, mainly in the Superior courts.
Directors' Duties

Julia specialises in directors' duties and corporate governance investigations, enforcement and litigation. She advises and represents ASX listed companies, non-executive directors and executives. Julia's work often involves strategic liaison with regulators (particularly the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) when representing and assisting clients responding to investigations and defending them in enforcement actions, including large and complex civil penalty proceedings and securities class actions relating to directors duties, continuous disclosure and corporate governance.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Julia is an experienced commercial litigator. She advises and conducts litigation on general commercial disputes. Julia conducts large and complex class actions and civil penalty proceedings relating to directors duties, continuous disclosure and market misconduct. Julia also defends clients facing prosecution for market misconduct and other white collar criminal offences.
Regulatory and Compliance

Julia specialises in investigations, inquiries and enforcement. Julia's work often involves strategic liaison with regulators when representing and assisting clients in relation to regulatory (particularly by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)) investigations, hearings and examinations, including responding to regulators' requests for documents and information. Julia also defends individuals facing prosecution for market misconduct and other white collar criminal offences.