Beverley Newbold
Partner, Sydney
I am head of the firm's national class actions practice. I specialise in complex commercial litigation, having worked on numerous corporate disputes, contractual disputes, class actions, and regulatory and compliance investigations, as well as defending claims against directors and professional advisors.

I regularly advise in relation to disputes between shareholders, and in relation to breaches of, and disputes arising from, contracts for supplying goods and services, particularly IT services. My expertise extends to cross-border transactions, including matters involving the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods to international supply contracts.

My experience encompasses a significant number of cross-border disputes, including international arbitrations, drawing upon several years' experience working with one of the top-five global firms in London.

I sit on the board of ACICA, the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration. Additionally, I am the co-author of the Australian chapters of Practical Law Class/Collective Actions Global Guide, and the Australian contributor to a recent global guide on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgements.

Career highlights

  • Qantas Group: Regularly act for the airline and its loyalty division, including representing Qantas litigation in the Federal Court and Western Australian Supreme Court against Perth Airport; in New South Wales proceedings with its flight caterer relating to the application of a force majeure clause; in Federal Court proceedings against Rolls-Royce over the headline Airbus A380 engine failure; defending Qantas in a class action brought by travel agents; and acting for Jetstar in Supreme Court proceedings related to ground-handling services at Singapore Changi Airport.
  • Northern Territory government: Acting in class action proceedings against the government brought on behalf of inhabitants of remote housing.
  • Citibank executive: Acted in defence of criminal cartel proceedings alleging cartel conduct in the context of a capital raising.
  • Estia Health Limited: Defended Estia Health against a class action brought by shareholders alleging that Estia Health contravened its continuous disclosure obligations and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to share price drops.
  • Stanwell: Defending Stanwell Corporation in a class action brought on behalf of Queensland electricity consumers alleging misuse of market power in the context of electricity bidding and pricing.
  • G8 Education: Defending a listed childcare provider in relation to a class action brought by shareholders alleging breaches of market disclosure obligations.
  • Bellamy's Australia Limited: Acting for the infant formula and food product company in two class actions brought by shareholders regarding allegedly misleading market guidance.
  • Kagara Limited: Acting for non-executive directors of Kagara Limited in a class action brought by shareholders relating to alleged non-compliance with market disclosure obligations and with Corporations Act obligations relating to the preparation of Kagara's financial statements.
  • Billabong International Limited: Acted for the surf company in a class action brought by shareholders regarding allegedly misleading market guidance.
  • UrbanGrowth NSW and the NSW Minister for Planning: Defended claims brought by the Meriton Group alleging breaches of contract and administrative law. This arose in the context of an expression-of-interest land sale process and subsequent NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal proceedings, in which Meriton unsuccessfully sought confidential tender documentation
  • AMP: Acted for AMP in proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court against DST Bluedoor, alleging various performance failures and breaches of a supply and maintenance contract.
  • Acted for a Korean manufacturer in a confidential product liability international arbitration relating to the allegedly negligent design and manufacture of industrial equipment.
  • Conducted arbitration for manufacturers, energy sector joint venturers and insurance companies, pursuant to the ICC and UNCITRAL rules and procedures.

Awards and recognition

  • Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution - Chambers Asia Pacific: 2012 – 2023

"Beverley is an outstanding lawyer, counsel and adviser with a great eye on outcomes and client service. The team is clearly inspired and supported by her and she pulls in resources and sets our expectations." "Beverley is an exceptional professional. She has a wonderful ability to understand the impact on me on a personal level and was there with support and guidance that helped me manage." "She's a very effective commercial litigation partner doing top end commercial work." - Chambers Asia Pacific 2023

Beverley Newbold is described as a "responsive, excellent communicator" who stands out for her "capacity to synthesise complex commercial matters" and as a lawyer who is "very adroit at offering wise counsel and carefully assisting the client to navigate through difficult choices." - Chambers Asia Pacific 2022

Beverley Newbold is described as an "exceptional practitioner" and "the brightest litigator in Australia" by one source, while another calls her "a commercially wide-ranging, outstanding lawyer" particularly noted for her "ability to adapt to situations and communicate succinctly." Her impressively broad practice includes expertise in the class action, regulatory investigation and international arbitration spheres – Chambers Asia-Pacific

Beverley Newbold acts principally on disputes related to corporate affairs, insurance and reinsurance. One 'really impressed' client observes: 'She knows our business very well, thinks strategically of every possible eventuality and we trust her implicitly' - Chambers Asia Pacific

  • Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution - Chambers Global: 2012 – 2023
  • Recommended, Class Action Litigation - Best Lawyers: 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Recommended, Litigation - Best Lawyers: 2016 – 2023
  • Recommended, Alternative Dispute Resolution - Best Lawyers: 2017 – 2023
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https://www.minterellison.com/people/beverley-newbold