Mark is Becketts Lawyers’ litigation Partner, with over 16 years’ dispute resolution experience acting for a variety of clients across a broad range of complex commercial disputes. Mark has conducted litigation in a number of Australian superior courts, including the Supreme Courts of Victoria and New South Wales, and the Federal Court of Australia. Mark’s broad practice includes general commercial disputes, contractual claims, class actions, consumer law claims and oppression proceedings, as well as arbitrations. Mark also has experience in post-acquisition disputes and regulatory actions.
Whilst highly proficient in conducting technical and large-scale litigation, Mark is primarily focused on resolving disputes efficiently, commercially and in a cost-effective manner. Mark recognises that such outcomes will not necessarily involve the commencement of court proceedings and may instead require a creative and dynamic approach individually tailored to the specific dispute and the client’s desired outcomes.
Mark co-founded Becketts in February 2021. He previously spent three years at Clarendon Lawyers as a director. Prior to joining Clarendon, Mark was special counsel at K&L Gates (for four years) and a senior associate at Allens, where he spent seven years.
Some of Mark’s disclosable disputes and litigation include the following matters:
- representing the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (former Financial Ombudsman Service) in the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry;
- commencing and defending multiple urgent interlocutory applications, including injunctive and other relief;
- assisting clients in connection with “board spills” and other contentious corporate governance disputes;
- acting for OZ Minerals Holdings Pty Ltd defending multiple claims and cross-claims as part of a major class action;
- representing various clients in proceedings relating to insurance coverage matters;
- acting on behalf of the former CEO of Asahi Beverage Group’s Australian subsidiary (Flavoured Beverages Group Holdings) in his defence of multiple cross-claims arising out of the major dispute between Asahi, Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas;
- representing various clients in an international arbitration in relation to an earn-out and post-merger dispute;
- advising and representing clients in their response to investigations by various regulatory bodies, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission;
- providing advice to corporate clients in relation to actual or potential disputes arising out of mergers and acquisitions;
- acting for numerous former directors in various disputes arising out of the corporate collapses of Bill Express and the Banksia Securities Group;
- prosecuting and defending oppression proceedings for large corporate and small individual clients;
- acting for ANZ in connection with the high-profile corporate collapses of Primebroker Securities Limited and Opes Prime Group Limited; and
- representing a large banking client in relation to misuse of confidential information and breach of duties under the Corporations Act in relation to a former financial adviser.
Mark graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2003 with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours, and a Bachelor of Commerce.