Catherine was called to the Bar in 2019. She specialises in criminal defence and prosecution with a focus on jury or judge alone trials. She regularly appears unled in complex jury trials for both the prosecution and defence and accepts briefs to appear in all Australian courts and tribunals, including regional and remote locations nationwide. Catherine has conducted numerous jury trials unled in the Supreme Court and District Court and has appeared unled in the Court of Criminal Appeal. Catherine has a national practice, but practices predominantly in South Australia from Andrew Wells Chambers and New South Wales from Wardell Chambers.

Catherine regularly defends clients who have been charged with Commonwealth criminal offences, including tax fraud, money laundering, drug importation, child exploitation, terrorism, immigration and other federal and regulatory fraud offences. Catherine was a Senior Federal Prosecutor at the Commonwealth DPP for four years and her expertise includes running complex Commonwealth matters. This experience is valuable when defending Commonwealth offences. Catherine also regularly defends clients charged with State offences, including drug matters, sexual assaults, fraud, serious assaults, robbery, manslaughter and property offences.

Catherine regularly appears as Counsel Assisting and on behalf of interested parties in inquests.

Catherine also specialises in work health and safety matters, appearing on behalf of corporations or businesses charged by SafeWork NSW or the Commonwealth DPP for alleged breaches of the work, health and safety legislation. Catherine has successfully had charges against her clients dismissed and has successfully negotiated resolutions to such matters on behalf of her clients.

Catherine takes briefs for clients who were wrongfully prosecuted and appears on behalf of those clients in intentional tort proceedings including claiming against the State for malicious prosecution, unlawful arrest, assault and battery.

Catherine acts on behalf of regulators such as ASIC and SafeWork. Catherine appears for clients being investigated by ASIC including attending compulsory examinations.

Catherine also appears in various Tribunals for reviews of administrative decisions and professional disciplinary matters.

Catherine has delivered presentations on federal prosecution, with a focus on human trafficking and slavery, to federal and state police around the country and in Vietnam to the Vietnamese judiciary and police.

Practice Areas

• Appellate
• Commercial
• Common Law
• Criminal Law
• Employment and Industrial Relations
• Inquests and Commissions of Inquiry
• Intentional Torts
• Professional Negligence
• Disciplinary Matters
• Regulatory and Compliance Law
• White Collar and Corporate Crime
• Work Health and Safety

Experience

• 2016-2019, Federal Prosecutor, Commonwealth DPP
• 2015, Contract Lawyer, Allens
• 2013-2015, Lawyer, Chambers Russell Lawyers
• 2011-2013, Australian Qualified Lawyer, Office of Fair Trading, London, United Kingdom