Civil & commercial litigation
LL.B, LL.M, BBA, GDLP
Who you will deal with
Admitted in New South Wales in 2006, in Queensland in 2009, and in the High Court of Australia in 2009.
Erica has spent her career in civil and commercial litigation, acting for clients ranging from individuals and small businesses through to corporate entities, in disputes that mostly turn on the same two things: what the documents actually say, and what a court would realistically do with them.
She has run complex multi-party litigation, including class action and representative proceedings. That kind of work teaches something that ordinary commercial disputes do not, which is how a matter behaves when it has many participants, a long timetable and a settlement that has to be approved rather than simply agreed. It also teaches when not to take that route.
Erica’s work sits mainly in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Federal Court, with matters also in the District Court and, for representative proceedings, the Federal Circuit and Family Court and the Supreme Court’s Corporations List. Admission in New South Wales, Queensland and the High Court gives her the jurisdictional reach that national proceedings require.
The first conversation is about the commercial position, not the legal one. What the dispute is actually worth, what it would cost to run, and where a sensible resolution sits. Most commercial disputes should not be tried, and the ones that end up being tried should get there for a reason rather than because nobody managed the temperature along the way. Where the answer is that the fight costs more than the difference, she will say so on the first call.
Practice areas
Civil and commercial disputes, and the advisory work that prevents them.
Contract, shareholder and partnership disputes, professional negligence and equity claims.
Representative proceedings for group members and lead applicants, and for businesses defending a claim.
Shareholders agreements, business sales, contract review and the structuring that avoids disputes.
Statutory demands, winding up applications, bankruptcy and creditor enforcement
Unfair dismissal, general protections and restraint of trade, acting for employees and employers.
Family provision claims and contested estates, including notional estate applications.
Credentials
Admission dates are a matter of public record and appear on the Law Society register.
Courts
Where Erica appears. Highlighted courts are where most of the commercial work sits.
Admission in three jurisdictions matters most in representative proceedings and cross-border commercial disputes, where a matter can move between courts before it resolves.
Admission and practising status can be checked independently. The Law Society of New South Wales maintains a public register of solicitors holding a current practising certificate, and admission in each jurisdiction is a matter of public record.
Courts
Not a service promise. A description of how the matter will actually run.
Twenty minutes, no charge. Bring the contract, the correspondence, or whatever has landed.
Bring whatever you've been sent or served with. Photographs of it are fine.
What the realistic range of outcomes is, what the next step is, and how long you've got to take it.
A written estimate before any work begins. No open accounts.
Sydney and regional NSW court appearances for interstate and out-of-town solicitors. Fixed fee, same-day confirmation, court-by-court pricing.
Contract, shareholder, debt and business disputes in every NSW court. A written view on prospects and cost before you commit to a fight.
Unfair dismissal, general protections, redundancy and restraints of trade. Acting for employees and employers. Strict 21-day deadlines apply.
Separation, property settlement, parenting arrangements and de facto claims. Clear advice at a difficult time, without inflaming it.
Wills, powers of attorney, probate and estate administration, and contesting a will in NSW. Structured properly the first time, so your family isn't left arguing.
Company structures, shareholders agreements, contracts and business sales. Set up properly now, so the dispute never starts.
Leave your name and number. A lawyer calls you back, tells you where you stand and what happens next. No charge, no obligation.
Twenty minutes with a lawyer. You'll leave the call knowing where you stand, what your options are, and what the first step costs.
