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Judy Heeps B.A., LL.B.

Special Counsel

Judy joined the firm in 1986; was a partner for several years; and has since become one of the leaders of our Litigation team working on complex litigation and supervising younger lawyers in her team. Judy is always striving to achieve the best commercial outcome for her clients and to ensure her clients understand the process and the options available to them so as to enable them to make effective decisions.

Experience

Background

Commercial Litigation – acting for either plaintiff or defendant

  • Contractual disputes including breach of terms of agreements, quality of work performed and/or goods or services supplied and payment of money claims.
  • The breakdown of business relationships involving partnerships, companies and individuals, breaches of directors duties, oppressive minority shareholder claims and contraventions of Corporations Act
  • Trade practices, including actions for misleading and deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct and the misuse of market power
  • Sale property and businesses and leasing disputes
  • Loan and guarantee/mortgage/securities recovery claims
  • Insurance claims
  • Negligence – particularly professional negligence
  • Bankruptcy and insolvency including winding up, preference payment claims, uncommercial and voidable transaction and insolvent trading claims
  • General debt collection and enforcement action
  • Building and construction disputes and claims
  • Franchising

Employment Law – acting for either employer or employee

  • Breaches of employment contracts and statutory and common law duties
  • Restraint of trade
  • Contractor v employee issues and drafting and review of contracts; unfair dismissal or adverse protections claims
  • Sexual harassment/discrimination/bullying in the workplace
  • OH&S claims
  • EPA prosecutions

Media/Intellectual Property

  • Copyright, defamation and intellectual property claims
  • Television and film production disputes
  • Preparation and/or review of commercial IP documents including confidentiality/non-disclosure agreements, licensing agreements and deeds of assignment

Judy brings more than 30 years commercial litigation experience to lead our skilled and knowledgeable team of litigation solicitors and support staff. She has conducted complex litigation in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court and the Supreme Courts of Victoria and NSW as well as the County and Magistrates Courts and VCAT in Victoria and the District and Local Courts in NSW. This litigation has included applications for urgent injunctive and declaratory relief and a successful appeal to the High Court in a leading decision with respect to Trade Practice Act provisions as to the misuse of market power.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws

Bachelor of Arts

Memberships

Judy is a member of the Women Insolvency restructuring Victoria, Victorian Women Lawyers and the Asian Australian Lawyers Association Inc.