Steven specialises in and leads the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, and Insolvency & Restructuring practices at Addisons.
An experienced litigator in upper Australian jurisdictions and abroad, Steven acts across a wide range of complex corporate and commercial disputes including contract disputes, shareholder disputes and issues of succession, as well as claims involving high-value deceased estates.
Steven also draws on his core skills to provide corporate and commercial advice to assist with the financial settlements between separating parties in large matrimonial estates involving complex corporate, trust and joint venture structures.
At the core of Steven’s practice is advice to clients during periods of actual or potential financial stress, including formal insolvency processes (administrations, liquidations, and bankruptcies), and often this work requires various regulatory considerations and investigations. Clients trust Steven to understand their commercial objectives, offer practical advice, and guide them sensitively and reliably through periods of distress whilst navigating highly technical legal considerations.
Steven’s clients span a variety of industries including property, construction, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, IT, professional services and financial services.
acted for the external administrators of failed property developers regarding projects in rural NSW and regional Victoria, pursued claims against former directors, advisors and related parties to recoup company losses for creditors and investors.
acted for section 19 examinees in connection with a tech start-up.
acted for the court-appointed receiver and then liquidator of a foundry business following a shareholder dispute.
acted for the administrators of a UK-based property fund in respect of fraudulent conduct perpetrated by the directors and their professional advisors resulting in multi-million-pound losses for investors and the major secured creditor, Clydesdale Bank.
acted on a Family Provision Act claim in respect of a deceased estate with an estimated value of more than $40 million.
acted for one of the parties to a matrimonial separation in the unwinding of a significant rural enterprise involving various trust, corporate and joint venture structures, and separate litigation in both the Supreme Court of NSW and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
acted for the liquidators of the failed music streaming start-up that resulted in investor losses of ~$180 million, undertook public examinations and pursued recovery actions.
acted for the administrators of the company, whose interests included a coal mining enterprise at Rolleston, QLD.
assisted with the external administration of the Asian-based Lehman entities regarding the affairs of their subsidiaries, the Australian-based Lehman entities.
acted for the group’s secured creditor in connection with the voluntary administration and ultimate sale to IVE Group (ASX: IGL).
acted for the litigation funder of multiple airbag class actions against various international motor vehicle manufacturers, including applications regarding the Court’s powers to make common fund orders and, ultimately, settlement approval of a $52 million resolution of six of those class actions.
acted for the minority shareholder in oppression proceedings regarding the operations of a renowned Sydney restaurant business.
- Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia,
- Member, Law Society of New South Wales
- Fellow, Australian Restructuring, Insolvency & Turnaround Association (ARITA)
- Member, International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International)
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney
- Bachelor of Law, University of Sydney