Hamish Gillis | Partner,
LLB (Hons) B.Com (Corp Fin)
Hamish Gillis
Hamish is an experienced commercial litigator and regularly advises clients in connection with high-stakes and complex commercial disputes around Australia. Hamish leads the dispute resolution team as the Disputes Team Manager.
He worked tirelessly for a number of years on a matter in which our firm acted for the applicant liquidators in Federal Court proceedings, in connection with a complex tax evasion scheme spanning international borders, and which resulted in a judgment in favour of our clients and ultimately orders that they be paid amounts exceeding $100 million: BCI Finances Pty Limited (in liq) v Binetter (No 4) [2016] FCA 1351.
More generally, Hamish has experience in resolving a broad range of commercial disputes. Often those disputes have involved financial and complex security arrangements, fraud, corporate insolvency, mining, drilling, construction and engineering, and pastoral and agricultural operations.
His recent experience in some of these areas includes:
For a period recently of approximately 15 months, advising the DOCA proponent and financier in the complex deed administration and restructuring of a substantial gold mining operation in Victoria run by a public company.
Acting for Canadian manufacturers of drilling rigs and equipment for the exploration mining industry to protect their interests in connection with the insolvency of competitor companies in Australia.
On behalf of one of Australia’s largest meat distributors, successfully having dissolved a Supreme Court injunction which had been restraining the operations at two of its abattoirs.
Advising the owner of the substantial assets of an iron ore mine in the Northern Territory in connection with the restart of the mine, in defending proceedings commenced in the Federal Court in Melbourne seeking urgent injunctive relief in connection with those assets, and in the eventual sale of those assets to overseas purchasers.
On behalf of a major Italian manufacturer of agricultural machinery, defending and successfully resolving proceedings commenced against it in Australia.
Advising the corporate owner of one of Australia's largest cattle stations in connection with disputes as to the boundaries of that station.
On behalf of one of Australia’s largest pastoral businesses, successfully pursuing recoveries in connection with substantial discrepancies in cattle numbers identified following the purchase of a cattle station in the Northern Territory.
On behalf of a company and individuals in Singapore, successfully defending proceedings commenced by an Australian public company in the Supreme Court of New South Wales relating to a complex financial transaction.
Obtaining urgent orders in the Federal Court in Adelaide freezing the assets of a hedge fund trading in cryptocurrency thought to be worth approximately $50 million, and investigating a significant fraud in connection with that hedge fund.
Hamish has also been a regular and close advisor to one of South Australia's most prestigious colleges, to one of South Australia's top civil construction companies, and to a successful South Australian business which leases high-end motor vehicles throughout Australia.