Melissa works with boards, in-house teams and professional advisors to navigate complex restructuring, enforcement and commercial litigation issues. She advises on contentious and non-contentious informal and formal insolvency and restructuring processes, in particular:
- working with boards on Safe Harbour and turnaround planning;
- advising capital providers in distressed scenarios to execute debt for equity swaps and other restructuring strategies; and
- acting for insolvency practitioners, significant creditors and other stakeholders (including governmental departments) in contested insolvency processes and complex litigation matters
Melissa’s expertise is recognised by her industry peers, being listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia for Litigation in 2025, as a Commercial Litigation and Insolvency Law Rising Star in Doyles Guide for 2024 and 2023 and having been shortlisted as Senior Associate of the Year by Lawyers Weekly in 2023.
Expertise
Experience
- AGC Group of Companies Advising on the successful restructure of the Australian entities resulting in an acquisition by Altrad.
- Kipoi Holdings Mauritius Providing advice in relation to several complex litigation and insolvency proceedings linked to the ownership and control of approximately USD$110 million of debt and its shareholdings in an Australian group of companies with assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo which was subject to a pre-pack voluntary administration.
- A significant shareholder and creditor of Sun Cable Providing advice in relation to restructuring advice and bid strategy within a voluntary administration context.
- Administrators for Air Mauritius Advising on strategy and the implementation of a first in jurisdiction creditors’ trust fund.
- Department of Health (Federal) Advising on the interaction between the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth), corporate insolvency regime and the Commonwealth guarantee scheme in the successful acquisition of Berrington by Bethanie.
- Confidential clients Advising on safe harbour engagements and business turnaround planning including in the oil and gas, mining and resources, construction, health and allied services sectors.
- Insolvency Practitioners Providing advice on receivership, voluntary administration, liquidation and bankruptcy matters.
- Government agencies Providing advice on the complex interaction between insolvency law and other statutory regimes.
- Significant creditors and counterparties Advising on strategy and options when considering enforcement options and rights in an insolvency context.