Kate Whalan

Kate is a Principal in the firm's Disputes and Insolvency division with over 15 years worth of experience. Her broad skill set includes debt recovery, contract disputes, consumer law actions, property litigation, and insolvency matters.

Well regarded in the industry, Kate is known for her tenacity to deliver successful commercial outcomes for clients. Kate has particular expertise in complex, politically sensitive litigation with multiple stakeholders, which requires a carefully crafted holistic approach to dispute resolution.

Kate and her team regularly provide expert advice to Directors and Officers of some of Australia’s largest companies, including in relation to defamation claims. She has acted on behalf of an elite private secondary school principal in a contentious pre-litigated matter regarding allegations the principal had made defamatory imputations about a student to the school community. She has also acted for a large associate in defamation proceedings commenced against a disaffected former member who anonymously set up and administered a malicious website, as well as for a national governing body in the education sector providing legal, reputational and strategic advice concerning sustained defamatory publications and a concerted effort by various detractors to destabilize the board in an orchestrated campaign.