Current practice
Grant’s commercial litigation practice has a particular focus on regulatory enforcement.
Clients describe Grant as “always available and responsive”, “calm and very matter of fact”, and “understanding the client’s strategy and objectives”. As a long standing client has said:
he does not get over excited about the potential of a large litigation case, but understands that for the client this is not necessarily what they want and therefore looks to resolve the situation in the best interests of the client.
Experience
Grant’s wide range of experience includes acting for:
- Metcash successfully defending ACCC proceedings seeking to injunct Metcash’s acquisition of Franklins
- CIT successfully defending ACCC proceedings alleging third line forcing, resulting in summary dismissal of the claim against CIT
- non executive directors of Babcock & Brown in relation to liquidator investigations following the collapse of that company
- non executive directors of ABC Learning Centres in relation to ASIC and liquidator investigations following the collapse of that company
- the insurers of the directors and officers of HIH Insurance in relation to issues arising from the collapse of HIH, including representation of the Chairman of the Board of HIH at the HIH Royal Commission
- a leading broker in his successful appeal to the AAT from an ASIC banning order
- Phillips Fox successfully defending litigation arising from the collapse of New Cap Re
- Macquarie in relation to litigation arising from the BrisConnections project, including summary dismissal of a $1.3 billion class action claim
- Macquarie successfully defending litigation concerning Macquarie Airports
- Carnival plc in a major public inquiry in Sydney, relating to its cruising operations in the Asia Pacific region under the P&O Australia name
- clients in various competition litigation matters, including in the finance, gas and electricity industries, and
- clients subject to regulatory investigations and actions, including ASIC and ACCC investigations.
Professional background
Grant joined Freehills litigation group in 1999 and has been a partner since 2001. Prior to Freehills he was with Chapman Tripp in New Zealand.
Grant is a former Fulbright Scholar. He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Auckland.
Grant has been recognised as one of Australia’s leading commercial litigators, including AFR Best Lawyers 2010 and 2011, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2012, Chambers Asia Pacific 2012 and Chambers Global 2012.
