Current practice

Rebecca Davies is a senior partner with significant expertise in commercial litigation. Clients benefit from her particular expertise in advising organisations in relation to major challenges and change, and in helping them manage complex cases, transactions and projects. Admitted to practise as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1980, she became a partner of Freehills in 1983.  

Rebecca regularly advises major Australian and international companies and government bodies, both state and federal, at board and senior levels in relation to complex commercial disputes. She draws on a range of skills and experience in guiding companies through the challenges they face in dealing with strategic change.

Industry experience

Rebecca's experience in both litigation and corporate spheres places her in a unique position to advise public and private sector organisations facing major challenges, whether the challenge of major litigation, or managing the challenge of legal change, but always keeping a focus on the organisation's key business needs.

Rebecca has extensive experience across a range of sectors, although in recent years she has focused on the media and technology sectors. She has project managed many large cases and other projects, including the Linter litigation and successful NRMA demutualisation.

She led the Freehills team acting for Seven Network in the C7 case landmark trade practices litigation involving the pay television industry and is now running the appeal from the initial decision. She also acts for a range of clients on disputes which give rise to important strategic issues for them—regularly finding innovative and cost effective solutions.

Professional background

In Legal Profiles for 2001 and 2002 Rebecca was described as ‘the best lawyer in Australia’ and ‘very professional, providing outstanding service’ and has been regularly cited as a highly recommended lawyer in leading industry publications. Chambers Global (2007) reports that she ‘won praise from clients who say “she knows our business from top to bottom”’. She is profiled in the inaugural edition of Who’s Who of Australian Women (2006).

She is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales and the Law Institute of Victoria, the Women Lawyers Association, Law Council of Australia, the International Bar Association, the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Rebecca holds Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) degrees from the ANU.

She is an elected member of the Freehills Board and chairs its Women at Freehills steering committee. She was Chairman of MLC Nominees, the Trustees for MLC Public Offer Superannuation Funds from 1996 to 2003, and on the Board from 1995. She has been a director of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since December 1997 and acted as vice chair from November 2001 to 2005 and serves on a number of its local and international committees.

She is a member of the Executive Board of the Islet Transplantation Program, chaired by Australian of the Year 2006, Professor Ian Frazer. Rebecca was appointed to the Private Health Insurance Administration Council by the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing in 2002 and she chairs its Audit and Compliance Committee.

She is one of 100 prominent Australian women who are Ambassadors for the Field of Women Live event in Sydney.