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John Kelly

John Kelly is a partner in the complex commercial litigation and dispute practice with more than 30 years experience. His practice focusses on large scale litigation which extends to all Australian superior courts. John has significant experience in dispute resolution by arbitration and other alternate dispute resolution procedures.

John has advised major clients on contractual disputes, class actions, tort claims, public inquiries and prosecutions by government and regulatory authorities. He has worked extensively in the energy and resources industry.

John has broad experience in advising clients in relation to major corporate incidents, particularly in the energy and resources industry. In these matters, he regularly advises on strategic issues surrounding incident response including internal incident investigation processes, responses to government investigations, prosecutions, the retention of experts and the potential civil claims that may arise from an incident. 

  • Recognised by IFLR 1000 as a highly regarded practitioner in mining and oil & gas, 2022
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2015–2024
    • Litigation, 2015-2024
  • Recognised as a recommended lawyer by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 
    • Dispute Resolution in Australia, 2018–2019 and 2021–2024
    • Regulatory Compliance and Investigations in Australia, 2020

"John Kelly was a valuable source of guidance for us throughout the dispute – we appreciated his clear, level-headed approach to the matter and his suggestions on the more commercial aspects of the negotiations." (The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023)

"John Kelly is commercial and strategic in his advice, which has been greatly appreciated by me and the business." (The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021)

  • Law Institute of Victoria member
  • Resources and Energy Law Association (AMPLA) member
  • Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) member
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