Colleen Platford

Partner
Sydney

Biography

Colleen is a partner in our Disputes and Investigations group.

She is considered one of the pre-eminent commercial litigators in Australia and has over 30 years of extensive experience in commercial litigation, class actions, insolvency issues, and restructuring. She is known for her strategic advice, handling complex issues, and achieving commercial outcomes. Her clients include major corporations, including those based in the US. 

Colleen also has extensive experience advising high-profile directors and companies involved in investigations, Royal Commissions, and litigation brought by ASIC, the ACCC, and liquidators and administrators.  

Colleen is listed as a pre-eminent practitioner for dispute resolution by all leading international legal directories including Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers Australia, Who’s Who Legal and Doyle’s Guide.

Experience

Colleen’s experience includes advising:

  • Virgin Australia in defending a complex class action brought by noteholders in the Federal Court of Australia.

  • A former director of The Star Entertainment Group in defending landmark ASIC proceedings.

  • New Hope Group in successful NSW Supreme Court proceedings against Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal over a $155 million debt guarantee dispute.

  • PwC Australia in Federal Court proceedings against twelve former directors for alleged misconduct and trading while insolvent under the Corporations Act.

  • Virgin Australia on several commercial disputes.

  • JP Morgan on the ACCC's criminal cartel prosecution against ANZ, Citi and Deutsche relating to a $2.5 billion capital raising.

  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia in connection with an ASIC investigation into its consumer credit insurance.

  • Insurance Council of Australia on its response to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.

  • Google in successfully defending ACCC proceedings on alleged misleading and deceptive conduct over sponsored links that appeared on Google’s search result pages.

  • RiverCity companies in securing a $280 million settlement from AECOM following Federal Court proceedings for misleading and deceptive conduct.

  • BrisConnections Group in its claim more than $1 billion against Arup for misleading or deceptive conduct and negligence in undertaking the traffic forecasting for the AirportlinkM7.

  • Lowe’s in securing a $250 million outcome following Federal Court and arbitral proceedings against Woolworths in connection with the Masters joint venture.

Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024

    Ranked for Dispute Resolution as one of the top 10 litigators

  • Best Lawyers 2025

    Recognised for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation, Defamation and Media Law, Insolvency and Reorganisation Law, International Arbitration, Litigation and Regulatory Practice

  • The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2024

    Ranked for Dispute Resolution: Litigation

Testimonials

Client first thinking

Colleen is the person I would wish to have working for me if I was facing a disaster. She is uncompromising in pursuing an effective outcome for her clients.

The Legal 500

Colleen Platford is an outstanding litigator – she takes the time to understand the whole picture, to draw out the key points and determine an overall strategy.

The Legal 500

Colleen is the person you want on your side for high-stakes matters. She is calm, thoughtful and knowledgeable.

Chambers Asia-Pacific

Colleen has a very deep understanding of client requirements, what’s important and what’s not, and knows exactly where the pressure points are.

Chambers Asia-Pacific

Great flexibility of mind and coming up with ideas no one else had thought of.

Chambers Asia-Pacific

You know you are in for a hard fight, but for sensible strategic discussions too.

Chambers Asia-Pacific
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