Profile
Shanta practices in commercial, corporate regulatory, consumer and public law in the Federal and State courts and in commercial arbitrations. Shanta has substantial experience in commercial contract disputes, construction litigation, and litigation arising from breaches of Australian Consumer Law.
Shanta is regularly briefed in public law matters in the Federal Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Supreme Court, and in obtaining injunctive relief in aid of administrative appeals (merits review and judicial review). Her appearance work includes acting for various government clients in claims for public interest immunity. Her experience includes jurisdictional challenges, cases raising conflict of laws issues, and obtaining freezing injunctions and anti-suit injunctions.
Shanta’s particular expertise is in cases that cut across commercial law, common law and public law. She has a significant history in group litigation arising from the operations of corporate entities internationally, including in modern slavery, personal injury and environmental claims. She is available for advisory and appearance briefs on business and human rights matters, including matters related to modern slavery.
She is highly regarded for her expertise on business and human rights. Shanta is an Independent Examiner for the Australian National Contact Point, the Australian entity tasked with implementing the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. In this role, Shanta assesses complaints made against Australian and foreign multinationals for alleged non-compliance with the OECD Guidelines, often in relation to failure to comply with the Human Rights chapter.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Shanta was a partner at London-based law firm, Leigh Day, specialising in international disputes. While practising as a solicitor in England and Wales, she pioneered litigation on modern slavery and was a Legal 500 recommended lawyer (2018). She developed particular expertise in corporate accountability and international human rights law while leading the advocacy work in this field at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat in London and at Oxfam Australia. While leading Amnesty International's work on business and human rights, Shanta was involved in the development of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights , the IFC Performance Standards and the revision of the OECD Guidelines.
Shanta is the Victorian Bar member of the Law Council of Australia’s Business and Human Rights Committee, a member of the Victorian Bar Human Rights Committee, and an author for the Law Institute Journal writing regular Federal Court case summaries.
Shanta previously practised as a commercial litigation solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (King & Wood Mallesons).
Shanta read with Alistair Pound SC and her senior mentor is Bernie Quinn QC.
Case notes:
Shanta's extended biography and recent cases can be found here.
Commercial Law
+61 3 9225 7222
clerkb@greenslist.com.au