Karen is a commercial junior with over 15 years’ experience of international commercial litigation and arbitration. Her practice spans the full range of commercial disputes, fraud and insolvency (both international and domestic) and she has deep expertise in banking and financial services and company law. Many of her cases involve complex financial instruments and structures that require detailed expert evidence and cross-examination.
Karen recently acted for a banking consortium in long-running bankruptcy litigation against Dr Vijay Mallya, for the liquidators of Three Arrows Capital in dispute with the FTX Recovery Trust and for the liquidators of Yield App, a Seychelles-based crypto platform.
Karen is frequently instructed both led and unled in urgent applications for injunctive relief, including freezing orders, search orders and receivership orders and in applications for anti-suit relief.
She has appeared unled in the High Court of England and Wales, obtaining urgent injunctive relief against foreign domiciled parties and led in an offshore application for anti-suit relief connected to a multi-jurisdictional banking fraud.
Karen is called to the Bar in England and Wales, all Australian jurisdictions and is registered as a foreign lawyer of the SICC. She was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2014.
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Recent cases
- State Bank of India & Ors v Mallya [2025] EWHC 858 (Ch), led by Tony Beswetherick KC (bankruptcy, characterisation of security)
- Flynn Ventures Ltd v Roumeliotis [2025] EWHC 1406 (Comm), unled (freezing injunction, fraud)
- Counsel assisting The Rt Hon. Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBC, PC, as expert on English law, in US proceedings between the liquidators of Three Arrows Capital and the FTX Recovery Trust (cross-border insolvency, financial services, digital assets, trusts, fraud)
- Advising Stephen Cork and Hadley Chilton as liquidators of Yield App and related entities, led by Tony Beswetherick KC (financial services insolvency, fraud)
- Acting for a listed Singapore company in a SCMA arbitration (commercial)
- Advising a representative claimant in litigation against ratings agencies in the High Court of England & Wales, led by Paul Lowenstein KC (representative proceedings, deceit, conspiracy)
- Advising a group of claimants in connection with a cryptocurrency broker fraud, led by Paul Lowenstein KC (digital assets, fraud)
- Advising a UK fund on security enforcement under a mezzanine facility, unled (administration, receivership, secured debt)
- Advising an offshore family office on anti-suit relief and secured debt enforcement, led by Thomas Raphael KC (anti-suit, secured debt, fraud)
- Acting for Credit Suisse Asset Management in connection with some of its exposures to Greensill Capital UK, led (cross-border insolvency, enforcement of security)
- Advising Accolade Wines in connection with a global restructuring, led (Part 26A restructuring plan, cross-border restructuring, UNCITRAL Model Law)
Insolvency and cross-border insolvency
Karen has over 15 years specialist experience in insolvency and restructuring and is an INSOL Fellow. She is described by her clients as a “rock- star junior barrister with a well-deserved and very strong reputation”, as a “a great strategic thinker, highly responsive and hard-working”, as “widely admired for her insolvency work, but her practice extends to all areas of commercial law” and as “technically excellent and extremely user friendly”. She is a go-to junior barrister for cases involving in cross-border insolvency and financial services insolvencies. She is comfortable with complex expert evidence dealing with tracing, dematerialized securities, financial models, cryptocurrency and digital assets, derivatives products and offshore trust structures.
Before the Bar, she was an associate in Allen & Overy’s leading restructuring and insolvency team in London where her clients included PwC as administrators of Phones 4U, the Senior Creditor Group in the Waterfall II litigation and various creditors of MF Global.
- State Bank of India & Ors v Mallya [2025] EWHC 858 (Ch), led by Tony Beswetherick KC (bankruptcy, characterisation of security)
- Counsel assisting the Rt. Hon. Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBC, PC, as expert on English law, in US proceedings between the liquidators of Three Arrows Capital and the FTX Recovery Trust (cross-border insolvency, financial services, digital assets, trusts, fraud)
- Advising Stephen Cork and Hadley Chilton as liquidators of Yield App and related entities, led by Tony Beswetherick KC (financial services insolvency, fraud)
- Acting for Credit Suisse Asset Management in connection with some of its exposures to Greensill Capital UK, led (cross-border insolvency, enforcement of security)
- advising Accolade Wines in connection with a global restructuring, led (Part 26A restructuring plan, cross-border restructuring, UNCITRAL Model Law)
- Kelly (liquidator), in the matter of Halifax Investment Services Pty Ltd (in liquidation) v Loo [2021] FCA 531; In the matter of Halifax New Zealand Limited (in liquidation) [2021] NZHC 1113 (cross-border insolvency; financial services insolvency, trusts)
- Michele Bottiglieri Amatore SpA, in the matter of Michele Bottiglieri Amatore SpA [2021] FCA 795 unled, (cross-border insolvency)
- Duncan (Trustee) v Shrestha, in the matter of Shrestha [2022] FCA 1601, unled (cross-border insolvency, UNCITRAL Model Law)
- In the matter of Rizzo-Bottiglieri-de Carlini Armatori SpA (trustees in bankruptcy appointed) (no. 2) [2018] FCA 1067, led (cross-border insolvency, shipping, UNCITRAL Model Law)
- Palmer v Lazar (a bankrupt) [2025] FCA 967, unled (bankruptcy, real property)
- Commissioner of State Revenue v Gleeson, in the matter of Dalma Form Specialist Pty Ltd (subject to deed of company arrangement) [2024] FCA 908, unled, (termination of deed of company arrangement)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bit Trade Pty Ltd [2024] FCA 953, led, (cryptocurrency regulation)
- Krejci, in the matter of Union Standard International Group Pty Ltd (in liq) [2021] FCA 1483, led, (financial services insolvency)
- In the matter of Colour Metal Pty Ltd [2021] NSWSC 1012 unled, (set-aside statutory demand).
- In the matter of Pacific Steelfixing Pty Ltd [2021] NSWSC 655 unled, (unfair preference; insolvent transaction); [2021] NSWSC 1129, (personal costs against liquidator)
- Strawbridge, in the matter of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (administrators appointed) (No 8) [2020] FCA 1344, led, (deed of company arrangement)
- Hutson (liquidator), in the matter of WDS Limited (in liq) (Receivers and Managers Appointed) [2020] FCA 299, led, (liquidation; pooling)
Commercial disputes
Karen appears in commercial disputes of all kinds, including contractual disputes and claims of whatever nature arising from commercial relationships. She is described by her clients as “often the first choice as a commercial junior in large cases”. She has deep experience in shareholder disputes and trust disputes, both in court and in arbitration. She is often instructed by high-net-worth individuals and family offices.
- Flynn Ventures Ltd v Roumeliotis [2025] EWHC 1406 (Comm), unled (freezing injunction, fraud)
- Acting for a listed Singapore company in a SCMA arbitration (commercial)
- Advising a UK fund on security enforcement under a mezzanine facility, unled (secured debt)
- Advising an offshore family office on anti-suit relief and secured debt enforcement, led by Thomas Raphael KC (anti-suit, secured debt, family office)
- Advising a high net worth individual in a family business separation dispute, led by Oliver Caplin KC (commercial, trust, family office)
- Acting for Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, led, (Civ 3041 of 2010 and CIV 2617 of 2012), (partnership, contract, directors’ duties, family office)
- Advising Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd in a commercial arbitration, led, (trusts, directors’ duties, family office)
- In the matter of Pendal Group Limited [2022] NSWSC 1575; [2023] NSWSC 14, led, (scheme of arrangement)
- Magellan Asset Management Limited as responsible entity for the Magellan Global Fund [2023] NSWSC 1332, led, (shareholder dispute)
- Maersk A/S v Patti [2022] FCA 663, led, (shipping, strike-out of defence)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Westpac Banking Corporation (Omnibus) [2022] FCA 515, led, (financial services regulation)
- Aberdeen Bear Pty Ltd v MJJK Investments Pty Ltd; MJJK Investments Pty Ltd v Calvert [2024] NSWSC 722, led, (shareholder dispute, family office)
Fraud
Karen’s experience in insolvency, structured financial transactions and tracing and asset recovery make her a first choice of junior counsel in cross-border fraud cases. In the last 5 years, her fraud cases have included underlying subject matter in banking, securities, cryptocurrency and digital assets, tax, social security, and misuse of director power. The intersection between her experience in financial services insolvency and digital assets makes her particularly well suited to cases involving digital assets fraud.
- Flynn Ventures Ltd v Roumeliotis [2025] EWHC 1406 (Comm), unled (freezing injunction, fraud)
- Acting for a listed Singapore company in a SCMA arbitration (commercial)
- Advising a UK fund on security enforcement under a mezzanine facility, unled (secured debt)
- Advising an offshore family office on anti-suit relief and secured debt enforcement, led by Thomas Raphael KC (anti-suit, secured debt, family office)
- Advising a high net worth individual in a family business separation dispute, led by Oliver Caplin KC (commercial, trust, family office)
- Acting for Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, led, (Civ 3041 of 2010 and CIV 2617 of 2012), (partnership, contract, directors’ duties, family office)
- Advising Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd in a commercial arbitration, led, (trusts, directors’ duties, family office)
- In the matter of Pendal Group Limited [2022] NSWSC 1575; [2023] NSWSC 14, led, (scheme of arrangement)
- Magellan Asset Management Limited as responsible entity for the Magellan Global Fund [2023] NSWSC 1332, led, (shareholder dispute)
- Maersk A/S v Patti [2022] FCA 663, led, (shipping, strike-out of defence)
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Westpac Banking Corporation (Omnibus) [2022] FCA 515, led, (financial services regulation)
- Aberdeen Bear Pty Ltd v MJJK Investments Pty Ltd; MJJK Investments Pty Ltd v Calvert [2024] NSWSC 722, led, (shareholder dispute, family office)
