Katherine Smith

Originally admitted in New Zealand, Katherine is an experienced restructuring and insolvency lawyer advising clients about contentious and non-contentious aspects of corporate insolvency, bankruptcy and recoveries, including examining antecedent transactions, securities enforcement, and investigations, and providing strategic advice to creditors and insolvency practitioners in relation to the tracing and recovery of funds. Katherine's most recent significant matter involved advising liquidators appointed to a financial services business as to the distribution of client assets of over AU$250 million. This was a multifaceted cross border insolvency project working with a variety of stakeholders to ensure delivery of time critical advice and appearing in the Federal Court of Australia and High Court of NZ in an historic joint sitting. Katherine leads a vibrant and dynamic team to provide responsive, commercial and practical legal solutions in the insolvency space. She also has extensive experience developing policies and legislative reform relating to debt recovery and insolvency - particularly addressing phoenix risk, as well as delivery of substantive training modules across a range of insolvency related fields. As a mentor, Katherine provides support through her involvement in HOST International (a non-profit organisation which helps make life better for displaced people and host communities by fostering humanity, hope and dignity) as well as to junior lawyers and law students through the Law Society of NSW and the University of Sydney. Katherine currently serves on the Business Law Committee and Indigenous Issues Committee of the Law Society of NSW, as well as K&L Gates RAP Committee. As Pro Bono Coordinator for the Sydney office, Katherine endeavours to assist her colleagues to give back to the community.