Premala practices primarily in commercial and public law. She has particular experience in corporations, equity and trusts, tax, competition, banking and finance and construction law. She also has public and regulatory law experience and has acted for and against regulators.

Before coming to the Bar, Premala was a Senior Associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group at Clifford Chance LLP, London, and a solicitor at Freehills, Melbourne. She has over 17 years experience as a litigator, specialising in high-value, complex commercial disputes, especially in the banking and finance sector. She has a broad range of experience in both commercial and public law, acting in cases before the House of Lords, the Privy Council, the European Court of Human Rights and in international arbitrations.

Premala holds a Bachelor of Civil Laws from the University of Oxford where she studied as a Menzies Scholar.

Premala won the Supreme Court Prize and was editor of the Law Review at Monash University. She also received prizes in Corporations Law, Insolvency, Equity & Trusts, Torts and Legal Process and won the Australian Institute of Administrative Law’s National Essay competition.

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

Cases

• Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (2018)
• Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Kobelt [2019] HCA 18
• Complex high-value and large scale domestic arbitration involving property and construction issues
• JKC Australia LNG Pty Ltd v CH2M Hill Companies Ltd [2019] WASC 177
• Complex international arbitration (UNCITRAL, Singapore) involving a mining operation in Western Australia
• Proposed merger between TPG and Vodafone (2019)
• Application by Tabcorp Holdings Limited [2017] ACompT 10 (first instance); [2017] FCAFC 150 (on review); [2017] A CompT 5 (on remittal)
• McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Santam Ltd and Others (No 1) [2016] VSC 734
• ResourceCo Material Solutions Pty Ltd & Ors v State of Victoria & Ors [HCA, 2016]
• E Koroneos & Ors v National Australia Bank [2016, VSC]
• Roy Hill Holdings & Ors v Samsung C&T Corporation WASC 2016
• Roy Hill Holdings & Ors v Samsung C&T Corporation [2015] WASC 458
• Unled appearances in Supreme Court, Federal Court and AAT (see eg SBWN; Secretary, Department of Social Services (Social Services Second Review) [2015] AATA 946
• Hanley v National Australia Bank Limited (2015) Supreme Court of Victoria
• TVM v Susan Mary Taylor & Ors (VSC Proceedings)
• Commissioner of Taxation v Elecnet (Aust) Pty Ltd (Trustee) [2015] FCAFC 178; Elecnet (Aust) Pty Ltd (Trustee) v Commissioner of Taxation [2015] FCA 456
• Associated Forest Holdings Pty Ltd v Gordian Runoff Limited [2015] TASFC 6
• Thompson v National Australia Bank & Ors
• Detailed advice work on a large-scale construction project involving defective work, involving complex negligence, insurance and proportionate liability issues
• Hazelwood Power Partnership & Anor v Latrobe City Council & Anor
• ICM Investments Pty Ltd v San Miguel Corporation and another [2014] VSCA 246, [2013] VSC 528