Profile
Sheeana practices across general commercial as well as public and administrative law, and particularly enjoys working in areas where the law intersects with the public.
Sheeana brings over a decade of experience as a commercial litigation solicitor to her practice, including several years as a Public Defender with VLA’s Civil Justice directorate appearing at all levels of State and Federal Courts and Tribunals.
She accepts briefs to appear (unled and led) in all levels of State and Federal Courts for general commercial disputes, public/administration law matters, and coronial inquests. She appears for corporations, government departments, and individuals.
Sheeana combines her experience as an advocate and advisor to corporations and government departments with strong communication skills. She is particularly well-placed to provide strategic, high-quality, and timely written advice on legal, risk, policy, and procedure questions.
Sheeana has advised on commercial construction disputes, directors’ liabilities in ASIC investigations, banking and finance disputes against major banks, and product liability claims. She has represented clients in contract disputes in relation to mining, medical products, newbuild ships, and domestic washing machines and cooktops.
As a Principal Solicitor in the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Litigation team, she advised on questions of statutory interpretation, procedure and powers, and she worked as a Principal Legal Policy Officer in the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Justice and Community Safety on a question of interaction of laws, powers, and risk.
Drawing on her instructing experience in both the Supreme Court and the Federal Court, including in the Matthews v SPI (Black Saturday bushfires) litigation, Sheeana can be relied on to advise and appear at all stages of litigation. She can draw pleadings, prepare witness evidence (written and oral), and has a particular interest in expert evidence.
As a Public Defender with VLA’s Civil Justice directorate, she regularly appeared in supervision order reviews under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 (Vic) and the Serious Offenders (Detention and Supervision) Act 2009 (Vic) in the County and Supreme Courts. She has appeared in the General Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for merits review of Disability Support Pension and National Disability Insurance Scheme applications, as well as in conciliations in the Australian and Victorian Human Rights Commissions for discrimination, equal opportunity rights, and sexual harassment matters.
Previous roles:
Prior to coming to the Bar, Sheeana was:
- the Public Defender (Civil Justice) at Victoria Legal Aid Chambers;
- a Principal Legal Policy Officer in the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Justice and Community Safety;
- a Principal Solicitor in the COVID-19 Litigation team at the Department of Health;
- the Senior Researcher to the County Court’s Civil Division judges; and
- a solicitor at Norton Rose Fulbright and Herbert Smith Freehills, including working as in-house counsel at the National Australia Bank in its Dispute Resolution team.
Sheeana has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons; Renaissance History and Italian) from Monash University, and assesses Evidence Law at Deakin University.
Sheeana combines her love of the law with long distance swimming and triathlon, and is a proud member of a successful English Channel crossing relay team.
Sheeana read with Erin Gardner, and her senior mentor is Kathleen Foley SC.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
+61 3 9225 7222
clerkb@greenslist.com.au