Janette McLennan
PartnerAbout Janette
Janette is a commercial litigator specialising in complex multi-party commercial disputes, director and officer (D&O) claims, class actions, reputation management, regulatory matters and commercial insurance/reinsurance claims (including monitoring and contested coverage disputes).
She is recognised by Best Lawyers in Australia as a leading litigation lawyer 2019-2023 and a class action litigation lawyer 2022-2023. She is also recommended by Legal 500 in Insurance, Class Actions and Litigation.
What she does
Janette’s expertise includes:
- acting for corporations and officers in the defence of class actions, with a particular emphasis on securities claims, and advising insurer stakeholders on those risks
- acting for D&Os in regulatory disputes, including ASIC civil penalty proceedings and criminal prosecutions arising from alleged misconduct in financial markets
- defending insolvent trading claims and related D&O claims following corporate collapse
- advising insurers on complex coverage matters, both at primary level and in multi-layered programmes, in all financial lines and commercial insurance disciplines
- acting in reinsurance disputes, including in arbitrations and at appellate level
- defending a wide range of professionals in claims of alleged negligence, breach of contract and breach of statutory duties, and
- advising on defamation/reputation management matters, including in claims against cross-border primary and secondary digital publishers.
Who she works with
Janette represents directors, corporations, insurers, reinsurers and a wide range of professionals including accountants, auditors, brokers, financial planners, fund managers, IT professionals, solicitors and trustees.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of Laws from the University of Newcastle.
Life before Sparkes
Janette is a Sparke Helmore alum and re-joined the firm from Clyde and Co where she was a former partner.
Life outside of Sparkes
Janette is a keen landscape photographer, plane spotter and yoga enthusiast who enjoys criss-crossing the globe with her two small children. They have a dog named “Emirates”.