Rigby Cooke welcomes experienced litigator as partner

Julie Callea-Smyth to lead insolvency and reconstruction practice

Rigby Cooke welcomes experienced litigator as partner
Julie Callea-Smyth is Rigby Cooke's newest partner

Rigby Cooke Lawyers has announced the appointment of Julie Callea-Smyth as partner in the firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Insolvency & Reconstruction practices.

In her new role, Callea-Smyth will collaborate with Elizabeth Guerra-Stolfa, the Litigation & Dispute Resolution lead partner, while leading the firm's Insolvency & Reconstruction practice.

She has over 30 years of experience in complex litigation and dispute resolution, representing clients ranging from small-to-medium enterprises to major corporations, leading banks, financiers, insolvency practitioners, accountants, and property developers.

Her expertise includes handling commercial and contractual disputes, fraudulent transactions, insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings, property and leasing disputes, and director's duties. She is also an Accredited Mediator and serves as a Notary Public, adding extensive mediation experience to her portfolio.

"Julie is a welcome addition to our Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Insolvency & Reconstruction groups. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the firm, having previously headed the national Banking and Finance team at Thomson Geer for many years and successfully managed her litigation team in Melbourne for over 14 years,” Rigby Cooke Lawyer Managing Partner Bill Karvela said.

“Julie’s reputation and expertise will greatly enhance our commercial litigation and insolvency offering, enabling us to respond to the increasing demand from our commercial and private clients for our services.”

Callea-Smyth holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Monash University and a Professional Course in Notarial Practice from Victoria University. She is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria and The Society of Notaries Victoria.