Profile - Sally Sheppard

Key Points:

Sally Sheppard is a partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution section of Clayton Utz Melbourne, having previously practised both in Sydney and Canberra. She has provided advice to all levels of public sector bodies, from Commonwealth and State departments to statutory authorities and local councils in relation to matters involving:

• defence of and challenges to administrative decisions made by Commonwealth and Territory Government agencies
• access to documents under Commonwealth and State Freedom of Information legislation
• the application of the Commonwealth Privacy Act
• the personal liability of directors of private, public and statutory corporations and the adequacy of their insurance coverage.

Sally has advised clients (including the provision of administrative decision making, compliance and risk management training and seminars) in relation to their obligations under statutes including the Privacy Act and Trade Practices and Fair Trading Acts.

She is well aware of the importance to Government of acting and being seen to act as a model litigant.

Sally's focus is on understanding her clients' policy and commercial imperatives in the context of both proactive, risk management advice and dispute management and resolution, so as to achieve not simply a good result in terms of any ultimate litigation but an appropriate policy or business outcome. Sally has been an accredited mediator and a member of LEADR (Lawyers Engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution) for 10 years, and is committed to using mediation and other alternative dispute resolution strategies as tools in resolving disputes which are or might otherwise become litigious. She has also assisted in mediation training of others.