Chris Adamek | Senior Associate,
LLB (Hons) GDipLegalPrac
Chris Adamek
Chris is an experienced commercial disputes lawyer who advises on complex litigation, investigations and contentious regulatory matters. He has particular expertise in insolvency matters, financial services disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, including matters concerning suspected corporate misconduct.
Chris has acted for a variety of regulators, corporations and individuals, including:
a global credit rating agency in defending multiple concurrent class actions relating to conduct that preceded the global financial crisis;
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission across a range of civil penalty, criminal and investigative matters;
a global aircraft manufacturer in conducting an internal investigation ordered by US, UK and French regulators;
several Big Four accounting firms in defending audit negligence proceedings;
an ASX-listed mining company in regulatory proceedings brought by ASIC and the US Securities and Exchange Commission over the sale of securities;
directors of several ASX-listed Australian financial technology companies in defending insider trading and continuous disclosure allegations; and
company liquidators in recovery proceedings against former directors suspected of a conspiring to operate a multi-national tax avoidance scheme.
Prior to joining the firm, Chris was a Director at the Department of Treasury where he led the Government’s work on reforming Australia's financial services laws to accommodate digital assets platforms and tokenised financial products, payment instruments, and markets. In that role, Chris represented the Treasury on working groups convened by the Council of Financial Regulators, the Financial Stability Board and the Hague Conference on Private International Law. His academic and policy work on modernising financial services regulation has been cited by legal practitioners and policymakers in Australia and internationally.
Chris brings together substantial experience in complex disputes, gained at leading Australian and international law firms, with experience in regulatory enforcement and financial services reform. Having acted for regulators, corporations and individuals, and worked in government on major financial services reform, Chris brings strategic commercial judgement and a detailed understanding of the regulatory context in which contentious matters arise.