Chris Kintis

Chris is a commercial and litigation lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience in managing complex commercial disputes and regulatory investigations. Chris works closely with company directors, senior executives, business owners and individuals to provide strategic advice on the management of risk and the resolution of commercial disputes. 

A seasoned litigation lawyer, Chris understands the strategic and commercial dimensions of litigation. He is able to quickly identify critical issues in a dispute, assess risks and develop a focused strategy to effectively manage the dispute. 

Chris’s extensive experience in complex commercial litigation is complimented by his strong expertise in alternative resolution and negotiation. He takes a pragmatic and strategic approach to resolving disputes, with a focus on achieving timely, commercially appropriate outcomes while pursuing clients’ interests in contested trials when litigation is required. 

 

What Chris’s clients say

“I’ve worked with Chris and his staff on a variety of matters both professionally and personally for over 20 years.  He is a consistent, cost conscious and strategically sound results driven lawyer, always delivering the end game across a broad variety of fields.  Whether he is representing a client with an insolvency matter, or protecting a business from a legal assault or pursuing a debt of handling a complicated dispute, Chris has the intellect and personality to negotiate and defend a position and to also simply straight out win a matter. Chris is a complete, results oriented professional.”

- Glenn Ashcroft, Taylor Insolvency 

 

A word from Chris

As an experienced litigation lawyer, what I find most satisfying about my role is working with individuals and businesses to help them achieve positive outcomes when they are involved in commercial disputes. I particularly enjoy taking control of complex or difficult disputes, managing them strategically and developing a clear path to achieve the best possible outcome for the client.

The ability to assess the issues, formulate an effective strategy and ultimately assist a client to successfully resolve a challenging dispute is extremely rewarding for me. 

 

Qualifications/Memberships

• Master of Laws

• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

• Admitted as Lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

• Admitted as a Lawyer of the High Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia

• Member of the Law Society of New South Wales

• Nominated lawyer for the Advertising Standards Board register of Trade Practices and Advertising lawyers 

 

Career highlights

• Advising and representing the former Chair of a listed company in civil penalty proceedings brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The matter involved complex legal issues concerning the scope of the duties of a chair of a listed entity as well as a significant compensation claim and a banning order. Chris assisted the Chair in achieving a resolution of the proceedings with ASIC.

• Acting for an Australian biomedical company in arbitration proceedings against a US distributor concerning allegations of breach of confidential information and misappropriation of trade secrets. The arbitration was conducted under the UNCITRAL rules of arbitration and the eight-week hearing resulted in the client being awarded significant damages.

• Successfully defending and advising a listed company in Federal Court proceedings involving allegations of insider trading arising from a hostile take over bid, achieving an outcome that saved the company millions in potential damages.

• Representing a former director of a listed company in successfully defending proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales concerning allegations that a misleading prospectus had been issued and involving a damages claim exceeding $41 million. The matter involved complex factual and legal issues and ran for 108 days making it a significant and demanding trial.

• Acting for an Australian technology company in a complex dispute with a US company in respect of a software license agreement. Chris achieved a successful resolution of the dispute after lengthy settlement discussions with US attorneys, thereby helping the Australian company avoid a potential multi-million dollar damages claim.

 

Specific areas of focus

• Representing company directors in disputes, regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and prosecutions, including proceedings and investigations conducted by ASIC, the ATO, ICAC and APRA. 

• Advising and representing clients in complex financial services disputes, including claims arising from investment losses and the recovery of substantial financial losses.

• Protecting companies against financial loss arising from fraud, misuse or theft of confidential information including through obtaining urgent injunctive orders aimed at preserving assets that may have been improperly appropriated.

• Representing clients in a broad range of commercial disputes arising from significant commercial contracts, including advising on issues such as contractual enforceability, dispute resolution procedures, termination rights, damages and mitigation issues, performance, indemnity issues and breach of contract.

• Advising and assisting stakeholders, joint venture partners, shareholders and directors in relation to complex internal corporate and governance disputes including arising from joint venture agreements and trust structures.

• Acting in connection with insolvency related litigation including insolvent trading claims, breach of duty claims, unfair preference claims, uncommercial transactions and unreasonable director related transactions.