Commercial lawyer with medical, health and life sciences industry expertise, licensed to practice in Australia and the US.
Meghan is admitted in the State (Victoria) and Federal jurisdictions of Australia, and as an Attorney at Law to the New York State Bar in the United States. In this capacity Meghan assists her clients in Australia and internationally.
With over 15 years of experience in business and private legal practice, Meghan is a Principal at Burke Lawyers and an AICD Graduate. Meghan served as a Director of the Law Institute of Victoria from 2018 to 2020, and is currently on the College of Law’s Victorian Chapter Board and the Victorian Legal Admissions Committee.
She practices predominantly in commercial disputes (litigation and alternative dispute resolution); corporate, commercial and business advice and transactions; and trusts and estates, with particular focus in assisting professionals and business in the medical, health and sciences industries.
Specifically, Meghan is skilled to advise in:
- corporate, commercial and business law including advice and transactions in contracts; compliance; privacy; intellectual property (protection, development, licensing); mergers, acquisitions and structuring (growth, sale, purchase, joint venture, partnership, ownership); franchising; strategy; governance; employment; leasing; licensing; tax and due diligence
- commercial, civil and estate disputes (litigation, arbitration, mediation and other dispute resolution)
- trusts, wills and estates (estate planning, business succession, asset protection)
Meghan's Approach
Meghan’s clients are located in and around Melbourne, Australia-wide and globally. She is known for bringing her clients the benefit of her strong, holistic approach in her:
- advice with excellence across different legal issues and professional areas;
- commerciality;
- enquiring mind;
- high level skill under pressure;
- lateral thinking and problem solving;
- comprehensive strategic advice;
- care for her clients;
- strength in negotiation and advocating for her clients;
- skill in achieving outcomes and solutions.
Outside of the legal profession, Meghan’s interest in charitable and social responsibility include her time on the non-profit Boards of charities such as Sumba Foundation Australia and the Indigenous Education Foundation. She has also been integral in the establishment and governance of a number of inspiring health promotion charities including SandPiper Australia.
You will also find her caring for her family, seeing the world, and training in CrossFit and Muay Thai kickboxing.
Career Highlights
Some key litigation highlights of Meghan’s career to date include:
- Action against GlaxoSmithKline for its alleged lack of support for Biota's Relenza flu treatment. - Biota Holdings Ltd v GlaxoSmithKline,Supreme Court of Victoria (2008)
- Acted for the successful parties in actions (31 proceedings) which included oppression under the Corporations Act - Shareholders and unitholders locked in a deadlocked group of companies and trusts. - Vigliaroni & Ors v CPS Investment Holdings Pty Ltd & Ors [2009] VSC 428
- Confirmed that the “ultimate consumer” test is part of the test of whether a premises is retail premises under the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic). - IMCC Group (Australia) Pty Ltd v CB Cold Storage Pty Ltd [2017] VSCA 178
- United States Federal District Court : Action in breach of contract, and intellectual property / medical technology licensing and development (2015 to 2017)
- Administrative law action relating to the Government’s smoking bans in Thomas Embling Hospital - De Bruyn v Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health & Victorian Attorney General (Victorian Supreme Court) 2016
- Project work on proposed establishment of a United States REIT (real estate investment trust) fund including due diligence (New York and New Jersey) and international tax considerations with co-counsel in New York in 2012.
- Acted for the successful party in unlawful termination claim brought against employer. - Shane Beggs v. Login Systems Pty Ltd, Federal Court of Australia (2013)
Qualifications
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Melbourne
- Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning), RMIT
- United States Attorney at Law (New York State Bar)
- Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors – Company Directors' Course
Admissions
- Admitted to practice as an Australian legal practitioner in Victorian State and Australian Federal jurisdictions
- Admitted to practice as an Attorney at Law to the New York State Bar in the United States of America (Passed the Multistate Bar Exam adopted in 33 jurisdictions)
Certificates
- Certificate, Australian Aid International - Introduction to Humanitarian Operations
Publications And Papers
Paper submitted in Children Rights & The Law (University of Melbourne) short listed for publication in Children's Rights Law Journal
Professional Memberships
- Panel solicitor for the Law Institute of Victoria’s Members’ Referral Service (assisting and advising legal practitioners with succession, owner disputes, disciplinary matters – including complaints made against the practitioner to the Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner).
- Member of LIV Health Law Committee, ADR Committee and Litigation Executive Committee
- Member of SME Committee, Business Law Section, Law Council of Australia
- Member of Health Committee of American Chamber of Commerce in Australia
- Just completed a term of 3 years as a director of the Law Institute of Victoria
- Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors
- North American Australian Law Alliance
- American Bar Association
- American Association of Justice
- New York State Bar Association
- Member of the Victorian Legal Admissions Committee at the Victorian Legal Admissions Board
- Member of the Victorian Chapter Board for the College of Law Victoria
