The Hon Kathleen Farrell

Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 5.12.2012
Location: Sydney

Other Commissions/Appointments:
Australian Competition Tribunal - Deputy President

Justice Farrell graduated from the University of Sydney in 1979, BA LLB(Hons). She practised as a solicitor from 1979 to 2012. She was a partner of Freehill, Hollingdale and Page (now Herbert Smith Freehills) from 1 January 1984 to July 2000 except for the period 1992-1993 while she held positions at the Australian Securities Commission. Her areas of specialty were mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets transactions and corporate regulatory matters.

Prior to her appointment as a Judge of this Court, Justice Farrell held the following other positions and memberships:

• President of the Takeovers Panel (2010-2012) and member of the Panel (2001-2010).
• Chairman of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia (2008-2009), member of the executive of the Business Law Section (2004-2013) and Chair of the Corporations Committee (2000-2003), member of the Business Law Section from 1999.
• Representative of the Law Council on the ASX Corporate Governance Council (2001-2012).
• National Co-ordinator, Enforcement at the Australian Securities Commission (1992-1993) and acting member of the Commission (1993).
• Non-executive director of for profit companies and government entities in the electricity generation, international banking and clothing manufacture and retail sectors (over periods between 1995-2010).
• Non-executive director and member of not-for-profit entities the Securities Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Management, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the Fred Hollows Foundation (over periods between 1995-2017).
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.

Justice Farrell is presently:

• A Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal.
• A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
• An honorary life member of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

Associateship applications

Justice Farrell will not be accepting further applications for the position of Associate at this time.