John Emmerig is one of Australia's leading litigation lawyers. He has 34+ years' experience and a national reputation for handling high-stakes domestic and cross-border litigation for prominent multinationals and major Australian companies. His key focus areas are class action defense, "bet-the-company" level corporate/commercial disputes, and government/regulator actions and investigations.
Clients describe John as "an exceptional lawyer with a great intellect and impeccable judgment," "profoundly experienced," and note that "his technical excellence combined with his pragmatic, thoughtful and strategic lens puts him in a league of his own." He provides "a quality of legal service that is second to none."
John is routinely involved in some of the largest and most complex commercial cases conducted in Australia superior courts. He has advised on 38+ filed/threatened class actions, scores of high-stakes corporate and government disputes, 20+ Royal Commissions/Statutory Commissions/Parliamentary inquiries, and has decades of experience as a trusted adviser to companies/boards/C-suites on investigations and enforcement actions by key Australian regulators (including ASIC and APRA).
John is co-chair of the Class Actions Committee of the Law Council of Australia and lead author of the "Class Actions" section of the Federal Court Case Management Handbook. He is a member of the Federal Court of Australia's Consultation/Liaison Committee on Class Actions, the ASIC's Enforcement and Regulatory Litigation Consultation Group, AMCHAM's Defence and National Security Committee, and the editorial board of the Journal of Equity. John co-chairs the Law Council's Transnational Litigation Committee. He was appointed an Adjunct Professor of Law in 2016 and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
Experiencia
"His technical excellence combined with his pragmatic, thoughtful and strategic lens puts him in a league of his own."Public Corporation General Counsel
- Australian National University (Bachelor of Laws 1988; Bachelor of Science 1986)
- High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Western Australia
Leading individual in Dispute Resolution: Chambers Asia Pacific/Global, Legal 500, AFR Best Lawyers, and Lawdragon
Leading individual in Litigation, Class Actions, and Government: AFR Best Lawyers
High-Stakes Litigator of the Year 2024 (Australia), APAC Legal Awards
National co-chair — Class Actions Committee of the Law Council of Australia
National co-chair — Transnational Litigation Committee, Law Council
Appointed Adjunct Professor of Law in 2016 and Fellow, Australian Academy of Law