Catherine Ballantyne

Catherine Ballantyne is a Principal and the Head of the Commercial Litigation and Insolvency team at Hunt & Hunt. She advises businesses, individuals and not-for-profit organisations on complex disputes where legal risk, commercial realities and long-term relationships must be carefully balanced.

Catherine has extensive experience across commercial litigation, insolvency and private wealth disputes. Her practice includes contractual disputes, director and shareholder disputes, trust and estate litigation, misleading and deceptive conduct claims, and defamation matters. She regularly advises borrowers, lenders, guarantors and directors in disputes arising from business breakdowns, enforcement action and financial distress.

As leader of the Commercial Litigation and Insolvency team, Catherine works closely with clients and internal teams to develop litigation strategies that are commercially grounded and proportionate to risk. She has significant experience in personal and corporate insolvency matters, creditor rights and restructuring-related disputes, particularly where asset protection, governance and control issues are in focus.

Catherine has acted in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the County Court and in arbitration forums. Her experience includes managing urgent interlocutory applications, including freezing orders and injunctions, as well as complex disputes involving trusts, property ownership and family business structures.

She also advises on defamation and reputational matters affecting business owners and private individuals, including disputes involving print and online media. Catherine’s work in this area is informed by a strong understanding of the commercial and personal consequences that can flow from reputational damage.

In addition to her practice, Catherine regularly contributes to professional and industry publications and presents on dispute resolution and insolvency topics. She is recognised for her thought leadership in arbitration and dispute resolution and has been engaged as a legal commentator on national radio.

Practice focus includes:

• Commercial litigation and dispute resolution
• Insolvency and restructuring disputes
• Director, shareholder and partnership disputes
• Trusts, estates and private wealth litigation
• Misleading and deceptive conduct claims
• Defamation and reputational disputes
• Debt recovery and creditor rights
• Arbitration and alternative dispute resolution