Kate Burke SC

She is an experienced class action lawyer and has appeared in representative proceedings for plaintiffs, defendants, third parties, and as contradictor, in cases involving shareholders' rights, employment law, major torts, product liability, financial services, competition law, and the liability of governments and statutory authorities. Significant class actions she has been involved in include app developers and users against Apple and Google; Bonsoy; Centro; the Christmas Island detention centre; Crown Resorts; junior doctors' claims for unpaid overtime; Hepatitis C/Dr James Peters; and Vocation Training. She has also appeared in large-scale proceedings involving financial services, employment rights, regulatory actions, and in commercial disputes, including acting for the plaintiff in Cargill v Viterra.

In employment and industrial relations, she appears in matters involving statutory, agreement, award and contractual rights; disciplinary matters; and termination of employment. She has appeared before the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission in significant matters including the successful defence of penalty rates for hospitality workers, the creation of new minimum entitlements for paid and unpaid family and domestic violence leave, the introduction of minimum wages for horticulture workers, the creation of new family-friendly work arrangements, the introduction of part-time work in the fire fighting sector, and the FWC's review of gender-based undervaluation in minimum wages. She is the Senior Vice President of the Industrial Bar Association.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Kate was Associate to Justice Hargrave in the Supreme Court of Victoria (2005-2006) and a solicitor at Slater & Gordon (2007-2010).

Kate graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2006 (BA/LLB (Hons)), and from New York University in 2013 (LLM), where she specialised in class actions and complex litigation.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation