Jacqueline Wootton

Practice Areas

Jacqui heads our dispute resolution practice in our Brisbane office and advises on disputes, investigations and corporate crime, with particular expertise in anti-bribery and compliance issues.

Jacqui has a track record in assisting clients to resolve disputes and regulatory investigations, and manage reputationally significant legal and compliance risks.

Co-head of the firm’s Australian corporate crime & investigations practice, clients praise Jacqui’s “fantastic global knowledge” and find it "reassuring to have someone local with that exposure and experience available."

Across her disputes and investigations work, many of Jacqui’s matters have a multi-jurisdictional dimension. She has advised on issues arising in countries across Asia, UK, US, Middle East and Africa. She assists clients across a range of regulated sectors addressing contentious and sensitive issues, including in high-profile settings like Royal Commissions, public inquiries and major litigation.

Jacqui is recognised in Chambers’ Asia-Pacific (for white collar crime and corporate investigations expertise), Who’s Who Investigations, Best Lawyers (for litigation) and Doyle’s Guide (for white collar crime, corporate crime and regulatory investigations).

Jacqui’s practice spans both advising on contentious matters, and drawing upon that experience to work with clients on strategies to mitigate legal risks, including through developing compliance frameworks, programs, tools and training, and advising on compliance risks within transactional due diligence.

Jacqui brings to clients globally informed experience in the areas of anti-corruption, trade sanctions, ESG, business & human rights/modern slavery and whistleblowing.

Having worked in both in house legal and compliance roles, Jacqui brings together strategic and practical legal advice, strong project management skills and tailored client service.

Jacqui has worked for 2 years as in house litigation counsel with BHP in The Hague and Melbourne, and also spent 6 months over 2018/2019 as acting VP Ethics & Compliance at BHP, leading the Australian and Group Functions compliance team.

Jacqui is currently the President of Lawright, and is a member of the Law Council’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Committee.

Jacqui holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) degrees from the Australian National University. Jacqui graduated with a University medal in law and received the Supreme Court Judges’ prize.

Work Highlights

a major insurance company in ASIC investigations and civil and criminal proceedings relating to travel insurance sales

Queensland-based companies with class action proceedings and risks, including those intersecting with regulatory inquiries

a listed Australian company in a multi-jurisdictional investigation into potential violations of anti-corruption laws involving agencies in Australia (AFP) and the US (the SEC and DOJ)

an Australian headquartered global company on an investigation into potential sanctions violations

NAB in the Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking and financial services sector

a private sector contractor in a public inquiry by the Queensland Crime & Corruption Commission into the corrective services sector

a global telecommunications company in coronial inquests

various clients with internal investigations including those stemming from whistleblower complaints

various companies with coordinating corporate compliance program reviews and projects to uplift corporate governance policies and procedures