Maurice Blackburn

Key practice areas: Class Actions & Major Projects
Qualifications: BA, LLB (Hons), currently completing a Master of International Law
Location: Melbourne (VIC)

Natalie Sheard has over 12 years litigation experience, primarily in Government legal practices.  She joined the Major Projects team of Maurice Blackburn in January 2008 and is currently working on the Centro class action.

Natalie has conducted complex contested litigation in the High Court, Supreme Court and Federal Court and has acted as Counsel Assisting the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Prior to joining Maurice Blackburn, she worked as a senior lawyer for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.  In that role, she conducted prosecutions of corporations and individuals for serious contraventions of the Corporations Act and criminal law, and acted on behalf of Australia in extradition and mutual assistance proceedings.

Natalie is committed to social justice and human rights and has also worked at a community legal centre on a legal program for indigenous women, and as a senior lawyer at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.  In that latter role, she represented the Commission in its intervention in a range of proceedings involving alleged breaches of human rights including the Commission's intervention in the Tampa litigation.

Natalie is the author of the chapter on "Mental Health and the Intellectually Disabled" in the Laws of Australia.  She is also a member of Amnesty International.