Frank Tao

Date of admission in NSW: 2009

Date of admission in England & Wales: 2016

Date of admission to NSW Bar: 2019

Areas of Practice
Administrative Law
Banking & Financial Services
Bankruptcy
Commercial
Corporations
 Equity
Financial Regulatory Proceedings
Insolvency

Frank accepts briefs in all areas of law, with a particular interest in commercial disputes, including matters concerning banking and financial services, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and bankruptcy and insolvency disputes.

Since coming to the Bar, Frank has been briefed by financial institutions and large corporations, regulatory bodies, insolvency practitioners, and individuals, including acting for:

• the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, in respect of certain superannuation-related matters arising from the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking Superannuation and Financial Services Industry;
• a financial services company, in respect of proceedings brought against it by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for civil penalties and redress arising from various alleged contraventions of corporations legislation;
• a ‘big 4’ bank in respect of a consumer credit dispute brought by one of its customers;
• another ‘big 4’ bank and its receivers and managers, in respect of a multi-million dollar exposure;
• a Reviewing Liquidator, in respect of one of the first Reviewing Liquidator’s reports concerning another registered liquidator’s conduct of certain liquidations;
• various liquidators in respect of public examinations proceedings;
• an ASX200 listed company, in respect of contempt proceedings threatened against it; and
• a purchaser in respect of a mis-selling claim against the vendors of a multi-million dollar business.

Since coming to the Bar, Frank volunteers regularly as the Duty Barrister (Crime) at the Downing Centre, Sydney.

Before coming to the Bar, Frank practised as a solicitor for almost 10 years, in Sydney and in London. He is admitted to practise as a solicitor in Australia and in England & Wales.

In London, Frank was a Managing Associate at Linklaters LLP, where he had significant involvement in a number of high-profile cases for the Joint Administrators of Lehman Brothers International (Europe), widely recognised as the world’s most complex administration.

Frank also represented a prominent European bank in respect of a “dual track” criminal and civil investigation by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority a FTSE100 multinational in respect of an ongoing investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office into allegations of international bribery and corruption.

Before his time in London, Frank worked at Henry Davis York, Sydney. There, he regularly acted for Australian and international banks, and insolvency practitioners in respect of all aspects of banking, financial services and insolvency matters.

Frank was also the Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice Henric Nicholas, Supreme Court of NSW in 2009.

DOWNLOAD CV