Suvetha is a litigation lawyer with extensive experience in mass torts, complex litigation and class actions, particularly recovery actions arising from large‑scale disasters. She has acted for numerous Australian insurers, providing strategic guidance and delivering strong outcomes in high‑value, multi‑party disputes.
Clients value Suvetha for her expertise in managing mass tort recovery actions across multiple jurisdictions, navigating the complex legal, procedural and logistical challenges inherent in large‑scale proceedings. She is highly skilled in assessing and negotiating quantum for hundreds of named plaintiffs in mass tort litigation or generally in individual disputes, drawing on her strong understanding of common law damages to achieve timely and commercially sound resolutions.
Alongside her work on major disaster‑related litigation, Suvetha advises on a wide range of disputes, including fraud, Water Act claims, Australian Consumer Law issues and defective building works. Her breadth of experience and pragmatic approach make her a trusted adviser in fast‑moving, complex claims environments.
Experience
- Successfully acting for five major insurers and about 130 applicants in the Supreme Court of South Australia where liability judgment against the respondents was obtained. Suvetha had responsibility for marshalling and reviewing evidence, developing and managing the electronic Court Book throughout the four-week trial, and conducting quantum assessments (Higgins & Ors v Brinkworth & Ors; Justin & Ors v Brinkworth & Ors; Trimboli & Ors v Brinkworth & Ors; Copping Ors v Brinkworth & Ors [2025] SASC 104).
- Acting for five major insurers in an appeal to the South Australian Court of Appeal. Suvetha was highly involved in preparing submissions and preparing the case generally.
- Successfully acting in various interlocutory applications in Supreme Courts across the country, including opposing an application to uplift preservation orders in the Supreme Court of South Australia (unreported) and an application to cease acting for a plaintiff in the Supreme Court of Western Australia (Sanders v Electricity Networks Corporations t/as Western Power [2025] WASC 498)
- Acting for major insurers in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Supreme Court of Victoria and Supreme Court of Western Australia regarding property damage losses arising from separate bushfires. Suvetha recovered about $6.5 million in damages and costs for her clients across these three actions, which resulted in significant distributions for uninsured loss to farmers and business owners who were not in a position to seek recovery of these amounts on their own. Suvetha has also successfully negotiated the recovery of multiple bushfire actions in Western Australia pre-litigation resulting in her clients recovering over $6 million without the stress and expense of litigation.
- Negotiating a nearly 100 per cent recovery for her clients caused by flooding as a result of defective building works. This litigated matter involved a number of settlement conferences, directions hearings and disputes over discovery and the common law assessment of damages.
- Successfully dismissing a proceeding on the basis of abuses of Court process, breaches of overarching obligations and want of prosecution. This related to a motor vehicle collision where the plaintiff company was deregistered on two occasions through the litigation.