Michelle Fox

Practice Areas

Michelle Fox is a founding partner of the Quinn Emanuel Australia offices. Michelle has practiced in the US, the UK, and Australia and is qualified in all three jurisdictions. Michelle represents some of Australia's leading companies in a broad range of strategically important, complex commercial litigation matters, including mass torts, class actions, product liability, regulatory investigations (including white collar crime), directors' liability and financial services.

Michelle has acted as a solicitor advocate before the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the High Court in England and as an advocate before the State and Federal Courts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, US. Her experience means she is highly sought after by leading companies to advise on their corporate and liability exposures.

Michelle is currently acting on behalf of the Administrator of Greensill Bank (following the collapse of Greensill) in a series of claims against insurers (exceeding $2 billion) on various trade credit insurance policies. Michelle is also acting in Colin Ingram v Ardent Leisure, Spirits International v FKP (Stoli Trademarks) and Richmond Valley Council v JLT. Michelle previously acted in Asic v GetSwift, BrisConnection v Arup (reputed to be the largest matter then before the Federal Court of Australia) and the Citizenship 7 (described by many commentators as the most important case to reach the High Court of Australia in the last 25 years).

Michelle has significant experience in alternative dispute resolution, including substantial multi-party arbitrations and mediations. In addition to complex dispute resolution, Michelle has a wealth of experience and is highly rated in contentious and non-contentious insurance and reinsurance, acting for both corporate insureds, and select insurers and reinsurers. Michelle teaches courses in negotiation and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford University on mass torts and complex litigation on several occasions since 2011.

For 6 consecutive years, Michelle was awarded a ‘Best Lawyer International’ award (2016-2022) for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. She was ranked by Chambers Asia Pacific for both dispute resolution and insurance from 2015 to 2025, and has been praised for her strength in the “technical work” as well as her “incredibly strong knowledge of the industry.” (Chambers Asia Pacific 2017). Michelle has been recognized by Legal 500 Asia Pacific for both Insurance (2012-2025), Dispute Resolution: Litigation (2022, 2025-2026), as well as White-Collar Crime (2025-2026). Michelle has been included in their Hall of Fame as a Leading Individual since 2020, noted as being "diligent, pragmatic and well prepared." (Legal 500, 2026). She was also ranked by Lexology Index (formerly known as Who’s Who Legal) as an Expert Litigation Lawyer from 2014 to 2016, a Leading Individual for Insurance Law in 2017 and 2021 and Product Liability Defence and Litigation in 2021. Michelle was described as “a great strategist who can think beyond just pure legal interpretation” in (Chambers Asia-Pacific 2016). In Chambers Global 2018 it was said “She's nearly always the smartest person in the room, has an excellent ability to cut through the legal clutter and is a lawyer you would rather not have on the other side of the table”. In 2019, Michelle was included in Doyle's Guide as a “Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyer Rankings - New South Wales”, and in 2021 was recognised by Expert Guides for Insurance and Reinsurance Law and Honoured in International Arbitration and Litigation by Lawdragon Global Litigation 500.