Laura Thomas

Background

About Laura Thomas

I am currently engaged as Senior Legal Counsel for Hitachi Rail STS Pty Ltd. Hitachi Rail is a fully integrated, global provider of rail solutions across rolling stock, signalling, operation, service and maintenance, digital technology and turnkey. My work has involved various legal subject matters including negotiating significant construction contracts and disputes, risk management, intellectual property, employment law, safety and general advice work. I was formerly engaged as Legal Counsel for Ausgroup Ltd and its subsidiaries including AGC Industries Pty Ltd and MAS Australiasia Pty Ltd. Ausgroup is an integrated service provider providing maintenance and construction services to the oil and gas and mining industries. My work has been broad ranging across diverse legal subject matters areas including significant upstream and downstream contract negotiation and tendering in relation to various species of contracts, particularly in relation to high value construction contracts, general advice work, strategic pre-dispute advice and disputes. Previously I was engaged as a Legal Counsel for Downer EDI Mining Pty Ltd. My work focused on project execution, contractual claims and disputes; contract negotiation and drafting; risk management and advice work. Prior to going in-house, I worked at Jones Day where my practice is focused on resolving complex commercial disputes for leading Australian and international companies throughout all stages of the dispute resolution process from pre-dispute advice to mediation, expert determinations, litigation, and arbitration. My experience included acting on appeals relating to judicial review of statutory adjudications, the operation of parent company guarantees and contractual interpretation. I also have significant experience managing interlocutory disputes, including injunctions to restrain calls on performance bonds, freezing orders (Mareva injunctions), applications to set aside statutory demands, summary judgment, and security for costs.