Howard Rapke

Howard has more than 28 years’ commercial dispute experience and is the national head of the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Litigation practice.

He has an active practice in complex commercial litigation and in significant white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions involving a wide range of commercial criminal matters, regulatory investigations and large scale inquiries, including Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry.

To date, Howard has been involved in nine Royal Commissions and Commission of Inquiry and is currently leading his team in acting for four parties involved in the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Ruby Princess, and as Solicitors Assisting the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.

Howard is also involved in class action litigation in both the Federal Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Victoria. In particular, he has acted on behalf of directors and officers of public and private companies in defending claims brought against them when joined as co-defendants.

Howard also has substantial experience in advising on and acting in anti-bribery, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption matters. Over the last six years, he has been closely involved in the only prosecution brought in Australia under its foreign bribery laws.

Aside from his listing in Best Lawyers in Australia, Howard is also recognised by Who’s Who Legal in Business Crime, Investigations & Asset Recovery in the Australia 2020 guide, and named in Doyle’s Guide as a leading Victorian Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution lawyer since 2017.