Louise Nixon

Louise joined Turks in February 2020 as a Partner in the Brisbane Commercial team. For the vast majority of her 20 years as a litigator, Louise has focused on commercial, administrative and regulatory law and she has a significant track record as an advocate. 

Louise's expertise includes:

• regulatory investigations and prosecutions;
• all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution;
• debt recovery proceedings in all Australian jurisdictions;
• property related litigation;
• compliance advice and training; and
• administrative law.

Louise acts for a broad range of clients in the private and public sector. She has particular expertise acting for government bodies and health industry regulators in the conduct of investigations, advising on the sufficiency of evidence and exercise of powers of entry, bringing disciplinary proceedings and the taking of urgent action to protect the public. 

She has advised Commonwealth and State Government departments and agencies on judicial and merits review applications and assisted these bodies to respond to injunctions and stay applications. Louise has also assisted departments and statutory agencies to fairly respond to all forms of review applications, often achieving a negotiated outcome.

Louise's private sector experience includes property and contractual disputes, debt recovery and prosecutions. She has defended corporations for alleged breaches of consumer protection laws, including successfully opposing an appeal on penalty in the Full Federal Court. 

She acts for a range of commercial clients seeking various relief from the Supreme Court and Land Court including vesting orders and declarations, claims for damages such as for misrepresentation and appealing the incorrect categorisation of land for rates and land valuations.

Louise has presented to clients and industry bodies on topics such as: the obligations of a model litigant; the conduct of merits review/appeals in tribunals; penalty privilege in a regulatory context; the impact of delay on investigations and final orders; conducting investigations and the investigative processes; conducting seminars for junior litigators on briefing counsel; and the impact of new legislation on clients/their industries.