Sylvia Fernandez | Partner | Sydney

Sylvia is an experienced commercial litigator, specialising in IT/IP and project related disputes. She has been involved in and has an interest in disputes concerning information technology, trade practices and intellectual property issues.

She is also a specialist in the area of managing complex commercial litigation and in the processes of alternative dispute resolution.

Sylvia’s approach to practice is based on effective strategy and case management coupled with a strong work ethic and exceptional client service. Sylvia’s clients have included accounting firms, government departments, instrumentalities and utilities and insolvency practitioners.

Sylvia’s experience also includes:

• acting for a global IT software company based in India in relation to a dispute in Australia concerning the implementation of telephony software
• acting for Integral Energy Australia in relation to an IT implementation dispute between EDS (Australia) Pty Limited, ACN 007 443 165 Pty Limited and Indus International Inc. The claim exceeded $100 million in damages and was conducted in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. It was settled following a successful mediation
• acting to protect confidential information, by obtaining preliminary discovery orders, injunctions and search and seizure orders (Anton Piller Orders) for a range of clients including Australia Post, Deloitte, and IPAC
• advising on global partnership issues for Deloitte. Sylvia has acted for Deloitte in defending complex audit negligence claims and disputes in relation to sales of businesses. Sylvia has also acted for the consulting arm of Deloitte in relation to the RACV v Unisys proceedings in Victoria. The case involved a complex information technology dispute between the parties. The claim against Deloitte was settled satisfactorily however the proceedings went on to be litigated at great expense to Unisys which was ultimately unsuccessful

Qualifications
Bachelor of Laws – University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Arts – University of New South Wales

Sylvia has presented widely on topics relating to the enforcement of intellectual property rights and has presented the component on intellectual property law for Chartered Secretaries Australia’s Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance

Sylvia has been a long term member of the Litigation Law and Practice Committee of the Law Society of New South Wales and is the Law Society representative on a range of Court User group committees