About Victoria Eastwood
Victoria Eastwood is a commercial litigator who acts for some of Australia's largest corporations in complex commercial disputes, corporate criminal matters, and regulatory investigations and enforcement action brought ASIC, APRA, AUSTRAC, the AFP, and related risk and compliance remediation and advisory.
She has worked on major investigations and proceedings into breaches of the Corporations Act, ASIC Act, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, Proceeds of Crime Act and the Criminal Code, including alleged breaches of Australia's foreign bribery laws, sanctions laws and fraud.
Recent experience includes:
- Westpac – acting for Westpac in the civil penalty proceedings commenced by AUSTRAC, the successful resolution of the matter and Westpac's associated financial crime uplift projects
- Crown Resorts – acting for Crown Resorts Limited and its subsidiaries in a range of matters including the response to the NSW Casino Control Act Inquiry report, the Victorian Royal Commission and civil penalty proceedings brought by AUSTRAC
- CIMIC Group (formerly Leighton Holdings) – allegations of foreign bribery, including responding to investigations by ASIC and the Australian Federal Police, three shareholder class actions and an investigation by the US Department of Justice
- Macquarie – in relation to proceedings brought by ASIC alleging breaches of the Corporations Act and ASIC Act
- Westpac – in relation to proceedings brought by ASIC regarding whether it sold duplicate insurance policies and a separate ASIC investigation for BT Funds Management regarding Insurance in Super
- Two major banks – in relation to investigations by APRA into risk management practices and culture
- Brambles – in relation to two shareholder class actions
- A range of clients – including major Australian and international banks and financial institutions on AML/CTF laws and other areas of financial crime and ESG, anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, modern slavery, and human rights laws
Victoria has undertaken secondments with both CBA and Crown Resorts advising on a broad range of financial crime obligations. Victoria also does pro bono work for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS).