Mr Peter Haig
LLB (Hons)
Mr Peter Haig is a Partner at top-tier law firm Allens, where he is part of the Disputes and Investigations practice group. He has been a Partner since 2014, specialising in managing significant regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, Royal Commissions, Senate inquiries and commercial disputes, including class actions. He has advised and acted for clients in several of the country’s most reputationally and financially significant investigations and proceedings, including leading the Allens team advising Westpac in relation to AUSTRAC’s investigation and subsequent Federal Court proceeding and advising Crown in relation to its various regulatory issues, including Royal Commissions and AUSTRAC proceedings.
He has a broad practice advising and acting for clients in relation to corporations law and competition law issues, contract disputes, professional negligence, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) and bribery and corruption matters.
Mr Haig is a trusted adviser to many major Australian and international banks and financial institutions, with significant experience presenting to boards in relation to the most important disputes and regulatory investigations that their companies face.
Mr Haig is ranked by Chambers as one of Australia’s leading White Collar Crime and Corporate Investigations Lawyers as well as one of Australia’s leading Financial Services Regulation Lawyers. He has been listed by Best Lawyers 2020 as one Melbourne’s top litigation lawyers, won the White Collar Crime category for Australia in the ILO/Lexology Client Choice Awards 2017 and was recommended in 2015 by Doyles Guide as one of Melbourne’s leading commercial litigators.
In his time at Allens, he has held a number of leadership positions, including serving on the firm’s Board, leading its AML/CTF Practice and a previous Chairman of the firm’s Melbourne Philanthropy Committee.
Mr Haig has also been heavily committed to the firm’s pro-bono practice, having taken leading roles in acting for clients in advancing causes including indigenous rights, prisoner rights, refugee rights and marriage equality. This has involved acting on several significant pieces of public interest litigation, including in the High Court of Australia.
Tied to his commitment to assisting the disadvantaged, for over a decade he coordinated Allens’ DOXA cadet program. This involves placing students from disadvantaged backgrounds at the firm and providing them with mentoring throughout their university years.
Mr Haig has been a longstanding member of the Law Council of Australia’s Business and Human Rights Committee, as well as part of the Financial Services Council’s AML/CTF Working Group.
Mr Haig has been published numerous times in the Australian Book Review, primarily reviewing books addressing law and American political history.