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, having joined the firm in 2004. He has a broad practice, specialising in significant regulatory investigations and commercial disputes, including class actions. Mr Haig has advised and acted for clients in relation to corporations law and competition law issues, bribery and corruption allegations, contractual disputes, professional negligence claims, and a large range of substantial regulatory investigations and disputes.

Most recently, Mr Haig led the team acting for Westpac in the proceedings commenced by AUSTRAC, the Australian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulator, in one of Australia’s most significant regulatory proceedings.

Complementing his litigation practice, he has extensive ‘front end’ experience, including advising in relation to compliance with AML/CTF, anti-bribery and corruption, and sanctions laws.

Peter Haig – Leadership profile

Mr Haig has been recognised as one of Australia’s leading disputes lawyers, having been listed by Best Lawyers 2020 as one Melbourne’s top litigation lawyers and recommended in 2015 by Doyles Guide as one of Melbourne’s leading commercial litigators. He won the White Collar Crime category for Australia in the ILO/Lexology Client Choice Awards 2017 and has for a number of years been ranked by Chambers as one of Australia’s leading anti-bribery and corruption lawyers.

Mr Haig has developed key, longstanding relationships with many of the firm’s most important clients, including Westpac, ANZ, National Australia Bank and KPMG.

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.

In his time at Allens, he has held a number of leadership positions, including leading our AML/CTF Practice, being a founding member of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 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 the last decade he has 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.