Kathleen Harris

Kathleen Harris is the founder and Legal Director of Dwyer Harris, bringing extensive expertise in antitrust and competition, corporate law, financial services, market integrity, white collar crime, and consumer protection. Known for her adept negotiation skills and problem-solving abilities, she delivers practical and commercial advice to her clients. With a unique combination of private practice and regulatory experience, Kathleen has represented some of Australia's largest corporations, guiding them through regulatory interactions, investigations, enforcement actions, prosecutions, and complex civil litigation, including class actions. Her notable representations include advising Telstra during ASIC’s inquiry into continuous disclosure and assisting National Australia Bank with issues related to its FX currency options losses. Kathleen's career includes significant roles such as a Senior Executive Leader at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), where she managed investigations and enforcement related to corporate collapses and market misconduct. Internationally, she served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the New York Antitrust Bureau, spearheading major price-fixing cartel investigations and acting as lead counsel for 46 US States in the international vitamins cartel litigation. Her work also extended to high-profile cases like the Microsoft antitrust litigation and several generic drug cases, alongside complex merger clearance reviews. A distinguished academic, Kathleen graduated with a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and received the University Medal from the University of Technology, Sydney. She furthered her studies with a Master of Laws in Trade Regulation from New York University School of Law, focusing on antitrust, government regulation, and intellectual property. Admitted to practice in New South Wales, Victoria, and several jurisdictions in the United States, she is also a member of the New York Bar.