Profile
Arlette MacManus
Arlette is an Associate at Bennett & Philp Lawyers and is a member of the Disputes and Litigation team.
Arlette MacManus is a highly skilled commercial litigator with over 20 years of experience as a barrister in South Africa and was recently admitted as a solicitor in Australia in 2024. Before relocating to Brisbane, Arlette represented clients in the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, High Court, and Magistrates Court in South Africa, handling complex legal proceedings for major organisations. Her extensive litigation experience spans various areas of law including corporate, commercial, insolvency, and construction disputes.
At Bennett & Philp Lawyers, Arlette assists Managing Director Andrew Lambros and Directors Lachlan Thorburn on commercial litigation, insolvency, dispute resolution, consumer disputes, and complex debt recovery matters. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Disputes & Litigation team, providing exceptional legal representation and ensuring successful outcomes for clients.
In South Africa, Arlette has acted in significant cases such as the “Please Call Me” contractual claim involving Vodacom, valued at approximately A$2 billion, and handled urgent injunctive relief and subsequent litigation for a shareholding acquisition worth A$615 million. She has also represented minority shareholders in oppression remedy cases and facilitated complex buyout arrangements, including “Texas Shootout” scenarios, where sealed bids were submitted by warring shareholders, resulting in the acquisition of one party’s shareholding by the highest bidder.
Her experience extends to successfully disqualifying directors from managing corporations on grounds similar to those in the Australian Corporations Act and holding parent companies liable for the debts of subsidiaries, securing significant recoveries for creditors. Arlette has acted for creditors in challenging administrators’ remuneration and business plans in voluntary administration proceedings, ensuring fair treatment in insolvency cases. She has represented clients in disputes under the Joint Building Contracts Committee framework and successfully challenged government tenders worth millions of dollars.
Arlette’s expertise also includes compelling the implementation of property sale agreements and acting against insurers in business interruption claims, securing substantial damages for her clients. In succession matters, she has set aside wills based on undue influence and lack of decision-making capacity, involving complex international evidence and expert testimony.
Arlette’s qualifications include an LLM in Company Law from the University of South Africa, an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a BA in International Relations and Law. She has also completed an internationally accredited commercial mediation program at Stellenbosch University Business School.
Arlette is a dedicated lawyer committed to achieving the best outcomes for clients. Her extensive experience in South Africa makes her a valuable asset to the Disputes & Litigation team at Bennett & Philp Lawyers.
Compassionate, supportive, trusted.
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Voluntary Administration
- Corporate Insolvency
- Shareholder, Director and Partnership Disputes
- Directors Duties and Disqualification of Directors
- Contract Dispute and Enforcement
- Administrative Proceedings, Reviews and Appeals
- Succession Matters
- Defamation
- Insurance Law and Disputes
- Trust Disputes
- Undue Influence Claims
- Debt Recovery and Enforcement
- Property Disputes
- Arbitrations and Mediations
Milestones
Bachelor of Laws | University of the Witwatersrand
Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Law
International Accredited Commercial Mediator | Stellenbosch University Business School
Former Member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates
2024 Federal Court of Australia
2024 Supreme Court of New South Wales
1995 High Court of South Africa, Johannesburg