Jason Betts
Jason is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading class action, regulatory investigation and product liability litigators. He jointly leads our global class action group.
He has close to 30 years of of litigation experience and has defended the largest class actions and investigations in the Australian market. He is the only Australian defence lawyer to have run multiple class actions to final trial and judgment, and is the only Australian lawyer to win three shareholder class actions at trial, for his clients Worley, Iluka and CBA. He represents Australia's largest companies in class action defence work, including AMP, BHP, Lendlease, Origin Energy, a2 Milk, Macquarie and Kenvue.
Jason ran the defence of three of Australia's largest ever product liability class action cases, and acted for the defendant in the seminal Australian decision on third party litigation funding in Australia – Campbells Cash and Carry Pty Ltd v Fostif Pty Ltd.
Jason has won numerous professional awards for his work, and is a Visitor to the University of Sydney Law School, teaching the post-graduate course “Class Action Litigation in Australia”. Since 2012, Jason has co-authored the the leading class actions text book in the country, “Class Actions in Australia”. He obtained his Master of Laws from the University of Virginia, specialising in class action defence theory.
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- The a2 Milk Company: defending class action proceedings regarding earnings revisions and Covid-19 impacts on its infant formula markets in Australia and China.
- AMP: defended multiple shareholder class action proceedings arising out of evidence given at the Banking Royal Commission.
- Ashley Services Group: defended shareholder class action proceedings arising out of an IPO.
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia: acting for CBA in what is considered to be one of the largest shareholder class actions ever in Australia, raising claims in relation to the Bank’s AML/CTF compliance and disclosures.
- Beach Energy: defending shareholder class action proceedings regarding disclosure in respect of gas and oil reserves in relation the Western Flank.
- BHP: defended a significant shareholder class action arising from the Samarco Dam failure.
- Boral: defending two shareholder class actions in respect of disclosures regarding Boral’s North American business.
- Cash Converters: defended Cash Converters in two consumer class action proceedings in respect of its lending practices.
Centro: defended Centro in several shareholder class actions alleging contraventions of Australian securities laws regarded as one of the most complex class actions in Australian history. - Fletcher Building: defending class action proceedings against Fletcher regarding FY17 earnings guidance.
- Fostif: acted for the Metcash parties in the first instance trial of Fostif v Campbells Cash and Carry, widely regarded as the most significant litigation funding case in Australian history.
- Iluka: acted for Iluka Resources Limited in respect of a shareholder class action concerning illegal breaches of its continuous disclosure obligations, culminating in a 5-week trial in 2021.
- Johnson & Johnson: defended DePuy and Johnson & Johnson in Australia’s largest product liability class action in respect of hip replacement prostheses, culminating in a 17 week trial in the Federal Court of Australia
- Lendlease: defending complex class action proceedings regarding disclosures in respect of Lendlease’s Engineering and Services Business.
- Macquarie: defending Macquarie in shareholder proceedings regarding the Nuix IPO.
- Macmahon: defended Macmahon Holdings Limited in relation to a shareholder class action associated with disclosures regarding the Hope Downs 4 Project.
- Multiplex: defended Multiplex in a shareholder class action, which raised allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct and contraventions of Australian securities law.
- NAB: defended NAB against a class action claim concerning disclosures associated with the bank’s CDO portfolio.
- Newcrest: defended Newcrest Mining Limited in one of Australia’s largest shareholder class actions regarding disclosures associated with Newcrest’s FY14 gold production guidance.
- OZ Minerals: acted for OZ Minerals in three shareholder class actions, the most recent arising out of the merger between Oxiana and Zinifex.
- RiverCity: acted for Lend Lease and Bilfinger in defending three proceedings brought in relation to AECOM’s traffic forecasts in the RiverCity project, including a major shareholder class action.
- Sims Metals: defended Sims in shareholder class action proceedings regarding earnings representations.
- UGL: acted for UGL Limited in a shareholder class action involving allegations that UGL breached its continuous disclosure obligations and engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct relating to its joint venture project to build the Ichthys LNG power station.
- Worley: defending WorleyParsons in two shareholder class actions brought against it in respect of disclosures around FY2014 guidance, culminating in a 5-week trial .
- Telstra: defended Telstra against a significant shareholder class action, which involved allegations of contraventions of Australian securities laws and was one of the first major shareholder class actions in Australia.
- Toyota: defending a large product liability class action regarding Takata airbags.
Background
Jason holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Sydney, as well as a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia, where he specialised in class action litigation and advocacy.
Publications
Since 2012, Jason has co-authored the leading class actions textbook in the country, Class Actions in Australia.
Jason has also presented several papers on class actions in various forums, including to Federal Court Judges Conferences in Sydney, the Joint International Conference of the Defence Research Institute in Miami, and the International Bar Association in Chicago.
Jason is frequently quoted in mainstream media on issues arising in the defence of class action claims, litigation costs and third party litigation funding.
Market Recognition
- Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 – Band 1: “Jason Betts is widely acknowledged by both clients and fellow lawyers as a leading class action defence lawyer who is noted for strength in shareholder class actions. Sydney-based, he also acts extensively on regulatory investigations and prosecutions.”
- Chambers Global 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 – Band 1.
- Winner of Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year “Excellence Award” 2020, 2022.
- Winner of Lawyers Weekly “Dispute Resolution Partner of the Year” 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022.
- Winner of Lawyers Weekly “Litigation Partner of the Year” 2020, 2022.
- Winner Lawyers Weekly “Class Actions Partner of the Year” 2024.
- Winner of Australian Law Awards “Partner of the Year” 2019.
- Winner of Australian Law Awards “Litigator of the Year” 2022.
- Who’s Who Legal: Australia and New Zealand 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
- Doyles Guide – Leading Class Action Lawyers 2022, 2023, 2024.
- Doyles Guide – Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyers – Market Leader 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
- Best Lawyers Australia – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation; Product Liability Litigation; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Best Lawyers in Australia “Lawyer of the Year” award for Class Action Litigation in Sydney
- Benchmark Asia-Pacific Awards 2021 – Lawyer of the Year – Australia.
- Benchmark Litigation Star for class actions 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Related insights
