Jacob Varghese
Principal
Key practice areas: Class Actions & Major Projects
Qualifications: LLB (Hons)
Location: Melbourne (VIC)
Jacob Varghese is a Principal in Maurice Blackburn's class actions department in Melbourne. He works on securities
class actions, representing shareholders who have lost money as a
consequence of corporate misconduct.
He is currently running the National Australia Bank class
action in the Supreme Court of Victoria. This action alleges that
NAB contravened its continuous disclosure obligations by failing to
tell the stock exchange and its shareholders the extent of its
exposure to US toxic debts during the sub-prime mortgage crisis of
2007 and 2008.
Jacob also acts in the abalone
virus and Bonsoy class actions.
Jacob previously acted in the Centro, Aristocrat
and Multiplex class actions. The
Centro settlement of $200 million was the largest in Australian
history, with $150 million going to Maurice Blackburn group
members. The Aristocrat settlement of $144.5 million is the
largest class action settlement in Australian history, and the
Multiplex settlement, at $110 million, is the fourth largest.
Jacob also supervises Maurice Blackburn's Social
Justice Practice, which takes on cases in the public interest
on behalf of disadvantaged people.
Jacob started at Maurice Blackburn in 2002 as an articled clerk.
He also worked as a political adviser before joining the class
actions team in 2006.