Gary Fettes
Director – Melbourne Office
Gary has extensive insolvency and forensic accounting experience including ten years spent with the former corporate regulator (Corporate Affairs Victoria); before entering private practice in 1989.
Gary has had significant forensic and investigative accounting experience involving major fraud and theft investigations, funds tracing and asset recovery assignments, business valuations, loss and damage claim quantifications, insurance claim assessments, preparation of expert witness statements and providing expert evidence himself in every level of court and tribunal.
Career Highlights and Key Expertise
Gary has had significant involvement in the administration of some of the biggest corporate failures in Australia, including the collapse of a major Building Society Group and the receivership of a large Pharmaceutical Group.
Gary has a specialisation in the following fields:
- Corporate Insolvency
- Forensic Accounting
- Litigation Support
- Provision of Expert Witness Reports
- Business Valuations
Professional Qualifications
- Certified Practising Accountant
- Registered Liquidator
Memberships & Associations
- Fellow, CPA Australia
- Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Financial Services Institute of Australasia
Personal Interests
Gary is a keen Swans supporter during the cooler months, but come summer, you’ll find him getting close to “Kitty” at the local bowls club most weekends.
Whilst working for the Regulator I was involved in undertaking investigations into insolvent trading allegations, conducting interviews with company directors, preparing Briefs of Evidence detailing alleged insolvent trading for prosecution purposes and giving detailed evidence in subsequent Court proceedings.
My private practice experience has included: 10 years as a senior manager with a large insolvency specialist firm working on major liquidation matters including the Pyramid Building Society Group (involving some 23 separate entities) the Toycorp Limited Group (involving some 31 separate entities) and the Wallace Pharmaceutical Group (involving some 12 entities). My investigations into the Pyramid Building Society collapse lead to the recovery of in excess of $30 million for the Group. 15 years working variously as; a consultant for other practitioners, a director in my own practice, and a partner in a smaller insolvency practice before joining Rodgers Reidy (Melbourne) as a director in May 2008. In this time I have:
- Undertaken many insolvency assignments;
- Acted as an independent expert having been engaged either by other insolvency practitioners, or creditors pursuing actions under S 588G;
- Given evidence in Court proceedings relating to insolvent trading and in support of unfair preferences and uncommercial transactions.
Forensic
I have had significant forensic and investigative accounting experience gained over a period of some 30 years including:
- Significant fraud and theft investigations;
- Funds tracing and asset recovery assignments;
- Business valuations and loss and damage assessments flowing from such business valuations;
- Significant insurance claim assessments;
- Preparation of expert witness statements for use in the Magistrates Court, County Court, Supreme Court of Victoria, the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court and VCAT;
- Provision of expert evidence in the above referred Courts as necessary; I have undertaken business valuations of entities in various industries including: retail, manufacturing, accommodation/convention centres, automotive, public relations, legal, financial planning, transport and real estate. Most of these valuations were in respect of commercial disputes or matrimonial matters. I have undertaken significant investigations in matrimonial matters, acted as a single and shadow expert and been involved in “hot-tubbing” situations and prepared joint expert statements as necessary.