APrf Beth Nosworthy
Associate Professor
School of Law
College of Business and Law
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr Beth Nosworthy is an Associate Professor in the Adelaide Law School, researching in the areas of corporate law and equity, in particular directors' duties and fiduciary obligations. She has published on fiduciary obligations, priorities in insolvency, and directors' duties in insolvent companies, and has co-authored the text 'Contemporary Australian Corporate Law' with colleagues from the Australian National University, now in its third edition, and 'Principles of Contemporary Corporate Governance', now in its fifth edition. Dr Nosworthy lectures in Equity and Corporate Law at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and is also the Deputy Dean of the Adelaide Law School.
Dr Beth Nosworthy's research is concentrated in corporate structures, corporate governance and directors' duties.
In 2013, Dr Nosworthy was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide, and won the Bonython Prize for best original thesis. Her thesis provided a legal analysis of directors' duties, and in particular the fiduciary obligation, under Australian corporations regulation, and whether in certain circumstances, that obligation could be owed directly to members, in addition to the company more generally. This PhD research was in funded in part through the Zelling-Gray scholarship program.
Dr Nosworthy is particularly interested in the application of corporate governance to differing corporate forms, and the specific role of the directors' duties within corporate governance more generally.
Dr Nosworthy is a co-author of the text, Contemporary Australian Corporate Law, with colleagues from the Australian National University, College of Law, now in its second edition, along with other prominent commercial law and corporate governance texts from CUP.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 - ongoing | Associate Professor | University of Adelaide |
| 2018 - 2021 | Senior Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| 2011 - 2017 | Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| 2008 - 2009 | Writing Centre Mentor, Writing Centre for Law, CLPD | University of Adelaide |
| 2004 - 2008 | Casual Seminar Leader | University of Adelaide |
| 2003 - 2004 | Associate to the Honourable Justice A Vanstone | Supreme Court of South Australia |
| 2003 - 2004 | Law Clerk | Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers |
| 2002 - 2002 | Winter Clerk | Arnold Bloch Liebler |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Fellowship | Faculty of the Professions Womens' Fellowship | University of Adelaide | Australia | $15,000.00 |
| 2017 | Teaching Award | Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching (Academic Staff) 2017 | University of Adelaide, Faculty of the Professions | Australia | $2000.00 |
| 2014 | Achievement | Bonython Prize | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| German | Can read, write, speak and understand spoken |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 - 2013 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
| 2005 - 2006 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Bachelor of Civil Law |
| 2005 | Law Society of South Australia | Australia | Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice |
| 1999 - 2003 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Laws with Honours |
| 1998 - 2003 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Diploma of Languages (German) |
| 1998 - 2000 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Science (Mathematics and Computer Science) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Freeman, T., Foley, K., Anaf, J., Nosworthy, B., & Baum, F. (2025). A systematic-narrative hybrid review of evidence: Exploring how corporate social responsibility initiatives impact population health. Health, 29(6), 1-21. Scopus2 WoS1 |
| 2024 | Gray KC, T., Nosworthy, B., & Gillam, A. (2024). National and international perspectives on climate change litigation. Australian Bar Review, 54(1), 16-41. |
| 2024 | Covark, K., Hewitt, A., Henderson, S., & Nosworthy, B. (2024). Facilitating Effective Work Experience Supervision to Enable Diverse Students to Succeed in the Australian Legal Profession. Legal Education Review, 34(2), 23-56. Scopus1 |
| 2024 | Covark, K., Hewitt, A., Nosworthy, B., & Henderson, S. (2024). EFACILITATING EFFECTIVE WORK EXPERIENCE SUPERVISION TO ENABLE DIVERSE STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN THE AUSTRALIAN LEGAL PROFESSION. LEGAL EDUCATION REVIEW, 34(2), 35 pages. WoS1 |
| 2021 | Koch, C., Castles, M., Giancaspro, M., Stubbs, M., Nosworthy, B., & Olijnyk, A. (2021). Innovation in Education: Adelaide Law School. The Bulletin - Law Society of South Australia, 43(1), 10. |
| 2020 | Symes, C. F., & Nosworthy, B. (2020). The components of corporate governance for financially distressed companies. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 35, 98-113. |
| 2020 | Nosworthy, B. S. (2020). The Corporations Act and Climate Change - Appetite for Change?. Australian Law Journal, 94(6), 411-417. |
| 2018 | Symes, C. F., & Nosworthy, B. (2018). Paying the liquidators when the company is an insolvent trustee. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 33, 111-123. |
| 2018 | Nosworthy, B. S., & Symes, C. (2018). The Good Place or the Bad Place: The Position of Directors during a Deed of Company Arrangement. Insolvency Law Journal, 26(4), 191-202. WoS1 |
| 2017 | Symes, C., & Nosworthy, B. (2017). Prepayment Consumer Creditors: A Special Case for Insolvency Proceedings?. Insolvency Law Journal, 25(1), 29-43. WoS3 |
| 2017 | Symes, C. F., & Nosworthy, B. (2017). To Prioritise or not to Prioritise: the Question of Prepayment Consumer Creditors. Company and Securities Law Journal, 35(8), 583-587. |
| 2016 | Nosworthy, B., & Symes, C. (2016). The liquidator: a hybrid of agent, fiduciary and officer. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 31(1), 65-79. |
| 2016 | Nosworthy, B. (2016). A director's fiduciary duty of disclosure: the case(s) against. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 39(4), 1389-1409. WoS3 |
| 2011 | Stewart, A., & Nosworthy, B. (2011). Employees and indemnities. Journal of Contract Law, 27(1-2), 18-34. |
| 2010 | Nosworthy, B. (2010). Directors' fiduciary obligations: Is the shareholder an appropriate beneficiary?. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 24(3), 282-307. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Plessis, J. J. D., Hargovan, A., & Nosworthy, B. (2024). Principles of Contemporary Corporate Governance. Cambridge University Press. |
| 2023 | Giancaspro, M., Golding, G., Nosworthy, B., Brown, D., Viven-Wilksch, J., Wawryk, A., . . . Zito, P. (2023). Contemporary Australian Business Law. Cambridge University Press. DOI |
| 2018 | Bottomley, S., Hall, K., Spender, P., & Nosworthy, B. S. (2018). Contemporary Australian Corporate Law. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. DOI Scopus6 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Giancaspro, M., Castles, M., Nosworthy, B., Olijnyk, A., & Viven-Wilksch, J. (2018). A Collegiate Approach to Best Practice Group Work in Law. In N/A. University of Adelaide. |
| 2010 | Nosworthy, B. S. (2010). Directors' Fiduciary Obligations. In Australian Journal of Corporate Vol. 24 (pp. 282). University of South Australia, Adelaide. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Villios, S., Plater, D., Conroy, E., Giancaspro, M., Nosworthy, B., Spyrou, P., . . . Washusen, B. (2025). The Need for New Solutions? Establishing Legal Frameworks for Supported Decision-Making in South Australia (21). Adelaide: South Australian Law Reform Institute. |
| 2023 | Stubbs, M., Nosworthy, B., White, S., & Watford, E. (2023). Australian Company Directors’ and Officers’ Duties Regarding Cyber Security. University of Adelaide Law School. DOI |
| 2023 | Stubbs, M., Nosworthy, B., White, S., & Watford, E. (2023). Options Paper: Corporate Directors’ Responsibility for Cyber Security. The University of Adelaide Law School. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Okninski, M. (2022). Meaningful Protection or Unacceptable Risk? A Critical Analysis of Undue Influence as a Safeguard in Proposed Voluntary Assisted Dying Legislation in South Australia. (PhD Thesis, University of Adelaide). |
My recent external grants include:
- NH&MRC Centre of Research Excellence on Shaping Markets for Health Equity, 2026-2031
- Law Foundation of South Australia, Examining Legal Frameworks for Supported Decision Making, 2023
- Cyber Security CRC, Corporate Legal Responsibility for Cybersecurity, 2023
- Law Foundation of South Australia, Supporting the Legal Profession in Mentoring Diverse Interns, 2022
- Law Foundation of South Australia, Broadening Horizons: Encouraging Law Students to Work in Regional and Indigenous Communities, 2021
- Law Foundation of South Australia, 'Australian Navigational Guide Explaining Laws for Space' Project, 2019
My recent internal grants include:
- Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics Internal Research Funding Scheme, Scoping Paper on Commercial Determinants of Health, 2022
- Faculty of the Professions, Clinical Legal Education / Work Integrated Learning modules, 2020
- Faculty of the Professions, Preparing Future-Ready Commercial Law Students, 2019
- Faculty of the Professions, Womens' Fellowship 2018
- Faculty of the Professions, Internship Grant 2017
Undergraduate Courses Currently Taught:
LAW 2598 - Corporate Law
LAW 2502 - Equity
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Social Justice in Australian Clinical Legal Education: Current Practice and Future Direction | Master of Philosophy | Master | Part Time | Mr Matthew Atkinson |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Social Justice in Australian Clinical Legal Education: Current Practice and Future Direction | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mr Matthew Atkinson |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Launching a Law and Returning for Reform: A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Australia’s Law for Space | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Mr Joel Willis Lisk |
| 2019 - 2025 | Co-Supervisor | THE MEMBERS’ OPPRESSION REMEDY: CAN IT BE USED WHEN A COMPANY IS IN LIQUIDATION? SHOULD IT BE USED? | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Nadia-Ruth Hess |
| 2017 - 2022 | Co-Supervisor | Meaningful protection or unacceptable risk? A critical analysis of undue influence as a safeguard in proposed voluntary assisted dying legislation in South Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Michaela Estelle Okninski |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2025 | Member | Academic Board | Governance Institute of Australia | Australia |
| 2020 - 2022 | Chair | Education Committee | Governance Institute of Australia | Australia |
| 2020 - ongoing | Member | Executive Committee | Society of Corporate Law Academics | Australia |
| 2018 - 2022 | Member | John Bray Law Alumni Network - Executive | University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2018 - ongoing | Member | Academic Program Committee | University of Adelaide, Adelaide Law School | Australia |
| 2018 - 2021 | Secretary | Corporate Law Teachers' Association - Executive | Corporate Law Teachers' Association | Australia |
| 2017 - 2018 | Member | Corporate Law Teachers' Association - Executive | Corporate Law Teachers' Association | Australia |
| 2011 - 2018 | Member | Postgraduate Coursework Committee | University of Adelaide, Adelaide Law School | Australia |
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