Sure, it’s a Saturday, but once you are done, you have all your points for the year. This day will be time well spent covering a comprehensive roundup 11 important issues: family law updates, probate and estate planning roundups, contract and employment law disputes, a consideration of property law, plus an examination of insolvency and bankruptcy concerns. Plus, gain your ethics and skills points in a manner that is useful. Take the plunge, wear what you like and get it done in one fell swoop. 243N30

Presenters

Mr. Geoffry Underwood, Barrister, Sixth Floor Selborne Wentworth Chambers
Geoffry Underwood is a Barrister practising from Sixth Floor, Selborne Wentworth Chambers, 174 Phillip Street Sydney. He practises principally in the area of Equity, Estate and Family Provision advising and litigation. He has been involved in Estate Litigation on a regular basis for over 20 years. He has many interests outside the law including family, travel, golf and classical music.


Kim Boettcher, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Kim is a Barrister at Frederick Jordan Chambers in Sydney. Kim practises in Equity, Common Law, Protective and Guardianship Law, and in the Probate and Succession List. Prior to coming to the Bar, she practised as a Solicitor in commercial and civil litigation law in England and Wales, New South Wales and Queensland. More recently, she was a Solicitor at the Seniors Rights Service, an independent legal centre and regularly attended the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing in New York as a civil society representative. Kim was appointed to the NSW Minister of Fair Trading's Retirement Villages Advisory Council in 2013 and also to the Minister's Expert Committee on Retirement Villages Standard Contract Terms and Disclosure Documents in 2011. Kim was a Member of the inaugural Legal Services Council in 2014 and reappointed from 2017-2020. She is a past Treasurer of the International Commission of Jurists Australia and was appointed to the NSW Bar Association’s Succession and Elder Law Committee in 2021, 2022 and 2023.


Mr. Neil Jackson, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Neil Jackson holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University (both obtained in 1986), and a Master of Law from the University of New South Wales (obtained in 1996, majoring in a family law related subjects). He practised as a solicitor in Sydney from July 1986, largely specialising in personal injury litigation, family law and de facto relationships law, before being called to the New South Wales Bar in February 1997. From 1998 he was the National Editor of the CCH De Facto Relationships Service. As a solicitor, he was a member of the New South Wales Law Society Family Law Committee and the Committee of Family Law through the City of Sydney Regional Law Society. Further, he was part of the Sydney Registry of the Family Court of Australia's Duty Solicitor Scheme. He is also an accredited specialist through the Law Society of New South Wales in both family law and personal injury. In 1996 and again in 2003 he obtained a certificate through the Law Council of Australia and National Legal Aid, relating to the representation of children. Currently he practises as a barrister, exclusively in family law and de facto relationships law, at Frederick Jordan Chambers, Sydney. Neil Jackson is also a member of the Conciliators and Arbitrators Association, the Australian Association of Family Lawyers and Conciliators, and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia. Further, he is currently on the Legal Aid Committee of the Bar Association of New South Wales. From 1998 until 2011 he was also an active Director on the Board of Family Planning Association (NSW). Family Planning NSW is the organisation to go to when it comes to reproductive and sexual health in NSW. They are an independent, not-for-profit organisation focused on the promotion, collection and dissemination of reproductive and sexual health knowledge and information. Currently he is a Board Director of 3 Bridges. 3 Bridges is a community based organisation which develops and provides a range of community and welfare services in the St George and Sutherland Districts. In 2002 he was appointed as an Arbitrator of the New South Wales Compensation Commission. This is a position to which he has actively held for over three years. Many of his judgments can be found on the website of the Workers Compensation Commission, at www.wcc.nsw.gov.au/decisions.asp In 2004 he was appointed a Mediator of the New South Wales Supreme Court. In 2004 he was appointed an Arbitrator of the New South Wales District Court. Since 2007 he has been a Commonwealth Government appointed Family Dispute Resolution mediator. Neil Jackson is presently an Arbitrator of the Local Court of New South Wales. He has, in recent years, regularly contributed by way of lectures and seminars in family law related issues through the New South Wales Young Lawyers Association, a branch of the Law Society of New South Wales; and the New South Wales College of Law.


Ms. Kerry Hogan-Ross, Consultant, Kerry Hogan-Ross Mediations
Kerry has been an independent mediator and expert conclave facilitator since 2013. From 1990 to 2013 Kerry was a litigator with a major law firm specialising in medical negligence, professional indemnity and directors’ liability. In 2013 she was named a Best Lawyer in medical negligence. From 2016-2020 she was named a Best Lawyer for her work in Alternative Dispute Resolution and was recognised as a Leading Mediator by Doyles in 2018 and 2019.


Mr. Matthew Shepherd, Special Counsel, Ramsden Lawyers
Matthew Shepherd is a mediator, arbitrator, family dispute resolution practitioner, and accredited family law specialist. Matthew has a Masters of Dispute Resolution (Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney, where he taught Dispute Resolution Advocacy from 2014 to 2020. Matthew has studied advanced negotiation theory at the Harvard Project on Negotiation. He has sat on the NSW Society Dispute Resolution Committee. He works with clients and their lawyers to consider not only the best legal and financial outcomes, but also to consider the best dispute resolution process to achieve those outcomes. The choice of dispute resolution process has a big impact on the quality of agreements reached and how well they are implemented.


Ms. Leah Sewell, Consultant, Glass Goodwin
Leah Sewell was admitted as a solicitor more than 20 years ago, an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates and recognised by Doyle’s Guide in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in estate litigation. Leah is also a Trusts & Estates Practitioner with STEP and elected committee member to the Mental Capacity Special Interest Group (SIG) of STEP representing Australia. Leah’s practice covers all areas of wills and estates and elder law, including estate planning, estate disputes, trusts, unconscionable conduct, granny flat agreements/inter family loans and protective list matters.


Mr. Paul Lewis, Partner, Eakin McCaffery Cox Lawyers
Paul Lewis is a Partner of Eakin McCaffery Cox and a nationally accredited Mediator. He is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and also in Dispute Resolution. Paul has been a practising mediator since 1994. He has been a company director of Interrelate and an Editorial Consultant for the Australasian Dispute Resolution Journal for many years.


Mr. Philippe Doyle Gray, Barrister, 8 Wentworth Chambers
Philippe principally practises in commercial law and equity, and is frequently briefed to advise and appear in civil litigation in which allegations are made of criminality, fraud, or other serious misconduct. He usually appears in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, at first instance and on appeal. He also has specialist skills in legal project management and the use of technology in legal practice. Philippe is a Costs Assessor, former member of the statutory Costs Assessment Rules Committee (CARC), and an authority in the law of legal costs and regulation of the profession, regularly acting for barristers, solicitors, and clients in disputes concerning professional fees. Learn more at www.PhilippeDoyleGray.com


Ms. Elizabeth Ticehurst, Principal, Activate Law
Elizabeth Ticehurst is an accredited specialist in Employment and Industrial Law and is an expert in the emerging area of whistleblowing. With two decades of experience working in the legal industry in the Asia Pacific Region, Elizabeth has first-hand knowledge of the complexities of managing a diverse workforce across several jurisdictions. Elizabeth is a sought-after speaker and trainer, and regularly presents at external conferences and seminars. In 2019 she was a “Special Counsel of the Year” finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards. An expert in Whistleblowing Law, Elizabeth has a special interest in advising managers of in-house whistleblowing programs on both compliance and practical issues. She has conducted whistleblower response training for more than 50 groups, including Boards, executive teams and senior management in industries ranging from finance and banking to resources and retail.


Ms. Diane Skapinker, Principal, Skapinker Law
Diane works on her own account as a principal of Skapinker Law as well as consulting to the Ashurst real estate group where she specialises in property developments, strata and community titling, acquisitions, disposals, leasing and the property aspects of telecommunications and infrastructure projects. Diane was formerly an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Sydney lecturing in Real Property, Conveyancing and Equity and is a member of the NSW Law Society’s Property Law Committee and its subcommittee responsible for drafting the NSW standard form contract for the sale and purchase of land. Diane is recognised as a real estate lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers Australia.