Brace yourself for significant changes in real estate law. Dive into critical trends in conveyancing and leasing cases and understand the urgent legislative reviews that will redefine the strata landscape. With emerging areas and regulatory reform relating to climate risk insurance, renewable energy, AML and counter terrorism on the horizon, now is not the time for complacency. Ensure compliance and develop skills in strategic planning for your property law clients.

Presenters

Matthew Youssef, Barrister, 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers
Matthew is a commercial barrister who accepts a wide range of briefs, with a particular focus on corporations law, contract law, equity, property and securities, banking and financial services disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement, competition and consumer law, bankruptcy, restructuring and insolvency, and commissions and inquiries into commercial entities. Matthew was admitted as a solicitor in 2013. He was called to the Bar in 2022 where he has been briefed to advise and appear, both led and unled, in a wide range of commercial disputes. Prior to coming to the Bar, Matthew was a Senior Associate at Ashurst Australia in its commercial litigation team.


Gary Newton, Partner, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Gary Newton is a partner in the Property and Development Group of HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. He has been practising in the area of property law since 1983, providing advice on a wide range of matters to business, government and individuals. Gary has been an Accredited Specialist in Property Law since 1994. Gary is a long standing member of the Property Law Committee of the Law Society of NSW. Gary is the co-author of "Land Acquisition" 7th edition by Gary Newton and Christopher Conolly and "Real Property Law Case Summaries" Newton’s 4th edition and the sole author and editor of the LexisNexis Butterworths NSW Conveyancing Service (loose-leaf). He is also sole author and editor of the book ‘Annotated Conveyancing & Real Property Legislation in NSW’ 2024-2025. Gary has been listed again in the 2024 and 2025 edition of Best Lawyers and Doyles Guide for Leasing Law and for Real Property Law.


Oliver Berkmann, Barrister, Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers
Oliver was admitted as a solicitor in 2005 and was called to the Bar in 2019. Prior to coming to the Bar, Oliver was at Revenue NSW (formerly Office of State Revenue), where he held a number of senior leadership and technical roles. As Counsel Oliver has appeared in revenue and taxation matters and advises regularly on complex revenue and taxation transactions in the field of land tax, stamp duty and payroll tax including private rulings and objections. Oliver has appeared in all jurisdictions and has presented at Legalwise seminars, the Taxation Institute of Australia’s Annual State Tax Conference and at the College of Law and UTS to law students on revenue topics.


Tamir Maltz, Barrister, 12 Wentworth Selborne
Tamir is a commercial barrister. He works on complex business, property, and regulatory matters. Over the past 15 years he has accepted briefs to advise and appear in a broad range of sectors – in relation to corporate disputes as well as personal, strata, and family-business disputes. Tamir graduated in the top 5% of his law-school class (UNSW, 1997), and holds a B.Com with a major in Accounting. Tamir has an interest in cyberlaw issues, and has been a member of the NSW Bar Association’s IT/Media Committee (2019-2024), and earned an Advanced Computer Security Certificate, Stanford University (2015). He previously worked as a management consultant at a global firm, and in the office of an Australian Federal Minister.


Michelle Segaert, Partner, Dentons
Michelle is a Corporate Partner with more than 20 years’ experience in advising on corporate and financial services matters. Michelle is Dentons Australia’s Sector Leader for PE/VC and Co-Leader of Australia’s Investment Funds practice. Michelle advises on corporate structuring and investments and has a significant investment funds practice advising mid-market fund managers in the establishment of property, credit, carbon, crypto, venture, water and private equity funds. Michelle also advises financial services businesses in fintech, consumer and commercial credit, digital assets, payments systems and financial advice. Michelle advises clients on financial services and consumer credit licensing, product governance and financial product design and distribution arrangements, anti-money laundering (AML) programs, ESG reporting, data privacy (and GDPR) and the FATCA/CRS regimes.


David Knoll AM, Barrister, 9 Selborne Chambers
David Knoll AM is a barrister at 9 Selborne Chambers in Sydney. He was admitted to the Bar in 1998, having been admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1984. He has substantial experience over a broad spectrum of legal areas, including banking and insolvency, commercial transactions, property disputes, professional negligence, and partnerships and corporations law. Regularly briefed to appear and to advise in a wide range of strata title and community association disputes, David’s expertise in these areas has been widely recognised. He is a Fellow of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers, and Editor of Strata Laws NSW.


Andrew Harding SC, 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers
Andrew has a strong and diverse commercial and equity practice, predominantly in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the Federal Court of Australia and their respective appellate courts but also in jurisdictions including the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia. Andrew regularly appears in commercial causes. Areas of focus include commercial contracts, equity and trusts, trade practices, corporations and real property. Andrew is also briefed to advise and appear in cases involving building and construction, restraints of trade, confidential information, professional negligence and banking and insolvency. Prior to coming to the Bar in 2004, Andrew worked as a solicitor at Freehills in Sydney.


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 Protective Law Committee in 2021, 2022 and 2023.


Eva Vicic, Partner, McCullough Robertson Lawyers
Eva Vicic is a real estate lawyer specialising in property sales and acquisitions, vendor and purchaser legal due diligence and leasing transactions in respect of large-scale agricultural land holdings and renewable energy projects. Eva has accumulated a wealth of experience within the renewable energy sector, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the project lifecycle and the importance of identifying key issues early to future-proof success. With this foresight, Eva is able to provide her clients with holistic, commercially pragmatic advice that address both client business objectives and legal obligations.


Lynn Teo, Special Counsel, McCullough Robertson
Lynn is a Special Counsel in the Real Estate team and specialises in capital transactions, leasing and development. She has over 10 years experience spanning the full range of property transactions. Lynn advises various ASX-listed companies, state-owned corporations, private developers, institutional investors and energy companies. She has a particular focus on the renewable energy and agriculture industries. Her prior experience in the corporate and commercial law space specialising in mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets has put her in good stead to identify strategic, commercial and practical solutions to address both her clients’ business objectives and legal risk.


Samantha Murphy, Senior Associate, Maddocks
Samantha specialises in planning and environmental law. She advises Commonwealth, State and Local Government and private sector clients on a range of matters, including planning approval processes, biodiversity, environmental liabilities, contaminated land, Crown land, native title, Aboriginal cultural heritage and water law. Samantha is a member of the NSW Law Society’s Environmental Planning and Development Committee and holds a Master of Environmental Law. She has a particular interest in climate change mitigation and adaptation has had her work on NSW Flood Planning laws published in the Environmental and Planning Law Journal.


Patrick Ibbotson, Partner, Maddocks
Patrick is the head of the Infrastructure Sector at Maddocks. As an internationally recognised expert in development and environmental law, Patrick advises government and Australian and international private sector organisations in compliance, transaction and procurement, particularly in relation to planning and environment. Patrick has worked extensively with infrastructure and redevelopment projects, disposal and management of former industrial sites, remediation and compliance issues, dispute resolution, land access, local government issues and planning law, climate change and environmental law. He is well regarded for his focus on delivering innovative, efficient and practical solutions to clients in this rapidly evolving area of law. His experience acting for both the public and private sector brings his clients an unparalleled understanding of the multiple perspectives that are often necessary to efficiently resolve and manage infrastructure, development and environmental issues.