What are you looking for from CPD? Updates? Insights? Subject matter experts sharing wisdoms? Look no further. This conference provides you with updates in workers compensation, motor vehicle and total and permanent disability claims, plus bespoke presentations for personal injury lawyers on ethics, professional skills and practice management.

Presenters

Bettina Mangan SC, Francis Burt Chambers
Bettina’s practice covers insurance, contract, general and professional negligence, professional disciplinary matters, occupational health and safety prosecutions and coronial inquiries, workers’ compensation and assessment of damages including in catastrophic personal injury and fatal accidents claims. Bettina provides legal opinions, including for insurers and, in support of applications for leave to compromise claims of persons under disability. She acts as counsel at trial and appeal hearings, as well as pre-trial conferences and mediations. Bettina provides strategic and liability advice on historic child abuse matters. Bettina has appeared as counsel in a variety of jurisdictions including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Coroner’s Court of Western Australia, District Court of Western Australia, High Court of Australia, State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, and Supreme Court of Western Australia. Bettina completed the ACDC Mediators Course and accepts briefs as a mediator. She has acted as an independent arbiter on a private dispute. Bettina regularly presents papers for continuing legal education. Bettina is a member of WA Bar Chambers Limited Board of Directors (Francis Burt Chambers).


Rebecca Sorgiovanni, Director, Soul Legal
Rebecca is a co-director at Soul Legal which firm had its inception in 2018. Prior to that she spent 10 years as Principal at Sorgiovanni Legal. Rebecca has worked for both Plaintiff and Defendant firms in Personal Injuries and Insurance law, since being admitted in 1998. Rebecca has previously been involved in the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association, WA Branch (now known as the Australian Lawyers Alliance) as head of the Education Committee and as Branch Secretary arranging CPD events, lobbying and assisting in arranging State Conferences. Rebecca is a registered family law mediator and a believer in alternative dispute resolution. At Soul Legal Rebecca and Kevin aim to combine strong litigation skills with a client focused approach, preferring cost effective holistic solutions where possible.


Geoff Hancy, Barrister
Geoffrey Hancy is a barrister with his own modern chambers. He is among Western Australia's most experienced trial lawyers and appeal advocates. He has been counsel in well over 250 completed trials and appeals, including appeals to the High Court, in civil and commercial litigation disputes. He holds honours degrees in jurisprudence and law, a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics. He studied the law of damages under Prof Harold Luntz at the University of Melbourne over 30 years ago. He has a special interest in using computers and technology in litigation and has his own web site www.hancy.net


Raoul Cywicki, Sir Clifford Grant Chambers
Raoul graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Laws in 1983. In 1985, he became a Partner of the firm, Corser and Corser where he practiced in the areas of Banking, Employment, Compensation and Insurance Law. In 1996, Raoul joined Sir Lawrence Jackson Chambers, where he conducted practice solely as a Barrister, accepting briefs principally in the areas of Torts and Property Law. In 2008, Raoul became a founding member of Sir Clifford Grant Chambers, which currently has seven members. Raoul has appeared as Counsel in the District and Supreme Courts of Western Australia and the Federal Court of Australia, representing litigants in wide ranging areas of law. Raoul has a special interest in Personal Injuries Litigation and Forensic Science. He is invited annually by the UWA Centre for Forensic Anthropology to assist in the examination of the Centre’s students.


Chris Rimmer, Partner, Sparke Helmore
Chris Rimmer is a Partner at Sparke Helmore. He completed his law degree at the University of Western Australia in 1994 and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1996 and admitted to the High Court of Australia in 2001. Chris commenced employment as an articled clerk with Jackson McDonald in 1995 and was admitted to the partnership of that firm in 2002. Chris is a founding partner of Jarman McKenna which commenced in 2003. Chris has practised insurance law and provided advice to insurers and their insureds for approximately 20 years and his areas of practice include workers' compensation, public liability, motor vehicle, professional indemnity and product liability as well as providing pre-contractual advice to insurance brokers and their clients pertaining to insurance and indemnity risks. Chris regularly appears as Counsel in the Arbitration Service, the District Court and in the Court of Appeal.


Brian Nugawela, Barrister, Michael Kirby Chambers
Brian presents at Legalwise Seminars events on torts, psychiatric injury and workers' compensation. Brian's practice areas include tort law (including professional negligence); workers’ compensation and Comcare, general civil and commercial litigation, Insurance disputes (including income protection and TPD insurance) and appeals (including some criminal appeals). Brian is a member of Michael Kirby Chambers and has appeared at all levels of the judicial hierarchy, from doing tribunal work to appeals in the High Court of Australia.


Jocelyn White, Director, Clarity Occupational Therapy


Zoltan Kozma, Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers