The countdown is on – 31 March is just around the corner! Join us on the Gold Coast for one jammed packed day with 12 targeted sessions on essential topics, from wills and estates to contracts and IP. Square away just one day and fulfill every CPD unit you need including ethics, professional skills and practice management.  

Presenters

Hayley Tarr, Principal, Tarr Law
Hayley has a Bachelor of Science majoring in genetics, a Bachelor of laws with first class honours, and a Masters of Industrial Property Law. She is admitted as a patent and trade marks attorney, a solicitor in the state of Queensland, and an attorney in the state of New York, USA. Having worked for top tier firms such as Allens and Minter Ellison, and taught at Bond University, Hayley founded Tarr Law in January 2020. Tarr Law is a boutique intellectual property law firm, able to assist clients in all intellectual property matters including: trade marks, copyright, designs, domain names, patents, and IP disputes. In addition to running Tarr Law, Hayley dedicates a great deal of time as a volunteer mediator for Bayside Community Legal Centre. Hayley is also a mentor for the Gold Coast Innovation Hub, and is a Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards 2023 Finalist. In other community engagement initiatives, Hayley participated in the St Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the homeless in June 2022 and will be a speaker and chair at Legalwise Seminars in October and November 2022. Everything Hayley does is for the sake of her two beautiful daughters. When she is not in the office, you’ll find her seeking out new and adventurous experiences with her girls. Please do not hesitate to reach out. Hayley would love to assist you with your intellectual property needs.


Dr. Adrian McCullagh, Principal, ODMOB Lawyers
Adrian has degrees in Computer Science and Law as well as a Ph.D. in IT Security. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Information Security Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology. He has been practicing in IT law for more than 30 years being one of the pioneer IT lawyers within Australia. He is a member of the Queensland Law Society and a member of the American Bar Association and participate in the Information Security Forum. In 1999 he was the QUT Faculty of Information Technology Alumnus of the year. Even though in private practice he continues to undertake research matters with academics at the Griffith University and the University of Queensland and has published in a wide variety of academic journals in the USA, UK and Australia. He is a member of the Intellectual Property and Information Technology Committee for the Queensland Law Society. Adrian’s current research interests include Telecoms security, IT security, IT governance, cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and its uses in supply chain management, Decentralised Autonomous Organisations and Identity Management. He is also investigating the impact of autonomous vehicles and machine learning and their policy considerations.


Jennifer Sheean, Barrister-at-law, Nationally Accredited Mediator
Jennifer was admitted in 1992 as a solicitor in the New South Wales Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. In 1991 and 1992, she was Associate to the late Mr Justice R.P. Meagher of the New South Wales Court of Appeal. After moving back to Brisbane in 1997, she was in general practice as a solicitor before joining the College of Law as a Lecturer in 2006. Jennifer was called to the Queensland Bar in 2011. Jennifer is a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), current chair of the STEP Australia Policy and Advocacy Committee, a past member of the QLD STEP Committee, a past Board Member of STEP Australia and is the Chair of the Appeals Panel of Virginia Golf Club, Brisbane. In 2017, she undertook the Advanced Certificate in Cross Border Estates course through STEP and received a distinction. Jennifer is also a sessional member at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) sitting primarily in the Human Rights Division. She is a NMAS accredited mediator. She is able to provide advice, draft documents, and appear in Courts and Tribunals (excluding QCAT) and at mediations and conferences as well as conduct mediations.


Carla Parsons, Director, Parsons Law
Carla Parsons is the founder and Legal Practitioner Director of Parsons Law Pty Ltd and is one of only 43 Accredited Specialists in Succession Law in Queensland. She has extensive experience in all areas of Estate Planning, deceased estate and trust administration and Estate Litigation. Carla has been recognised since 2017 in Doyles Guide as a Leading Lawyer in respect to her practice in Wills, Estate & Succession Planning and in Estate Litigation in Queensland. Carla has been recognised since 2020 in Best Lawyers and has further been named in Best Lawyers as the “2021 Lawyer of the Year” for her work in respect to Trusts and Estates, Brisbane and “2022 Lawyer of the Year” in respect to her Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice, Brisbane. She is a regular speaker and presenter and a current member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Queensland).


Michael Thomson, Barrister, Fullagar Chambers
Michael Thomson practises as a barrister in Queensland, Australia and advises and appears in commercial litigation, property disputes, personal injury claims, family law matters, and employment law matters. He has appeared in both federal and state courts and provides advice for matters in both jurisdictions. In addition to court processes, Michael is also committed to alternative dispute resolution options including mediations and other forms of negotiated settlements. In mediations, he is experienced in both representing clients and conducting the session as the mediator. Michael is based in Brisbane City at Fullagar Chambers but is available to appear on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, other parts of Queensland, or via telephone or video link. Michael comes from a mixed cultural background and is equally proud of his Australian and Japanese heritages. Michael speaks both English and Japanese natively. He is interested in cultural diversity in the legal profession and society generally. Michael is a current committee member of the Queensland Branch of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association. He is also an active member of the Australia Japan Society Queensland. Michael studied journalism and arts before turning to law. He holds bachelor and master degrees in law and before being called to the Bar, gained experience in commercial dispute resolution and litigation as a solicitor at firms in Australia and the United Kingdom. Michael does not accept direct access briefs (i.e. instructions directly from clients). He only accepts briefs from solicitors.


Sam Mohammad, Solicitor, Director, Indirect Tax, RSM Australia Pty Ltd
Sam Mohammad leads RSM's National indirect tax practice and has over 20 years' experience advising on indirect taxes. Sam specialises in providing practical and easy to understand GST, duty and other indirect tax advice on complex matters, with a particular focus on clients in the property and infrastructure sectors. Sam's client base includes ASX-listed property developers (both residential and commercial), mid-scale and boutique developers focusing on the south-east Queensland market and government and non-government entities involved in large-scale infrastructure projects across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria (e.g., public private partnerships and development lease arrangements). Sam is a member of the ATO’s GST Stewardship Group and a member of the Tax Institute’s State Taxes Committee.


James Harding, Legal Practice Director, Harding Property Law
Starting his own practice Harding Property Law in 2022, James stands out in the Queensland property and development sector with his unique blend of entrepreneurial experience and legal expertise. His firm, established to provide strategic advice on a wide array of complex property-related issues, quickly became known for its practical solutions catering to both corporate and private clients. James's journey in the legal field is underpinned by his background as a small business owner and employer, bringing a rare combination of commercial insights and legal acumen to his practice. This blend proves invaluable in navigating the intricate landscape of property law and commercial transactions. Earlier in his career, while with a national firm, James represented a diverse range of clients including State Government bodies, national statutory organizations, and charitable institutions, skilfully managing their property transactional needs in Queensland. His responsibilities encompassed the acquisition and sale of businesses, corporate restructuring, and providing intricate titling and structuring advice. James's expertise also extends to handling COVID-19 related leasing issues, where he advised national shopping centre operators. His proficiency in Foreign Investment Review Board Approval, compliance, enforcement responses, and advisory on Duties and Australian Foreign Acquirer Duty, further solidifies his reputation as a leader in property law. With his team at Harding Property Law, James continues to deliver tailored and strategic legal solutions, demonstrating a deep understanding of both the legal intricacies and the commercial realities of property transactions.


Kay Feeney, Director, Feeney Family Lawyers
Kay has been an expert in family law for more than 35 years. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1985 and has been the director of Feeney Family Law since 2011. Kay is an accredited Family Law Specialist. She combines her Family Law expertise with an understanding of her clients’ issues and expectations to promote a safe, calm, and respectful rapport. She possesses a high level of legal technical competency and holds a clear tenacity of purpose. She ensures that her clients feel supported and are not vulnerable to any imbalances of power. Kay boasts extensive litigation experience with particular interest in mediation, collaboration, and arbitration. She is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and Arbitrator for family law matters and a qualified Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. Her wisdom and experience as a mediator are highly requested. She has experience in property matters involving high value and working in complex corporate structures. She is also an expert across a range of other family matters, including parenting disputes complicated by parental deficits and special needs children. She also has vast experience as an Independent Children’s Lawyer. Kay comes recommended in the Doyle’s Guide of Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers in Brisbane for 2022. She has presented “How to limit conflict in Family Law matters” at two US conferences and presented at two European conferences “Family Lawyers & Legal Professional Privilege” and “Property Settlements & Spouse Maintenance for the Elderly”.


Alice Ruhe, Managing Principal, SMB Advisory
Alice has practised in the Insolvency and Corporate Recovery Industry for over 15 years and is a Registered Trustee in Bankruptcy and a Registered Liquidator. Alice is a member of both the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association (ARITA) and has experience in all forms of corporate and personal insolvency administrations. Alice believes that in most instances early diagnosis and accurate prognosis can foster the best results. “All too often, good businesses go by the wayside because the early signs of potential distress have been ignored, or worse, have not been identified at all”. Alice has had experience dealing with administrations involving the building, hospitality, information technology, accounting, legal, medical, retail and various other industries. Alice is a true believer in providing clear and relevant communication to stakeholders and acknowledges that more often than not “things are not always quite as they seem”.


Alicia Hill, Principal, Sladen Legal
Alicia heads Sladen Legal’s Dispute Resolution and Litigation team. She is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation, a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a graded Arbitrator. Alicia is a committee member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Accredited Specialist Board, the ACCC’s Consultative Committee for Small Business and Franchising as well as a Fellow of FINSIA and a member of ARITA. Alicia has appeared in the Federal Court and State Courts and Tribunals in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.


Professor John Swinson, BA LLB LLM, The University of Queensland
John Swinson's principal interests are intellectual property law, Internet law, privacy law, cybersecurity law and the application of law to new technologies. John commenced as a part-time professor at the T.C. Beirne School of Law in November 2017. John graduated from the T.C. Beirne School of Law in 1998 with a University Medal. He also has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in computer science from The University of Queensland and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School where he studied as a Fulbright Fellow and a Frank Knox Scholar. From 1999 until 2017, John was an adjunct professor at QUT. John was a partner at the law firm King & Wood Mallesons from 1999 to 2021. He was also Chairman of the auDA Policy Review Panel, which made recommendations to the auDA Board to revise Australia's domain name policies in 2019. Since 2000, John has been an arbitrator for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, and has decided over 350 disputes regarding the ownership of domain names.


Roland Taylor, Director, Statewide Conveyancing
Roland was admitted as a solicitor in 1993. He was made a partner of Mckays Solicitors in 2003. He has been in charge of Statewide Conveyancing, the conveyancing division of Mckays Solicitors since 2000. Statewide incorporated in 2011 and Roland was the managing director until January 2024 when he sold out of the business. Roland is currently studying a masters of applied law. Roland has practised in property law and commercial litigation, with a focus on Residential property since 2000. Roland has presented at over 50 Legal seminars since 2004. He is also the author of the legal textbook "Agent's Handbook".


Dr Anne Fitzgerald, Barrister, QLD Bar
Dr Anne Fitzgerald is a Barrister (Queensland and Tasmania), who has practised, taught and researched in the areas of intellectual property law, internet/e-commerce law, technology and the law and international law. She has worked as a senior legal academic, in private and public sector legal practices and as an adviser to government. Anne has a JSD degree from Columbia University, New York (2002), a LLM degree from Columbia University (1992) and a LLM (International Business Law) from the University of London (1989). She graduated with a LLB(Hons) from the University of Tasmania and was Associate to the (then) Chief Justice (and later Governor) of Tasmania, Sir Guy Green. She has held academic appointments at several Australian universities and has presented conference papers, guest lectures and seminars worldwide. Until 2014 Anne held an appointment as Professor of Law at QUT Law Faculty where she took a leading role in landmark research projects and supervised several PhD candidates. At QUT, Anne was a member of the team that inaugurated the WIPO-QUT IP Masters in 2010 and was responsible for the Patent Law & Biotechnological Inventions course in the WIPO program. In 2012 and 2013 Anne led QUT Law School's Intellectual Property and Innovation Law research program. Anne has been a member of Australia's two principal federal government-appointed standing advisory committees on intellectual property: the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP) and the Copyright Law Review Committee's Expert Advisory Group. She was a consultant to the review of Australia's innovation system (Venturous Australia: Building strength in innovation (2008)) and was commissioned Government 2.0 Taskforce to write a report on copyright (Engage: Getting on with Government 2.0 (2009)). From 2005 Anne was the legal lead on projects that modelled and implemented systems for the application of Creative Commons licences to government copyright materials (public sector information) and publicly-funded research outcomes (such as journal articles and data). From 2007 to 2014 Anne was the project lead for Creative Commons Australia's engagement with the Australian public sector and played a central role in the work that resulted in Creative Commons licences being adopted as the default copyright licence by the Australian federal government in 2010, followed by other Australian State governments. Anne has published extensively in her fields of expertise. Her most recent publication is Intellectual Property: Principles and Practice (with D Eliades and R Olwan), Thomson Reuters, Sydney, 2022. Other recent publications include: Introduction to Intellectual Property, (with D Eliades), Thomson Reuters, Sydney, 2015; Intellectual Property Law (Nutshell series), (with D Eliades), Thomson Reuters, Sydney, 4th ed, 2015; Internet and E-Commerce Law, Business and Policy (with Brian Fitzgerald and others), Thomson Reuters, Sydney, 2011.


Peter Travis, Barrister and Mediator, Gibbs Chambers
Peter Travis is a Queensland barrister, mediator and California attorney who specialises in commercial disputes. He represents clients before all Australian courts and has a national mediation practice specialising in resolving civil disputes across a broad range of practice areas. Before joining the Queensland Bar in 2008, Peter was employed in the media division of a national firm of solicitors, and became a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He later joined the California Bar and practised as a trial attorney in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Peter represented media clients in complex First Amendment, intellectual property and commercial litigation.