Presenters

Ndi Ruppert, Principal Solicitor and Founder, Ruppert Legal
Ndi Ruppert obtained her Bachelor of Business and Law with a Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Newcastle in 2010 and was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a solicitor in 2011. In 2017, Ndi obtained her Master of Laws from the University of Newcastle, majoring in Human Rights and International Business; her master thesis was published in the African Journal of International and Comparative Law. Ndi is the Principal Solicitor & Founder of the law practice, Ruppert Legal and was formerly a solicitor with Hicksons Lawyers. She also currently uses her immigration expertise to assist refugee clients one day a week through Mosaic Multicultural Connections. Ndi has significant experience with the Australian Migration system, both personally and professionally and was honoured by being listed on the 202, 2022 and 2023 Doyles list of leading New South Wales Immigration Lawyers. She is also the Vice Chair on the Board of the Hunter Community Legal Centre and is part of the executive leadership team of the Centre for African Research, Engagement & Partnerships at the University of Newcastle.

Farid Varess, Principal, Varess
Farid Varess was admitted to legal practice in 2002. He has been an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law since 2010, and is included on: the Best Lawyers in Australia list for Immigration Law since 2013, the Best Lawyers in Australia list for Human Rights Law list since 2014, and the Doyle’s Guide’s list of Leading Immigration Lawyers in NSW since it was first published in 2021. A large part of Farid’s work involves representing clients with proceedings in Australia's Federal Circuit and Family Court, Federal Court, and High Court. He also provides advice and assistance to clients with matters before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA), and clients seeking visas and other outcomes, including employers, investors, skilled migrants, family based visa applicants, students, asylum seekers and refugees, those facing visa cancellation, citizenship applicants, and global talent visa applicants.

Theresa Baw, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Theresa Baw is a barrister who was admitted to legal practice in 2001 and was called to the New South Wales Bar in 2006. Theresa practices mainly in migration law and administrative law matters. She has appeared before the High Court in migration law matters. Theresa has a wide-range of experience regularly appearing at all levels from the Administrative Review Tribunal to the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia. She also teaches constitutional law at the University of New South Wales and administrative law at Macquarie University. Theresa is also admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Nauru and has successfully appeared in that jurisdiction in refugee law cases. She also regularly presents at legal seminars in both migration law and administrative law. She was selected to review the decision-making processes of the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and her recommendations have been used to implement policy and staff training. Prior to being called to the Bar, Theresa practiced as a solicitor including at top-tier law firm Minter Ellison. She has authored numerous articles, including in Key Issues in Judicial Review (Federation Press). She holds a Master of Commerce from Macquarie University, and a Bachelor of Laws (first class honours) and a Bachelor of Economics, from the University of Sydney.

Simon Jeans, Principal, Jeans Lawyers
Simon is widely regarded as one of Australia’s top immigration lawyers, renowned for his deep expertise in this complex and rapidly changing field. Since his admission to legal practice in 1989, Simon has devoted over 35 years to immigration law. A true specialist, Simon is accredited by the NSW Law Society in Immigration Law. He served as a Member of both the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal (from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2015), an appointment made by the Governor-General. His international contributions include working with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Hong Kong, providing legal expertise with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia, and delivering expert testimony before a U.S. Congressional Committee on Indochinese refugee issues in Southeast Asia. Simon has managed immigration matters in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, the UK, Jordan, Syria, and Ukraine, and is particularly noted for his longstanding work on behalf of over 1,200 Sabean Mandaeans from Iraq, assisting them to secure safer futures in Australia. He has been recognised on the Best Lawyers in Immigration Law list since 2016, acted as an Assessor and External Moderator for the College of Law’s Capstone Migration Agents Assessment in 2019 and 2020, and has been a trusted voice on immigration matters for Channel 7, Channel 9, Sky News Australia, The Australian, The Economist, and the ABC.