Presenters

Paul Macken, Partner, Leigh Virtue & Associates
Paul Macken BA LLB is a partner of the firm of Leigh Virtue & Associates. He is an accredited specialist in personal injury law (since 1993) and has over 38 years' experience acting for workers and employers in work injury disputes. He has particular experience in representing a large number of self-insured employers in all types of work injury claims and in related industrial disputes. He is an honorary legal advisor to the NSW Self Insurers Association, the immediate past Chairman of the Medic-Legal Liaison Committee, a member of the Injury Compensation Committee, and the personal injury specialist accreditation board of the Law Society of NSW.


Marie Johns, Head, Motor Accident Division, Personal Injury Commission
On 26 August 2020 Ms Johns was appointed as the Division Head of the Motor Accident Division of the Personal Injury Commission (PIC), which commenced on 1 March 2021. Ms Johns was previously appointed as the Principal Claims Assessor under the two CTP schemes in NSW (Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 and the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017) in August 2018. Ms Johns’ career spans more than two decades across regulatory and service delivery, within government and the community. She has held various positions including at CARS and DRS, the Workers Compensation Commission, ILARS – WIRO, as an immigration lawyer with Brett Slater Solicitors, and DLA Piper (formerly Phillips Fox) and with Mid Hunter Community Housing Association. She is a current committee member of the NSW Chapter of Council of Australasian Tribunals (COAT). Admitted as a solicitor in February 2005, she holds a Degree in Law from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Science (major in psychology) from the University of Newcastle.