Regulatory expectations and sector demands continue to increase throughout 2025. Explore the ATO’s new ‘self-review’ tax obligations and understand what they mean for your organisation’s compliance framework. Break down the evolving landscape of charity mergers and restructurings, with guidance on due diligence, strategic alignment, and future-proofing your governance mode. Address the growing complexity around director remuneration and employment tax obligations, including risks, exemptions, and best-practice approaches to managing volunteers, contractors, and paid staff. Whether you’re managing internal operations or advising clients in the sector, this event will equip you with the knowledge and insights you need to make sound decisions in a changing environment.

Presenters

Cheree Sawley, Partner, Hicksons Lawyers
Cheree is a Partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution and Estates team. With over 13 years’ experience, Cheree has a focus on contested estates litigation, commercial litigation, dispute resolution, debt recovery, bankruptcy and insolvency law. Cheree has acted for a wide range of clients, including corporations, government departments, local councils, SMEs, and individuals across specialist litigation and dispute resolution matters. Cheree has also represented executors, several charities and beneficiaries across a range of contested estates matters. With her clients’ best interest in mind, Cheree always acts and advise her clients with full and frank advise, in line with their legal and commercial objectives. Cheree is an Accredited Specialist in Dispute Resolution with the NSW Law Society. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the Australian National University.


Elizabeth Lathlean, Special Counsel, Gilbert + Tobin
Elizabeth Lathlean is a Special Counsel in Gilbert + Tobin’s Charities + Social Sector practice. Elizabeth specialises in the provision of legal advice and assistance to charities, not-for-profits and social sector organisations. She provides expert assistance on all areas of charity and not-for-profit regulation and compliance, as well as acting in relation to mergers and acquisitions, restructuring transactions and corporate governance. Elizabeth is a non-executive director of CBM Australia, a registered charity and international development organisation. Best Lawyers recognises Elizabeth for her work in the area of Corporate Law.


Vera Visevic, Partner, NFPs, Human Rights & Social Impact, Mills Oakley
Vera Visevic heads up the Sydney NFPs, Human Rights and Social Impact team at Mills Oakley. Acting for numerous charities, religious and not-for-profit organisations, Vera has 30 years' experience in the profession. In the not-for-profit sector, Vera focuses on constitutional reviews, mergers, governance and fundraising issues and regularly advises on ACNC and ATO endorsements. Vera is an author in "Charity Law", European Lawyer Reference (2012, 2016 and 2018). Vera sits on several Not-For-Profit boards and committees.


Elizabeth Lucas, Partner - Employment Solutions, Grant Thornton
Elizabeth has extensive experience in providing fringe benefits tax, salary packaging and employment tax advice to not-for-profit bodies, corporate clients and Government organisations. She is passionate about helping her clients to achieve optimal outcomes for both the organisation and its employees. Elizabeth is a significant contributor to her profession and the not-for-profit sector in particular. She has chaired the Tax Institute’s FBT Subcommittee, has served on the ATO’s various FBT stakeholder groups and consultations for many years, and continues to do so, and was a member of the Not-for-profit Sector Tax Concession Working Group reporting to the Federal Government.


Rebecca Lambert-Smith, Practice Leader, Moores Legal
Rebecca is a Practice Leader in the Corporate Advisory team and heads up the For Purpose team at Moores. Rebecca provides expert advice to charities, not-for-profits and social ventures on a wide range of legal and governance matters. As a trusted advisor to For Purpose clients experiencing creation, crisis and change, Rebecca enjoys helping clients navigate the challenges of the current regulatory environment. This includes helping new organisations get established, providing complex structuring advice, improving governance, resolving internal disputes and responding to ACNC investigations. Having served on a number of Boards, Rebecca understands the competing priorities of modern governance. She regularly provides Board training and presents seminars and webinars to the For Purpose sector. Rebecca formerly practiced in commercial litigation.


Richard Hundt, Principal Lawyer, Hundt Law
Richard is an experienced lawyer who has provided legal advice to government, private, not-for-profit, and high net worth clients on a wide range of general corporate and commercial matters, along with advice specific to the charities and not-for-profits sector. Richard has been admitted in the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Queensland. He is an active member of the Queensland Law Society’s Not-for-profit Law Committee, a member of the Institute of Community Directors, along with a member of the ACNC Professional Adviser Forum.