Explore practical strategies for preserving family wealth, managing conflict, and supporting vulnerable members through inclusive, values-based planning and governance.

Presenters

Georgiena Ryan, Principal Lawyer, Regional Business Lawyers
Principal Georgiena Ryan has experience acting as solicitor to family and farming businesses, initially in her home state of Queensland where she grew up and later in the New South Wales Riverina and Central West NSW. Georgiena has unique commercial and corporate experience having held in-house legal roles with a specialist international rural and agribusiness bank, and with a leading global agricultural asset manager, responsible for a significant irrigation and dryland farming portfolio across Australia. Georgiena is the only female Accredited Specialist in Business Law located in rural NSW and has a Masters in Commercial Law from the University of Melbourne. Georgiena has special expertise in water law and irrigation and has been involved in some of the largest agribusiness transactions in Australia. Georgiena lives in the south west slopes of NSW on her husband’s family farm. She is supported by the following team members who all live regionally in NSW.

Leona Bennett, Managing Partner, Southern Waters Legal
Leona heads up the Family Law team at Southern Waters Legal. Leona graduated from the University of Wollongong with degrees in Psychology (Honours) and Law (Honours). Leona is also an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and is a trained Family Law Collaborative Solicitor. Added to her resume is that she had the pleasure of teaching Family Law at the University of Wollongong in 2010 and 2011. Leona has practiced in the area of Family Law within the Sutherland Shire since 2001. She is dedicated to helping her clients get through one of the toughest times in their lives, separation. Leona is passionate about this area of practice and truly believes that the right lawyer can help someone get through separation by listening to what they need from an emotional and financial perspective and applying the ever-changing law to their individual circumstances. In her practice, you are not just a legal matter or a file, but an individual to be assisted and respected. Leona helps clients find the right resolution for their unique situation, and is conscious of the need to resolve disputes in Family Law by negotiation and mediation before considering litigation. Outside of Southern Waters Legal, Leona enjoys spending time with her beautiful family and playing sport, having had the honour of representing Australia in Oztag.

Michael Perkins, Special Counsel, Southern Waters
Michael is a lawyer, author, and educator with four decades of experience in trusts, estates, and private client practice. Michael is co-author of the book “Estate Planning: A Practical Guide for Estate and Financial Services Professionals”, published by LexisNexis, Co-author of the “Estate Planning – Core Principles and Practice” chapter contribution to Financial Planning in Australia (10th edition), by Sharon Taylor & Anor (Lexis Nexis). Supported Decision Making is important to Michael as a method of client care in professional practice and dealing with the orderly management of a person’s interest as they age. Michael has worked collaboratively with Dr Jane Lonie to evolve processes and practices that help professionals deal with clients with impaired decision-making ability or a suspicion of decision-making impairment. Michael holds the MICW designation from the Institute for Collaborative Working and is active in the operations of the Institute in Australia. In addition, he is a Trust and Estates Practitioner (TEP) member of the international Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”), Founder and member of Academic Community of STEP.