Presenters

Katherine Armytage, Partner, Maddocks
Katherine Armytage is a partner in the Maddocks Canberra office, where she has a vibrant practice in information law, particularly in the areas of privacy and data protection. Katherine has provided detailed advice on the operation and application of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and has undertaken numerous privacy impact assessments (PIAs) for Australian Government and other clients. Katherine is a self-confessed ‘privacy nerd’, and actually enjoys identifying and examining information flows associated with complex Australian Government projects, identifying privacy and other legal risks and existing mitigations, and developing creative and practical solutions to help her clients minimise those risks. Katherine has recently been involved in some very interesting privacy and data governance matters – from PIAs for complex new legislation (the Digital ID Bill 2023), to working through eligible data breaches involving loss of highly sensitive personal information, to helping with the establishment and operation of complex data sharing arrangements.


John Harris, Founding Partner, O’Connor Harris & Co
John Harris is a founding director of O’Connor Harris and Co Solicitors and has been a practicing solicitor for over 40 years in Canberra. John studied at the Australian National University, graduating in 1976. The majority of his time is spent working in Commercial law, Property law, Family law and Building and Construction law, however he is not limited to these areas. He enjoys the wide variety of work that O’Connor Harris allows him to undertake, and the constant challenges. John actively participates in a wide range of hobbies and interests, including rowing, skiing, fishing, reading, cooking and spending time with his thirteen grand-children, as well as being a father to six children. He is also a keen motorist with a particular interest in British sports cars. He is a member of the ACT Rowing Association, the Triumph Motor Club and the Master Builders Association. When John has spare time, he enjoys weekends in the mountains tending to his gardens and woodworks.


Gavan Mackenzie, Partner, Maddocks
Gavan specialises in providing commercial, procurement and contracting advice to Commonwealth agencies on a broad range of matters. In particular, he has extensive experience advising on complex, high-value and high-profile ICT and other outsourcing projects for Commonwealth agencies. Gavan has been involved in developing, negotiating and advising on numerous ICT procurements and funding agreements and has an extensive understanding of the various issues and risks associated with developing and managing those arrangements. He regularly advises Commonwealth agencies on their procurement processes , develops and negotiates commercial documents, and advises on contract management issues.