Presenters

Ben Mahler, Partner, KordaMentha
Ben Mahler's willingness to understand the problem and generate alternative ideas has helped him find efficient solutions for clients facing modern forensic challenges for over 10 years. He expertly deploys his specialist valuation, accounting and technology skills as needed, focusing on what will provide the greatest benefit with the least resources. His recent solutions include developing automation that allowed scenario analysis of complex financial modelling for the valuation of an infrastructure asset, consolidating claim data in a construction dispute and an analysis of disparate data sets in a financial investigation.


Vera Culkoff, Barrister, 2 Selbourne Chambers
Vera Culkoff graduated in law from the University of Technology, Sydney in early 1990 with First Class Honours and the University Medal. Her practice is in commercial law and equity, with an emphasis in building and construction disputes. Such proceedings have commonly involved complex contractual disputes, misleading and deceptive allegations and the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW). She also practices in the area of wills, probate and family provisions disputes, involving complex issues and large estates. She has experience in class actions, having been involved in commercial class actions against Westpac, ANZ, AMP and GIO. Vera has been involved in litigation on both sides of the fence: having worked at Clayton Utz doing defence work before joining Cashman & Partners and becoming an equity partner (now Maurice Blackburn). She remained a partner of the new firm until 2000, responsible for commercial and product liability litigation. She was called to the Bar in 2000. Vera was joint General Editor of the Australian Product Liability Reporter (from 2006 to 2011) and has conducted presentations at seminars on class actions and, whilst at the Bar, in building and construction law.


Irina Hoskinson, Barrister, Latham Barristers
Irina commenced private practice in 2011. Irina was called to the Bar in 2016 and takes briefs to appear in Supreme Court, Federal Circuit and Family Court and other courts and tribunals. She appeared in family provision, probate, bankruptcy, corporate insolvency, general equity and family law matters. In 2020 Irina took a break from the Bar for 14 months and held a position as Probate Registrar in the Supreme Court of NSW. In that role she was making decisions in relation to complex probate and administration matters; she also sat as a Common Law and Equity Registrar and presided over corporations’ examinations. Upon her return to the Bar, Irina currently practices mainly in probate and family provision matters. Irina is a costs assessor and an associate lecturer at College of Law.

Presenters

Ben Mahler, Partner, KordaMentha
Ben Mahler's willingness to understand the problem and generate alternative ideas has helped him find efficient solutions for clients facing modern forensic challenges for over 10 years. He expertly deploys his specialist valuation, accounting and technology skills as needed, focusing on what will provide the greatest benefit with the least resources. His recent solutions include developing automation that allowed scenario analysis of complex financial modelling for the valuation of an infrastructure asset, consolidating claim data in a construction dispute and an analysis of disparate data sets in a financial investigation.


Vera Culkoff, Barrister, 2 Selbourne Chambers
Vera Culkoff graduated in law from the University of Technology, Sydney in early 1990 with First Class Honours and the University Medal. Her practice is in commercial law and equity, with an emphasis in building and construction disputes. Such proceedings have commonly involved complex contractual disputes, misleading and deceptive allegations and the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW). She also practices in the area of wills, probate and family provisions disputes, involving complex issues and large estates. She has experience in class actions, having been involved in commercial class actions against Westpac, ANZ, AMP and GIO. Vera has been involved in litigation on both sides of the fence: having worked at Clayton Utz doing defence work before joining Cashman & Partners and becoming an equity partner (now Maurice Blackburn). She remained a partner of the new firm until 2000, responsible for commercial and product liability litigation. She was called to the Bar in 2000. Vera was joint General Editor of the Australian Product Liability Reporter (from 2006 to 2011) and has conducted presentations at seminars on class actions and, whilst at the Bar, in building and construction law.


Irina Hoskinson, Barrister, Latham Barristers
Irina commenced private practice in 2011. Irina was called to the Bar in 2016 and takes briefs to appear in Supreme Court, Federal Circuit and Family Court and other courts and tribunals. She appeared in family provision, probate, bankruptcy, corporate insolvency, general equity and family law matters. In 2020 Irina took a break from the Bar for 14 months and held a position as Probate Registrar in the Supreme Court of NSW. In that role she was making decisions in relation to complex probate and administration matters; she also sat as a Common Law and Equity Registrar and presided over corporations’ examinations. Upon her return to the Bar, Irina currently practices mainly in probate and family provision matters. Irina is a costs assessor and an associate lecturer at College of Law.