Presenters

Natalie Kam, Partner, Jackson McDonald
Natalie is the lead partner in the Jackson McDonald family law team. Natalie is an accredited family law specialist with extensive experience in family law, representing clients in family and relationship law both nationally and internationally. Natalie is experienced in complex property proceedings including financial tracing, corporate and trust structures, contested inheritances, valuation and business issues and acting on behalf of banks, liquidators, creditors and corporations. Her practice includes advice on proactive structuring to protect multigenerational businesses and wealth and sits amongst one of Western Australia’s most preeminent private wealth teams. Natalie is a recognised industry leader in dealing with complex parenting cases and child related proceedings having represented clients in Australia and overseas, including in respect of applications to relocate overseas and international child abduction and recovery. She is experienced at mediation and is a qualified collaborative lawyer. Natalie is also trained in assisting clients encountering issues such as domestic and family violence and requiring assistance to obtain Family Violence Restraining Orders. Natalie was previously a key adviser to the Attorney General’s Family Relationship Advice Line and has assisted in the preparation of a number of submissions to government in the area of family law reform. Natalie is currently the Vice President of the Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Western Australia (FLPA) and Chair of FLPA’s Law Reform Subcommittee.


Marty Kavanagh, Principal, Kavanagh Family Lawyers
Marty Kavanagh is the Principal of Kavanagh Lawyers. Marty tutored in ethics at Curtin university for several years in the early 2000s. Marty has a particular interest in Restraining orders; adoption; surrogacy; parental rights and presumptions of parentage; and family law issues relating to the LGBTIQ+ community. From 2012 to 2017 Marty wrote the WA restraining orders commentary for Thompson Reuters. In 2018, Marty was one of the lawyers who assisted GayDads WA in their legal submissions to the government's review of the Surrogacy Act 2008. In 2022 Marty was appointed to the WA Health Minister’s Expert panel on the review of the Surrogacy and Human Reproductive Technology acts. Marty is also the Honorary Consul of Ireland to Western Australia. Just to prove that life isn’t always about backing winners, Marty is a keen Fremantle Dockers fan.


Michael Nicholls KC, Barrister
Michael Nicholls KC is a barrister practicing in Family Law in Western Australia. As well as dealing with domestic property settlement and children's cases, he has a considerable practice in international family law, and deals with cases about international child abduction, relocation, adoption and surrogacy arrangements, jurisdiction and forum disputes and cases about the validity of marriages and divorces, as well as recognition and enforcement of foreign orders. Called to the Bar in London 1975, Michael has had a varied legal career, including being responsible for the Child Abduction Unit in the UK, a consultant to the Council of Europe on children’s matters and a visiting lecturer at the Academy of European Law in Trier. He often writes books and articles about international family law.

Presenters

Natalie Kam, Partner, Jackson McDonald
Natalie is the lead partner in the Jackson McDonald family law team. Natalie is an accredited family law specialist with extensive experience in family law, representing clients in family and relationship law both nationally and internationally. Natalie is experienced in complex property proceedings including financial tracing, corporate and trust structures, contested inheritances, valuation and business issues and acting on behalf of banks, liquidators, creditors and corporations. Her practice includes advice on proactive structuring to protect multigenerational businesses and wealth and sits amongst one of Western Australia’s most preeminent private wealth teams. Natalie is a recognised industry leader in dealing with complex parenting cases and child related proceedings having represented clients in Australia and overseas, including in respect of applications to relocate overseas and international child abduction and recovery. She is experienced at mediation and is a qualified collaborative lawyer. Natalie is also trained in assisting clients encountering issues such as domestic and family violence and requiring assistance to obtain Family Violence Restraining Orders. Natalie was previously a key adviser to the Attorney General’s Family Relationship Advice Line and has assisted in the preparation of a number of submissions to government in the area of family law reform. Natalie is currently the Vice President of the Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Western Australia (FLPA) and Chair of FLPA’s Law Reform Subcommittee.


Marty Kavanagh, Principal, Kavanagh Family Lawyers
Marty Kavanagh is the Principal of Kavanagh Lawyers. Marty tutored in ethics at Curtin university for several years in the early 2000s. Marty has a particular interest in Restraining orders; adoption; surrogacy; parental rights and presumptions of parentage; and family law issues relating to the LGBTIQ+ community. From 2012 to 2017 Marty wrote the WA restraining orders commentary for Thompson Reuters. In 2018, Marty was one of the lawyers who assisted GayDads WA in their legal submissions to the government's review of the Surrogacy Act 2008. In 2022 Marty was appointed to the WA Health Minister’s Expert panel on the review of the Surrogacy and Human Reproductive Technology acts. Marty is also the Honorary Consul of Ireland to Western Australia. Just to prove that life isn’t always about backing winners, Marty is a keen Fremantle Dockers fan.


Michael Nicholls KC, Barrister
Michael Nicholls KC is a barrister practicing in Family Law in Western Australia. As well as dealing with domestic property settlement and children's cases, he has a considerable practice in international family law, and deals with cases about international child abduction, relocation, adoption and surrogacy arrangements, jurisdiction and forum disputes and cases about the validity of marriages and divorces, as well as recognition and enforcement of foreign orders. Called to the Bar in London 1975, Michael has had a varied legal career, including being responsible for the Child Abduction Unit in the UK, a consultant to the Council of Europe on children’s matters and a visiting lecturer at the Academy of European Law in Trier. He often writes books and articles about international family law.