Presenters

Deputy Chief Magistrate Freund, Local Court of New South Wales
Her Honour Magistrate Sharon Freund is a Magistrate of the Local Court of New South Wales in the Civil and Criminal Jurisdictions and a former Arbitrator of the District and Local Courts. She was formerly a Partner at Diamond Peisah practicing in all areas of commercial litigation. She is also the mother of 3 children.


Elleni Zacharia, Associate, Hugo Law Group
Elleni has a deep understanding of criminal law and procedure, advocacy, and strategy through exposure to a wide range of criminal matters. She has practised exclusively as a criminal defence lawyer throughout her legal career, working on numerous high-profile and complex matters, including murder and sexual assault. She regularly appears in all jurisdictions across NSW in applications, hearings, sentences, trials, and appeals, and also has interstate experience in Queensland. Achieving the best outcome for clients is Elleni’s paramount concern. As a passionate and persuasive advocate, she relishes scrutinising and challenging the merits of the prosecution’s brief of evidence. In complex matters, she works effectively alongside barristers to achieve successful outcomes. Elleni will guide clients through what can be a daunting legal process with expertise, empathy, and an unwavering dedication to defending their rights. This year, her success as a criminal defence lawyer was recognised with a nomination as a Finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in Criminal Law.