Presenters

Kate Rafton, Managing Partner, Accredited Family Law Specialist, Accredited Children’s Law Specialist
Kate has focussed on the field of family law since her admission as a solicitor, and has worked for law firms in both Penrith and Parramatta over her 20 year career. Before establishing her own practice in 2007, Kate was a Partner with a well-known family law firm in the region and gained significant experience dealing with the full range of family-law issues. In 2007 Kate became a NSW Law Society accredited specialist in family law. In 2009 she also became an accredited specialist in children’s law. Kate has extensive experience in complex family law matters both at first instance and appellate court hearings. She has completed AIFLAM training and is an accredited mediator and arbitrator. Kate was also a founding member of the Western Sydney Collaborative Lawyers group. Rafton Family Lawyers is now one of the largest specialised family law firms in Western Sydney with a reputation for the provision of expert legal services in family law. The firm has been named in Doyle’s guide for mediation services and under the rising star category for wills and estates in recent years. In addition to her legal qualifications, Kate also has a nursing degree, a Masters in Critical Care and Trauma and a background in health management. Throughout her legal career she has maintained a strong association with the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health Service and her experience dealing with patients in crisis gives her a deeper insight into dealing with the trauma and emotion of family breakdown.

Emily Slaytor, Special Counsel, Piper Alderman
Emily joined Piper Alderman as a Special Counsel in 2021, after having relocated to Adelaide from Sydney where she worked for a specialist employment law firm.She has around 10 years’ experience practicing as an employment and industrial relations lawyer, assisting and advising employers on how to manage their legal obligations and risks, and navigate employment-related issues.Emily has acted for a diverse range of employers across both the private and public sector, at a national level. She has conducted numerous investigations for clients in relation to bullying and harassment matters and internal employment disputes, and regularly assists clients in the areas of managing long and short term injured workers, difficult workers compensation claims, performance management and disciplinary issues, discrimination and harassment, as well as unfair dismissal and general protections claims.

Rebecca Haynes, Senior Lawyer and Casual Legal Academic, Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
Rebecca Haynes is a Senior Lawyer and Casual Legal Academic practicing in the areas of Education Law, Human Rights, Disability, Administrative Law and Child Protection.