The landscape of estate administration is becoming increasingly challenging. Significant tax reforms, growing asset complexity and heightened scrutiny of estate decisions mean that practitioners must be equipped to handle problems before they become disputes. Hear from The Honourable Justice Michael Meek, distinguished counsel and leading succession law specialists as they guide you through the most difficult aspects of probate and estate administration in NSW. Explore complex probate applications, letters of administration, charitable gifts, taxation reforms, affidavit evidence and judicial advice applications, and leave with practical tools to manage risk and confidently advise executors in even the most complicated estates.

Presenters

The Honourable Justice Michael Meek, Supreme Court of New South Wales
Justice Meek was appointed to the Supreme Court of NSW and is one of the Equity Division judges. His Honour holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney, sharing the award for First in the Final year for Economic Statistics. His Honour was called to the Bar in 1992 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2009. At the time of his appointment his Honour was acknowledged as a specialist in the areas of estates, trust, protective and charities law, was listed in the 2017-2021 Doyle’s Guide as a Pre-eminent Senior Counsel in the area of Wills & Estates Litigation in NSW and recognised as one of the leading Senior Counsel in Australia in this area. His Honour’s practice saw him briefed in significant estate litigation, including the estates of the late Bart Cummings and the late Reg Grundy. His Honour was at the forefront of the law in relation to Statutory Will applications in NSW appearing in both the first landmark decision of Re Fenwick (2009) and the first Statutory Will appeal being Small v Phillips (2019). Following his appointment to the Court his Honour was initially assigned to “General Equity” matters. In July 2023 his Honour was designated as the Succession and Probate List Judge and with 3 other judges on a rotational basis, deals with List matters and also “General Equity” matters.

Craig Birtles, Barrister, Two Wentworth Chambers
Craig Birtles is a barrister at the Sydney Bar specialising in estate litigation. Craig regularly presents papers on all aspects of estate litigation and general equity matters. Craig was named as a Leading Junior Counsel – New South Wales in the Doyle’s Guide from 2019 to 2024. Craig is a member of the NSW Bar Association Succession & Protective Law Committee and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Josephine Pignataro, Partner, HWL Ebsworth
Josephine is an Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates Law, with over 20 years of experience in the area of estates and succession law. Josephine acts for private clients in relation to estate planning, including for individuals and families with relatively simple structures to those with ultra high net wealth. She also acts for individuals and companies on grants of representation and estate administration, and estate litigation. Josephine acted on the first successful statutory Will application in NSW which is reported as Re Fenwick; Application of JR Fenwick [2009] NSWSC 530. A respected estate law practitioner, Josephine is consistently recognised by Doyle’s Guide for Estate Litigation and Estate Planning – NSW. She has a Masters of Laws from the University of New South Wales, is a trained Collaborative Estates Law Practitioner, an adjunct lecturer for the College of Law in the Applied Masters of Laws (Wills and Estates) program and is proficient in Italian.

Justine Taylor, Principal Director, Uther Webster & Evans Solicitors
Justine is an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates. Justine joined Uther Webster & Evans in 2004 and holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Psychology.  Justine became a Partner of Uther Webster & Evans in 2015 and is now a Principal Director of the firm. A full member of STEP, Justine is a registered Trust Estate Practitioner and has been honoured to be ranked on Doyle’s Guide as Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer in NSW and Doyle’s Guide Recommended Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer across Australia. Justine’s primary practice and passion is Succession Law, Wills & Estates and Trusts including contested estate litigation, complex estate administration, dispute resolution, protective list applications, general equity, estoppel, and trusts.

Lisa To, Partner, Bartier Perry
Lisa To is a Partner in the Private Clients Team at Bartier Perry Lawyers and has over 15 years' experience specialising in federal and state taxation, superannuation, trusts, estate planning and business succession planning. She is a SMSF Specialist Advisor T with the SMSF Association and a Chartered Taxation Advisor T (CTA) with the Taxation Institute of Australia. Lisa holds a double degree in law and accounting and Masters of Tax from the University of Sydney. Lisa sits on the NSW Law Society and Revenue NSW liaison committee and is actively involved with SMSF, tax education and promoting women leadership. She has significant experience in property development and business transactions involving SMSFs, trust structures and borrowing arrangements. Lisa manages all stages of tax and SMSF disputes, reviews, audits, objections, SMSF specific advice and private ruling applications with the ATO including seeking Commissioner discretion.

John Armfield, Barrister & Mediator , Two Wentworth Chambers
John has been practicing at the NSW Bar for 44 years as counsel in wills and estates matters and related litigation. He has long been recognised in Doyles Guide as a leading junior counsel in 2015, 2017-2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 as a pre-eminent and recommended leading wills and estates junior counsel. His particular expertise spans family provision law, testamentary capacity, informal wills, estoppel in estate litigation and the rights of beneficiaries to obtain information in relation to the administration of trusts. Approachable as he is, his colleagues and members of the broader legal profession have come to rely on John’s guidance, counsel and assistance to resolve complex wills & estates matters. John is an accredited mediator. He is approached to act as mediator and instructed as counsel to appear for parties in more than 100 mediations a year. For the most part, he achieves an inordinate number of settlements either as Counsel, or as mediator assisting parties to reach a result they find acceptable in their circumstances. John is a regular legal conference speaker including STEP, the Blue Mountains Conference, Ten The Education Network and other various legal education channels together with his own Floor’s conference.

Paul Evans, Special Counsel, Bridges Lawyers
Paul has over 30 years’ experience in Estate Litigation, Estate Administration and Complex Estate Planning with Testamentary Trusts (Discretionary, Life Estates and Special Disability). He also advises charities on issues arising with ‘Gifts in Wills’. He worked in London for 10 years assisting high net worth clients with their estate planning to mitigate Inheritance tax. He is regularly appointed by the NSW Supreme Court as an independent administrator of estates in dispute. Paul has been an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates Law since 2004. He is a full member of STEP. He is also listed as pre-eminent in the Doyles Guide NSW List for Wills & Estates Succession Planning Lawyers.


Guy Moloney, Partner, HWL Ebsworth
Guy is the head of litigation in HWL Ebsworth’s Wills and Estate Planning practice group, and has specialised exclusively in complex Estate Litigation and Estate Planning matters for the last 12 years. In that time Guy has run family provision cases of all degrees of complexity; probate undue influence proceedings; will rectification proceedings; statutory will proceedings; testamentary capacity proceedings; administration suits and executor default suits in the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT. Before focusing exclusively on estates, Guy had more than a decade’s experience in insolvency, tax and general commercial litigation. Guy’s experience in estate disputes is brought to bear when advising clients on the creation of a robust and secure estate plan. Guy has been recognised by Doyle’s Guide as “Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer” in Australia from 2024 onwards. From 2023 onwards Doyle’s Guide recognised Guy as a “Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer” in NSW and “Recommended Wills, Estates & Succession Planning Lawyers” in NSW. Guy has been named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia™ for Trusts and Estates since 2024. Guy commenced his career working as a Tipstaff for the Honourable Justice Palmer in the NSW Supreme Court and has a Masters in Commercial Law from UNSW.

Denis Barlin, Barrister, 13 Wentworth Chambers
With a particular focus on the SME market, Denis Barlin advises on all aspects of revenue laws, including income tax, CGT, GST and State taxes generally - including stamp duties and land tax. As well as taxation, Denis provides advice on trust law matters generally and superannuation. Denis is a regular speaker for professional associations including the TIA and has been a regular contributor to a number of professional journals.