Estate disputes involving blended families, late-life relationships and competing claims are increasingly common but increasingly complex. With guidance from exceptional and experienced practitioners, build your much-needed strategies for advising clients, managing evidentiary issues, responding to family provision claims and building estate plans for second families to lessen the risk of later disputes. Gain practical insight on the current trends, procedural hurdles and estate planning tools that matter most and leave better placed to protect client interests in complex estate matters.

Presenters

Brendan Ashdown, Barrister, John Toohey Chambers
Brendan Ashdown has been admitted to legal practice for over 25 years. After founding his own firm, and later joining a mid-sized City firm, Brendan commenced practice at the bar in 2005 at John Toohey Chambers. Brendan undertakes trial and appellate work in a wide range of areas with an emphasis on equity & trusts, insolvency, contested wills & estates, and family law property matters (appeals, trust, company & third party issues).

Craig Gregson, Principal Solicitor, Gregson & Associates
Craig was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in November of 2011. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Edith Cowan University (WA) and a Masters of Applied Law majoring in Wills and Estates Practice (LLM)(NSW) from the College of Law. Craig is a current Ph.D candidate at the University of Western Australia in Succession law reform. His thesis focuses on Avoidance of Family Provision Law in Australia and Notional Property. Craig is a part time member of Mental Health Tribunal (a jurisdiction which hears reviews of involuntary treatment orders and other applications made under the Mental Health Act 2014 (WA).


Morgan Solomon, Director, Solomon Hollett
Morgan Solomon is the Founding Director Solomon Hollett Lawyers and a highly experienced lawyer in all spheres of inheritance law. He has a particular focus on complex estate planning, contested estates, unusual probate matters and trusts.  He is the author of the Lexis Nexis practical guides on non-contentious probate, administration, and wills in Western Australia and his will-drafting expertise is informed by a broad commercial, business, and litigation background. A third-generation West Australian lawyer, he has held leadership positions including Vice Chair and Chair of Law Australasia, a network of leading independent law firms. Morgan also contributes to the community as Chair of the Arts and Culture Trust, and is Founding Member of the WA Chamber of Culture and the Arts.

Lorraine Madden, Special Counsel, Hale Legal
Lorraine is an experienced commercial litigator and has extensive experience in both estate planning, estate administration, and estate disputes. In addition to estate work, Lorraine advises on contract, property, and partnership disputes, and has defended prosecutions and disciplinary proceedings in relation to health and safety breaches, medical, and planning matters. Lorraine practiced in insurance litigation for many years. Lorraine regularly appears in the Supreme and District Courts and the State Administrative Tribunal. Prior to joining the Hale Legal dispute resolution team in 2022, Lorraine practiced in the UK at DLA Piper, Sydney at Henry Davis York and Perth at Minter Ellison and Lavan.

McLane Edinger, Partner, Hall & Wilcox
McLane specializes in estate, will, and trust disputes, as well as complex estate administration and financial elder abuse. He has acted on several high-profile, large-scale estate disputes in the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the Court of Appeal, including cases involving multi-jurisdictional estates. He also advises clients on will construction, validity, and interpretation, and provides guidance to legal personal representatives and trustees on estate and trust administration, including applications for directions under the Trustees Act 1962 (WA) and Administration Act 1903 (WA). McLane is listed and recognized in Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession (2023 and 2025) for his work in Wills & Estate Litigation in Western Australia.

Amanda Gregson, Senior Associate, Gregson Lawyers
Amanda is a Senior Associate at Gregson & Associates. Amanda was employed as a Police Officer with the Western Australian Police for over 18 years spending the majority of that time as a detective. Amanda has extensive experience in both interview and investigation work. This is of huge value to our litigation clients. Amanda’s experience is in litigation support, estate and trust administration, and non contentious probate.