Presenters

Michael Williams, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Michael is the head of Gilbert + Tobin’s Technology and Intellectual Property (IP) Group, headquartered in Sydney. He is recognised in the legal community as a market leader in IP and technology law, with three decades of experience advising on complex legal tech issues and running test cases in the Courts, including appeals to the High Court (Self Care, Calidad, Roadshow Films and IceTV). He holds leading rankings in Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500, Best Lawyers and Doyle’s Guide. He was named Intellectual Property Partner of the Year at the Partner of the Year Awards, in 2019 and 2021 and his team has won Intellectual Property Team of the Year numerous times. Always fascinated by technology and its interaction with legal policy, Michael is a specialist on AI. He has closely followed the rise of AI systems and the legal implications of AI created imagery, text and synthetic information. He has witnessed first-hand the rapid changes in legal technology and the practice law and has a track record of experimenting with technology to bring advances to legal advice and legal services. Michael is widely published on IP law in leading journals and periodicals and a regular speaker and commentator on IP law and developments in the use of technology and AI in legal practice.

Vera Culkoff, Barrister, 2 Selborne Chambers
Vera Culkoff graduated in law from the University of Technology, Sydney in early 1990 with First Class Honours and the University Medal. Her practice is in commercial law and equity, with an emphasis in building and construction disputes. Such proceedings have commonly involved complex contractual disputes, misleading and deceptive allegations and the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW). She also practices in the area of wills, probate and family provisions disputes, involving complex issues and large estates. She has experience in class actions, having been involved in commercial class actions against Westpac, ANZ, AMP and GIO. Vera has been involved in litigation on both sides of the fence: having worked at Clayton Utz doing defence work before joining Cashman & Partners and becoming an equity partner (now Maurice Blackburn). She remained a partner of the new firm until 2000, responsible for commercial and product liability litigation. She was called to the Bar in 2000. Vera was joint General Editor of the Australian Product Liability Reporter (from 2006 to 2011) and has conducted presentations at seminars on class actions and, whilst at the Bar, in building and construction law.