Thursday, 5 March 2026
Description
Attend and earn 0.5 CPD unit in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Chair
Vera Culkoff, Barrister, 2 Selborne Chambers
Hearsay and Exceptions
- What is hearsay - a refresher of the principle and rules under the Evidence Act 1995
- Exceptions to the hearsay rule
- Other Evidence Act provisions
Presented by Michelle Painter SC, 9 Selbourne Chambers
Presenters
Vera Culkoff, Barrister, 2 Selborne ChambersVera 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.
Michelle Painter SC, 9 Selbourne Chambers
Michelle is an experienced senior counsel who practices in succession and family provision matters for estates and for plaintiffs, as well as in equity, trusts, commercial law and family law property matters. She specialises in large and significant disputes and has earned a reputation for her forceful advocacy and her ability to quickly absorb large amounts of information across document heavy matters. She has been listed again by Doyle’s Guide 2026 as a Recommended Wills & Estates Litigation Senior Counsel for NSW. She has been involved for many years with the NSW Bar Association’s Bar Practice Course, where she presents on the art of cross examination.
