When the stakes are high, authoritative insight matters. Created specifically for wills and estates lawyers, the Wills and Estates Symposium brings together a superb line-up of leading barristers and senior legal professionals to share hard-won expertise, practical experience and strategies you can put to work immediately. You will gain timely guidance on family provision, estoppel and constructive trust claims, international and cross-border estate disputes, missing estate assets, attorney misuse, deceased estate taxation, executor duties and disputes, ethical dilemmas, risk management and affidavit evidence. Through focused case updates, practical presentations and an expert panel discussion, you will learn how to manage complex matters, reduce professional risk and achieve better outcomes for your clients. Attend to sharpen your legal knowledge, strengthen your day-to-day practice and earn 7 CPD units, including Substantive Law, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Practice Management & Business Skills, and Professional Skills.

Presenters

François FF Salama, Barrister, 13th Floor St James Hall
François F.F. Salama was called to the NSW Bar in 2006 and is both a Barrister and Nationally Accredited Mediator, accepting briefs and appointments across all Australian jurisdictions (trial and appellate). He conducts a general commercial and equity practice, with expertise in succession, trusts, real property, building and construction and corporations law. François is a national Board Member for the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Australia and Deputy Chair of the NSW Chapter. He is also a member of the NSW Bar Committees for Succession & Protective Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution. François is consistently recognised by his peers in legal directories such as Doyle's Guide(Estate Litigation) and The Legal 500 (Commercial Litigation) as a leading Barrister. In 2026, François was awarded the Coptic Orthodox ‘Nayrouz Medal of Hope’ from the NSW Premier and Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions, for Professional Excellence and Leadership.

Anthea Kennedy, Partner, Bridges Lawyers
Anthea has been in practice as a solicitor since 1992. She has presented seminars and workshops in the areas of Wills and Estates law from 2002 onwards. Her work is mainly litigation, a high proportion of which is contested Probate, Family Provision cases and other Equity work together with estate planning advice. Anthea is an accredited specialist in Wills and Estates Law and is a past Chair of the Advisory Committee for Specialist Accreditation in Wills and Estates. Anthea is listed in the Doyle’s Guide of Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyers 2024 as Preeminent in Australia and Market Leader in NSW. She is also listed as Preeminent in Leading Wills, Estates & Succession Planning Lawyers, NSW in 2024.

Monica Ross-Maranik, Consulting Principal, Keypoint Law
Monica is an accredited specialist in wills and estates law in NSW, working predominately in estate litigation, probate, estate administration and estate planning. She has over 29 years’ practise in the field, including extensive experience conducting high profile litigation which she undertakes with compassion and strategic reasoning. Monica’s areas of expertise include: Wills and estate planning, contested probate litigation, Family provision litigation, Probate and estate administration, other estate and equity litigation, Trusts and trust litigation, Enduring powers of attorney, Enduring guardianships and Protective jurisdiction advice and litigation including court authorised wills. Monica holds a Master of Laws from Sydney University and is a current member of the International Society of Trust.

Anthony Cheshire SC, 8 Wentworth Chambers
Anthony was called to the English Bar in 1992 and practised at the bar in London before coming to Sydney in 2003. He practices from the 8th Floor Wentworth Chambers in a broad range of areas, but with a particular focus upon general commercial, corporations, insolvency, wills and estates, equity, charities, associations, inquiries, property, licensing, insurance and professional negligence. He has extensive experience in relation to the internal affairs of corporations and associations and has acted for a variety of commercial, sporting, recreational, religious, political and other bodies and their members. He has been a barrister for over 30 years and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2015.


Mark Squire, Practice Group Leader – Wills and Estates, Vinden Lawyers
After conducting his own city practice for many years, Mark is now a director and the Practice Group Leader- Wills and Estates at Vinden Lawyers Pty Limited. In this role, Mark is able to practice substantially in estate planning with a particular interest in blended family issues. Mark is a former part-time lecturer at UTS and is a regular presenter to legal and other professional groups, mainly for Legalwise.


Ian Davidson SC, Eight Selborne Chambers
Ian Davidson is a Senior Counsel who practises primarily in Equity, Commercial, Administrative, Wills & Probate and Alternative Dispute Resolution. After graduating from ANU with a B Ec and LLB (1st class Honours and University Medal), Ian was Associate to Sir Anthony Mason from 1980 to 1981. He was awarded the R.G Menzies Scholarship to Harvard Law School (LLM 1982). After working with law firms in Boston and Washington DC and being admitted to the New York Bar, Ian practised as a solicitor in Sydney before being called to the NSW Bar where he has practiced from Eight Selborne Chambers (www.eightselborne.com.au) since 1991. Ian has chaired the NSW Bar Association’s Succession and Protective Law Committee since 2024 and from 2015-2018 was Chair of that Bar’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, a director of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration and a member of the NSW Supreme Court ADR Steering Committee. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Banking & Financial Services Law Association and serves on the Financial Services Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.


Asheetha Jelliffe, Partner, Bridges Lawyers
Asheetha was admitted to practice in 2003. She has over 20 years' experience in Wills and Estates Law and became an Accredited Specialist in 2011. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for Specialist Accreditation in Wills and Estates, and is also the Head Assessor of that committee.  She is also the Chairperson of the inaugural Advisory Committee for Special Accreditation in Elder Law. Asheetha’s main area of practice has been in contested estate litigation (including probate and family provision matters) and other trust and estate administration suits.  She has utilised that experience in her ever-growing estate planning practice.  She  is regularly involved in making applications for ‘out of the ordinary’ grants of probate and letters of administration.  Over the years, and more so in the last few years, Asheetha has had increasing involvement in Elder Law related contested matters, appearing in the Guardianship Division of NCAT, as well as appearing in the Protective List of the Supreme Court. She has also been appointed as a Court Appointed Administrator for estates, and a representative of the estate in various contentious proceedings. Asheetha is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She is listed in the 2025 Doyles Guide’s lists as a ‘Preeminent’ Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer and Wills, Estates & Succession Planning Lawyer in NSW and as a ‘Leading’ Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer in Australia.


Justin Brown, Barrister, 13 Wentworth Chambers
Justin has been listed since 2017 in the Doyle’s Guide as Recommended Junior Counsel in the area of Leading Wills & Estates Litigation Junior Counsel. He is recognised for the depth and breadth of his advocacy skills, understanding of complex legal issues and strategic thinking. Justin is also a lecturer in succession law at the University of Sydney and has been a guest lecturer in the courses offered by the College of Law in the Master of Applied Law (Wills and Estates). He regularly appears for executors, trustees and beneficiaries of deceased estates at both trial and appellate level, primarily in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, as well as in the High Court in Nobarani v Mariconte [2018] HCA 36. Justin possesses considerable advocacy experience and provides sound legal advice in both contentious and non-contentious matters. He has completed LEADR’s Mediator’s Course and regularly appears as counsel for clients at mediations. Justin holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Sydney and a Masters of Applied Laws specialising in wills and estate. Prior to being called to the Bar in 2013, Justin practised as a solicitor and was instructed in several leading cases in wills and estate litigation.


Gerard Basha, Partner, Bartier Perry
Gerard’s distinguished career is built on a foundation of dual Bachelors in Economics and Law from Macquarie University, a Master of Laws, and a current thesis in Succession Law from Sydney University. He is an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates Law, holding a Master of Applied Laws from the College of Law. His leadership is reflected as a Notary Public, Chair of the NSW Wills and Estates Law Accredited Specialists Practice Group, and a Registered Trust and Estate Practitioner with a STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes. Furthermore, he is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries and completed the AICD Foundations of Directors Course. With over 38 years of experience, Gerard is a recognized leader in his field. His principal practice areas encompass wills, estate and business succession planning, capacity and mental health issues, powers of attorney, enduring guardian appointments, probate and estate administration, contested estate litigation, and equity and trusts. Gerard acts as an expert witness in Succession Law contested Court matters and also acts as a tutor and Court appointed administrator in contested Court matters as well as a Court appointed trustee for sale. He regularly presents and chairs seminars in succession law and trusts law. He has been a guest lecturer at the College of Law in the Master of Applied Law, Wills and Estate course. Since 2015, Doyle’s Guide has recognised Gerard as a leading wills, estates & succession planning lawyer and a leading wills & estates litigation lawyer.  Best Lawyers since 2025 have recognised Gerard in the area of trusts and estates. Gerard is undertaking, on a part-time basis, a PhD on the scope of inheritance law in modern Australia.

Katelin Whitley, Principal, Bestic Law
Katelin Whitley is the principal of Bestic Law located in Sydney and the Hunter Valley and practices primarily in succession, trust, and property law matters. She was admitted to practice in 2001 and was recognised by the NSW Law Society as an Accredited Wills and Estates Specialist in 2011 and as an Accredited Property Law Specialist in 2021. She works on both simple and high-level estate planning and acts on estate administrations including for large and complex estates. She has considerable experience advising and acting on contested estate litigation including lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence cases, family provision claims, construction of will litigation, and application of the Forfeiture Act. Katelin has represented estates, applicants, and beneficiaries. Katelin has completed her Master of Laws at the University of Sydney and Master of Forensic Mental Health in the UNSW School of Psychiatry. She has been lecturing in the College of Law Wills & Estates Master of Applied Law program since 2017, is a member of the Law Society NSW Property Law Committee, and was a member of the Law Society NSW Accredited Wills & Estates Specialists Committee from 2012 to 2022. Katelin is also a Notary Public.

Marie Brownell, Director, Estate Planning and Administration, NSW Trustee and Guardian
Marie was admitted as a solicitor in 2004 and became an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates law in 2009. She has worked exclusively in administering and advising clients on estates and trusts matters including duties, rights and responsibilities of executors, trustees and beneficiaries. She has worked directly with brokers, financial planners, accountants and individuals in providing expert, tailored advice on all aspects of estate planning and estate and trust matters. Marie is currently the Director of Estate Planning and Administration at NSW Trustee and Guardian and is responsible for the delivery of estate planning, estate administration, trust administration and attorney services. Marie is also an adjunct lecturer for the College of Law in the Applied Masters of Laws (Wills and Estates) program.

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.

Ankit Sharma, Partner, Private Business & Family Advisory, Pitcher Partners
Ankit is a longstanding member of the Pitcher Partners family, having been with the firm since 2008. He takes a holistic approach to delivering on client’s need, balancing technical expertise, simplicity and commerciality. With a client portfolio that includes executives, investors, professional services partners, high-net-worth groups, and family offices, Ankit has the expertise to navigate diverse financial requirements including assisting clients with both their operating business and their personal investments. Ankit’s curiosity drives him to explore beyond the surface of taxation and accounting requirements, allowing him to add value to his clients and support their future aspirations including succession planning and tax-efficiently protecting clients’ wealth for the next generation and beyond. Importantly, he understands the importance of collaborating with other advisors to achieve client’s long-term financial objectives. Ankit has completed his Collaborative Practice training in Family Law and Estate Planning utilising his professional skillsets to help families resolve their differences without ending up in court using the Collaborative Practice framework and structured resolution pathways.