Ten CPD units. One focused day. No last-minute scramble. Complete your annual CPD requirements before 31 March while gaining practical guidance on the issues that will shape everyday legal practice in 2027. Throughout this intensive program you will gain timely developments, practical strategies and expert insights across family law, property, estates and succession, cybercrime and client fraud, retainer risk, negotiation and mediation, privacy, data and AI, commercial contracts, non-compete reform and the Harman undertaking plus more. Attend the full day to earn all 10 CPD units, including your mandatory units in Ethics, Professional Skills, and Practice Management. Strengthen your advice, identify emerging risks and put your learning into action with confidence. Attend the whole day or just the sessions you need.

Presenters

Stephen Hartwell, Barrister-at-Law, Lilley Chambers
Stephen Hartwell was admitted as a solicitor in 1990 and was called to the Bar in July 2016. Stephen has been a member of the Queensland Courts panel of cost assessors since its inception in 2007 and prior to that was on the Solicitors Complaints Tribunal panel of cost assessors. Stephen has published many papers on the law of costs and ethical issues arising out of billing and is a regular speaker on those topics. Beyond the law of costs, Stephen has conducted a broad practice covering family law and domestic violence, criminal law, civil and commercial litigation, succession and professional discipline. Since coming to the bar in 2016, Stephen has expanded his practice in family law at both trial and appellate level. Notably, Stephen appeared as sole Counsel (unled) in the following reported cases appellate cases: Yein & Zihao (2019) FLC ∂93-889; Beckham & Quarrington (2019) FLC ∂93-913; Weng & Wah and Ors (2019) FLC ∂93-933; and Allen v Ruddy Tomlins & Baxter [2019] 1 QR 225. Stephen is a member of Hemmant’s List.

Melanie Quixley, Principal, Insurance & Health, Barry Nilsson
Melanie is a principal in Barry Nilsson Lawyers’ Insurance & Health team and is based in the Brisbane office. Since joining Barry Nilsson in 2003, she has developed a practice in the areas of general liability and professional indemnity acting for local and overseas insurers, and directly for large corporate entities. Melanie is consistently listed in the Best Lawyers for Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation and Doyles Guide for Public and Product Liability and Professional Indemnity. She was also the exclusive winner of the 2018 and 2021 Client Choice Award for Insurance in Australia which recognises solicitors from around the world for the level of client care they provide and the quality of their service.

Peter Roney KC, Callinan Chambers
Peter Roney KC, Callinan Chambers Peter Roney's professional practice has been both broad and focused. He mainly practices as Kings Counsel in commercial litigation but has been included for the past decade in Doyle’s guide as one of the top 4 leading Queensland King’s Counsel the areas of employment, industrial relations and workplace safety matters in Queensland. He is a Committee member Law Council of Australia Insolvency and Restructuring Committee Qld. He has represented the Qld Bar on the Law Council of Australia's Equal Opportunity Committee for more than 5 years. He has specialised in advocacy in commercial litigation, corporate management, body corporate and community management litigation, employment, industrial relations and workplace safety , mining, coal seam gas related litigation, Coronial Inquiries and Inquests particularly involving management system failures mechanical and engineering failures, major building and construction and engineering disputes, Peter has acted for and advised clients operating in the coal, gas petroleum and metallurgical industries, including Ministers. He sits and has sat as a member of both the Queensland and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunals particularly in the Human Rights division.

Leeann Murphy, Special Counsel, Cooper Grace Ward
Leeann Murphy practices exclusively in family and relationship law and advises clients on both matrimonial and de facto property settlements. Her experience includes advising on alternative dispute resolution (including collaborative law), child-related matters, spousal maintenance and binding financial agreements. Leeann holds qualifications in Laws and International Business from Griffith University.


Brett Heath, In-House Advocate, Carter Newell Lawyers
Brett Heath is an inhouse advocate at Carter Newell Lawyers and has specialised in commercial and insurance litigation since 1988. Having worked inhouse for a specialist professional liability insurer, and completed the Bar Practice Course, Brett now conducts professional liability, large-scale public liability, director’s and officers’ liability, construction and employment litigation. As Carter Newell’s inhouse advocate, Brett appears in all courts and tribunals for the firm’s clients. Brett is a regular speaker on continuing professional development issues, particularly with respect to risk prevention for professionals, developments in insurance and real estate law, commercial drafting techniques and mediation and litigation strategies.


Stephen Hughes, Practice Leader, Longton Blackwell
Stephen Hughes, a QLS accredited specialist, is a workplace relations and personal injuries lawyer with over 30 years' experience. Stephen's practice to date has a substantial litigation focus in State and Federal courts and Commissions. Stephen is regularly invited to speak and chair at numerous specialist conferences on work health and safety, employment law, discrimination, bullying, harassment, social media and personal injuries law. Since 1993, Stephen has been the Honorary Solicitor and an ex officio Board Member for the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors Inc. In 2021 Stephen was awarded an ASORC Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his many decades of service.

Nicole Murdoch, Founding Principal and Director, EAGLEGATE
Nicole Murdoch is the Founder of EAGLEGATE, a law firm specialising in corporate law, litigation, intellectual property, technology law, and cybercrime. She advises businesses, founders, and investors on complex cross-border legal issues, with a particular focus on the protection, commercialisation, and enforcement of intellectual property in international markets. Nicole has extensive experience assisting clients with international IP strategy, cross-border transactions, and IP due diligence in global commercial deals. Her work frequently involves advising on the legal and practical risks associated with operating across multiple jurisdictions, including licensing, acquisitions of IP assets, and protecting technology and brands internationally. At this LegalWise seminar, Nicole will discuss the realities of international business and intellectual property law, including practical guidance on conducting due diligence in international IP transactions, managing jurisdictional risks, and lessons learned from real-world matters and “war stories” from cross-border disputes and transactions. Her approach focuses on practical strategies that businesses and advisers can use to protect and leverage intellectual property globally.

Neil McGregor, Barrister, Brisbane Chambers
As a highly experienced barrister in Brisbane, Neil McGregor appreciates the challenge of family law trial work and advocacy. Neil was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand in 1974 before moving to Australia. In Queensland, he was admitted as a solicitor in 1980, and then a barrister in 1984. He is a nationally accredited Mediator and an Arbitrator under s.10M of the Family Law Act 1975. Whilst specialising predominantly in the field of Family Law for more than 25 years, Neil's career includes a wide range of disciplines including drawing Wills and contracts; conveyancing and complex commercial transactions; criminal work (trial and appellate); personal injuries; and civil, commercial and property litigation. Throughout his career, Neil has contributed to a number of publications such as Butterworth's Court Forms and Pleadings Queensland, and was a reporter for the Queensland Reports. He regularly presents and speaks at specialist legal conferences and seminars on the many facets that make up Family Law.

Peter Travis, Commercial Barrister and Mediator, Gibbs Chambers and Hemmant’s List
Peter Travis is a commercial barrister at Gibbs Chambers and Hemmant’s List, specialising in banking and finance litigation and financial services regulatory enforcement. He has practised at the Queensland Bar since 2008 and appears in the trial and appellate courts across Australia. Peter advises on regulatory compliance issues, especially in the financial services industry, and represents parties during regulatory examinations and enforcement proceedings, including civil penalty litigation. His commercial practice focuses on contested securities enforcement, commonly involving allegations of unfair contract terms, unconscionable conduct, contractual penalties and accessorial liability. Peter is an accredited mediator (AMDRAS) who mediates a broad range of commercial and civil disputes nationally. He is also a California attorney who practised as a trial attorney in Los Angeles representing media clients in complex First Amendment, intellectual property and commercial litigation. Peter studied law at the University of Queensland, where he took the University Medal for Law.

Simon LaBlack, Legal Practitioner Director, LaBlack Lawyers
Simon practises exclusively in Property Law in Queensland. In 2017, he became one of now 25 Accredited Specialists in Queensland Property Law. Simon assists organisations and private clients in all property law related matters including property acquisitions and disposals, commercial property matters including leases, developments, transactions and disputes, subdivisions and compulsory acquisition matters. Simon is a member of the Queensland Law Society Property Law Specialist Accreditation Advisory Committee, he is a member of the PEXA Member Advisory Council, he acts as a Court-Appointed Statutory Trustee for Sale and as a specialist consultant to the profession and he is a contributing author for LexisNexis in their practical guidance materials.

Peter Mills, Consulting Principal, Keypoint Law
Peter is a Principal Consultant with Keypoint Law, and regularly presents seminars to lawyers and industry bodies. Peter is a recognized expert in the Personal Property Securities Act (2009) and its interaction with other laws and registers, including insolvency under the Corporations Act (Cth). For the last 15 years Peter has focused his practice on personal property securities (PPS), creditor recoveries and insolvency. Peter advises controllers (voluntary administrators and liquidators), trade creditors, accountants, small and medium-sized enterprises, subsidiaries of local and overseas companies and other law firms. Peter is currently the vice president (Queensland division) of the Australian Institute of Credit Management (AICM), a member of Queensland Law Society's Banking and Financial Services Law Committee, a working group member of the United Kingdom Secured Transactions Law Reform Project and a member of the PPS Registrar's Users Forum. In 2010 Peter received an AICM national award for services in relation to PPS and in 2013 he received the inaugural AICM Marion Hintz award.


Rebecca Edwards, Special Counsel, Cooper Grace Ward
Rebecca is a Wills and Estates lawyer at Cooper Grace Ward, with over 15 years’ experience. She has a keen interest in estate disputes, estate administration and superannuation, including self-managed superannuation funds and succession matters and is a member of the SMSF Association’s Professional Standards Committee. Rebecca also has significant experience assisting clients in matters involving elder law. She is also able to assist clients in matters involving Enduring Powers of Attorney, capacity, Guardianship and Administration, and elder abuse. She is a member of the Queensland Law Society’s Elder Law Committee. In addition, Rebecca spent a decade working in aged care and retirement villages before entering the legal profession. That experience, combined with her legal practice experience, is invaluable in assisting clients and their family with issues involving succession.


Mitchell Downes, Barrister, Level 10, Inns of Court
Mitchell Downes has a busy court-work commercial litigation practice in the Federal, Supreme, and District Courts, particularly in matters concerning insolvency, commercial equity and trusts, property (including bodies corporate and strata), corporations, commercial torts (including statutory misrepresentation). He has successfully appeared unled in appeals. He also accepts briefs to act as a mediator. He was admitted in 2010 and called to bar in 2021.