Presenters

The Hon. Justice Michael Slattery AM AM (Mil) RAN
The Hon. Justice Michael Slattery was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in its Equity Division in May 2009. His Honour had practised at the New South Wales Bar for 31 years in all fields of law but principally in commercial law and equity. He was President of the New South Wales Bar Association from November 2005 to November 2007. His Honour was a judicial member of the NSW Legal Profession Admission Board between 2009 and 2014 and the Board’s presiding member from 2011. His Honour also served as a legal officer in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve between 1990 and 2024, both within Australia and on overseas deployments. After appointment to the Bench his Honour held statutory ADF appointments as Deputy Judge Advocate General – Navy between 2010 and 2014 and as Judge Advocate General of the Australian Defence Force between 2014 and 2021. His Honour is a trustee of the Indigenous Barristers Trust – the Mum Shirl Fund, a charity established by the NSW Bar Association to give First Nations law students financial and mentoring support to complete their studies and become advocates. In 2022 His Honour was appointed the Supreme Court’s Judge in Admiralty and since 2023 has also served as one of the Court’s Judges in Probate. His Honour was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the Military Division in 2019 and in the General Division in 2021.


Tony Ross, Barrister, 13 Wentworth Chambers
Prior to coming to the Bar, Tony served in the Australian Defence Force for 16 years, predominantly as an Army Officer. He is now in the active reserves. In 2022, Tony was Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice M.J. Slattery AM AM (Mil) RAN of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Equity Division). Tony's first brief at the Bar was acting for an Administrator in complex estate litigation (led by JEF Brown) and he continues to practice (and maintains a keen interest) in this area of the law.

Paul Evans, Special Counsel, Bridges Lawyers
Paul has over 30 years’ experience in Estate Litigation, Estate Administration and Complex Estate Planning with Testamentary Trusts (Discretionary, Life Estates and Special Disability). He also advises charities on issues arising with ‘Gifts in Wills’. He worked in London for 10 years assisting high net worth clients with their estate planning to mitigate Inheritance tax. He is regularly appointed by the NSW Supreme Court as an independent administrator of estates in dispute. Paul has been an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates Law since 2004. He is a full member of STEP. He is also listed as pre-eminent in the Doyles Guide NSW List for Wills & Estates Succession Planning Lawyers.