Challenges in liquor and gaming compliance are top of mind given recent high profile matters. Join a power packed session on liquor and gaming law and be guided through effectively managing risks, compliance and enforcement issues. Examine concerns when buying or selling licensed premises. Gain valuable expertise on compliance approaches to responsible alcohol investigations. Plus, enhance your understanding of the approval process and development applications of both liquor and gaming licences.

Presenters

Mr. Nicolas Zervos, Principal, Zervos Lawyers
With over 40 years experience in the industry, Nicolas specialises in all areas of commercial and hospitality law. He oversees the practice, guiding a team renowned for their client service and expertise. Nicolas is highly respected and has been actively involved in the Hospitality industry for many years. He has been a former Melbourne City Councillor and Assistant Commissioner to the Liquor Licensing Commission and director of the Hellenic Museum. Nicolas' success is underpinned by an innate understanding and appreciation of clients' needs and desired outcomes through establishing and maintaining strong client relationships.


Mr. Tony Hatzis, Solicitor Director, Hatzis Cusack Lawyers
Tony Hatzis has practised continuously for more than 25 years. Until Tony and Grant Cusack formed Hatzis Cusack in 2012, Tony enjoyed an outstanding career as a specialist barrister in the field of liquor licensing and gaming law. He has delivered many seminars on liquor and gaming law. Tony has appeared in many test cases involving liquor, gaming and security industry laws. For example, Tony appeared for the successful tenants in the "Jabetin" litigation, which settled the ownership of gaming machine entitlement rights. He also acted for Blacktown Workers Club, in their successful test case against the Department of Health, over that Club's smoking/gaming room. Tony has acted for hotels, clubs, liquor stores and security industry operatives in defending scores of prosecutions under the liquor, gaming and security industry legislation. Tony is the current national liquor law contributor to the Concise Australian Legal Dictionary and is the liquor law editor of Thomson Reuters' Building Law Service (NSW). Tony has a passion for staying close to political and legislative developments in his field of specialty. As an advisor to the Australian Hotels Association (NSW), he has forcefully represented the interests of the industry in consultations with Government. Before being called to the Bar in 1999, Tony was the chief in-house lawyer for the Liquorland chain. In that role, he acted in a number of medium-to-large scale commercial property transactions involving the development, sale, purchase and leasing of licensed premises. Tony was trained in a major Sydney commercial law firm. At a young age he became a partner in a medium-sized commercial law firm.


Ms. Danielle Huntersmith, Chairperson and Commissioner, Victorian Liquor Commission
Former commissioner of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, Ms Huntersmith has over 25 years of experience as a barrister. She is also a member of the National Sports Tribunal and a nationally accredited and advanced mediator at the Victorian Bar. Danielle has also been a director of the Skin Health Institute and chair of their governance committee and is currently a director of Cosmetic Dermatologists Education Inc. She was a panel member of the Liquor Licence Panel, sat on the Federal Government’s National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, was Vice Chair of the Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators Australia (Vic) as well as the Deputy Chair of the ADR Committee of the Victorian Bar


Ms. Madeleine Lee, Associate, Zervos Lawyers
Joining Zervos Lawyers in 2010, Madeleine has developed extensive experience in all aspects of commercial law with a particular emphasis on the hospitality industry with a focus on liquor licensing, gaming, property law and litigation. Madeleine is the go-to lawyer for sales and purchases of licensed businesses and negotiation of commercial and retail leasing. Madeleine's strong relationships with clients and third parties is an essential element for client success. Madeleine is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria's Liquor, Gaming & Hospitality Law Committee.


Mr. Leigh Barrett, Managing Director and Principal Consultant, Leigh Barrett and Associates
LBA provides a broad range of hospitality compliance services for clubs and hotels across most Australian jurisdictions. With a 25-year background in the gambling landscape, Leigh is one of very few who has seen gambling compliance issues from community, research, regulatory and industry perspectives. Leigh has participated on numerous jurisdictional ministerial advisory and industry expert committees on gambling regulation and compliance and is a past-President of the National Association for Gambling Studies. He also gives expert testimony at gaming application hearings and appeals and regulatory breach matters.


Ms. Louise Hicks, Barrister, Castan Chambers
Louise Hicks has over thirty years’ experience in the law, including over 10 years at the Bar following six years as a partner at DLA Piper. She regularly appears at the VGCCC and in the Supreme Court, at VCAT and before Ministerial Panels and Advisory Committees in gaming, major infrastructure projects and planning and environment matters for a wide range of corporate and government clients


Ms. Emily Marson, Senior Associate, Best Hooper Lawyers
Emily is a Senior Associate at Best Hooper Lawyers specialising in planning and environmental law. She regularly appears in proceedings in the Planning and Environment List at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal including applications involving licensed premises. Emily also acts on behalf of liquor licence holders in applications and matters before Liquor Control Victoria. Emily was recently named as ‘One to Watch’ by Australia’s Best Lawyers Awards 2024. Emily is a member of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Lawyer Association and the Law Institute of Victoria.