This comprehensive practical guide to critical conveyancing issues will take you through 8 important conveyancing issues, providing real world advice to handling tricky legal issues and legislative reform. Be on top of the latest developments and strategies in the most essential areas of conveyancing: Strata title, AML, purchasing through trusts, SMSFs & corporations. Plus, develop a toolkit for navigating distressed transactions and disputes when they arise.

Presenters

Mr. Ian McKnight, Special Counsel, Pobi Lawyers
Ian McKnight is a Practice Group leader and widely regarded as a doyen of strata law in New South Wales. His standing has been earned over the course of a 43 year career bestriding property law and strata management. Unique amongst property lawyers, Ian is a genuine specialist. Strata and community title law is not a part time pursuit, it forms the core of his day-to-day legal practice. He brings firsthand experience of the strata challenges to his advice from his time as a director of a corporate strata management firm. A sought after keynote speaker, Ian provides regular education sessions to the Real Estate Institute of Australia and on occasion to Strata Community Australia. He publishes widely on the subject of strata law. Ian counts among his clients strata managing agents, owners corporations, developers, building managers, property professionals, real estate investors and regulators.


Mr. Denis Barlin, Barrister, Thirteen Wentworth Selborne
With a particular focus on the SME market, Denis Barlin advises on all aspects of revenue laws, including income tax, CGT, GST and State taxes generally - including stamp duties and land tax. As well as taxation, Denis provides advice on trust law matters generally and superannuation. Denis is a regular speaker for professional associations including the TIA and has been a regular contributor to a number of professional journals.


Sian Jones, Special Counsel, Colin Biggers & Paisley
A special counsel in the property and development team since 2017, Sian has extensive experience in commercial litigation, primarily in the area of property litigation, disputes and advisory. As an experienced litigator, Sian has been involved in resolving disputes using alternative dispute resolution procedures. Sian acts for property developers and throughout her career has acted for a variety of clients, including insolvency practitioners, directors, and authorised representatives, on litigated matters in the areas of contracts, easement disputes, caveat disputes, option disputes, trade practices, shareholder disputes, corporate and commercial, and professional negligence. Sian has been a committee member for the Urban Development Institute of Australia Seniors Living and Alternative Housing since 2021. In addition to her Bachelor of Laws, Sian holds a Master of Law and Legal Practice from the University of Technology Sydney. Sian was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in April 2006, the Federal Court and High Court of Australia.


Neil Jeans, Partner - Risk Consulting, Grant Thornton
Neil has a unique background in financial crime risk management spanning almost 30 years, including working at senior levels managing AML/CTF, Sanctions and Anti-Bribery compliance across Europe, the US, Latin America, Asia, and Australia within two major global investment banks, one European financial services company, and a major Australian bank. He has also worked within law enforcement agencies investigating financial crime and money laundering, and as a financial services regulator developing AML/CTF regulation and AML/CTF regulatory supervision techniques.Neil has been providing specialist AML/CTF consultancy services since 2012, including giving advice and support to businesses subject to AML/CTF regulation, developing and delivering ML/TF risk assessments and AML/CTF programs, undertaking independent reviews of the adequacy of AML/CTF compliance and the supporting systems and controls, and providing advisory services in relation to regulatory compliance and regulatory enforcement activity. As well as supporting businesses in achieving and maintaining AML/CTF compliance, Neil has supported businesses in responding to formal AUSTRAC investigations, has acted as an AUSTRAC authorised external auditor, has acted as an expert witness in AML/CTF enforcement actions, and has undertaken reviews to confirm the completion of AML/CTF remediation activity.


Mr. Joshua Knackstredt, Barrister, Greenway Chambers
Joshua Knackstredt was called to the Bar in 2007. He specialises in providing high-quality advocacy and advice to a broad range of clients in litigious matters involving commercial/ equity, corporations, real property/ construction and insolvency/ bankruptcy law. He has appeared both led and unled in the NSW Supreme Court, NSW Court of Appeal and Full Federal Court, as well as in other courts both in NSW and interstate, and in various statutory tribunals. Joshua graduated from Macquarie University with First Class Honours in Law in 2005 and since then has completed a Master of Laws at the University of Sydney. Prior to being called to the Bar, Joshua worked as Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice R P Austin of the Supreme Court, following which he was employed as a solicitor at Clayton Utz.


Mr. Michael Connor, Barrister, Greenway Chambers
Michael Connor is a Sydney-based barrister who accepts briefs in all areas of the law. His areas of expertise include commercial law and equity, corporations law, insolvency law, intellectual property, building and construction law, coronial inquests and property law. His clients include major banks, insurers, insolvency practitioners, small-to-medium enterprises and ASX-listed companies. Michael takes a strategic approach to resolving disputes and works closely with instructing solicitors, experts and clients to forensically analyse and resolve complex issues. He has appeared both led and unled in many jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of NSW and the Federal Court of Australia. Michael understands the challenges that face solicitors and clients, and enjoys working collaboratively with dedicated professionals to achieve the best commercial outcome for clients. He has a reputation as a precise advocate, and is well regarded for his commercial approach and meticulous understanding of the factual and legal issues in each matter. Michael was called to the bar in 2018, after working for eight years as a solicitor at DibbsBarker and Gadens, and as a Senior Associate in MacPherson Kelly’s commercial litigation team. Outside of chambers, Michael enjoys racing motorcycles, long distance running and water sports, including surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and sailing. He is also passionate about the arts.


Gavin Stuart, Partner, Bartier Perry
Gavin is head of Bartier Perry’s Dispute Resolution & Advisory team and has over 25 years’ legal experience focusing on commercial disputes, litigation and dispute resolution. He has a wealth of experience conducting proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW, the Federal Court of Australia as well as specialist tribunals. He helps his clients avoid the litigation treadmill where he can and instead, prefers to solve their disputes through strategies designed to shorten exposure to litigation such as negotiation or mediation. An area of interest for Gavin is helping his clients extricate themselves from broken partnership, shareholder and joint venture relationships and seeing them to a position where they can get on with their next opportunity. Gavin is also interested in the convergence of the law and digital technologies, including social media. He regularly advises online businesses and specialises in helping clients get better outcomes in disputes involving unlawful online conduct, copyright and confidential information. He also enjoys working with clients involved with commercialisation of technology. Gavin has been involved in cross border disputes involving jurisdictions such as England, New Zealand, India, and the USA. He also has experience with institutional and ad hoc international arbitrations.


Mr. Gary Newton, Partner, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Gary Newton is a partner in the Property and Development Group of HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. He has been practising in the area of property law since 1983, providing advice on a wide range of matters to business, government and individuals. Gary has been an Accredited Specialist in Property Law since 1994. Gary is a long standing member of the Property Law Committee of the Law Society of NSW. Gary is the co-author of "Land Acquisition" 7th edition by Gary Newton and Christopher Conolly and "Real Property Law Case Summaries" Newton’s 4th edition and the co-author and the co-editor of the LexisNexis Butterworths NSW Conveyancing Service (loose-leaf). He is also sole author and editor of the book ‘Annotated Conveyancing & Real Property Legislation in NSW’ 2022-203. Gary has been listed again in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers and Doyles Guide for Leasing Law and for Real Property Law.


Mr. Rani Narulla, Special Counsel, Baker & McKenzie
Rani Narulla is a special counsel with over ten years experience in dispute resolution and commercial litigation, with a particular focus on property disputes. Rani serves as a leader for gender equality within the Firm. Recently, Rani has been advising property clients on issues arising from the legal and commercial challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for retail or other commercial leases. In her usual practice, Rani advises a range of clients on leasing issues, most commonly breaches such as failure to pay rent or outgoings or trade, rights to terminate, make good issues and problems arising from incorrect exercise of options or delivery of other notices. Rani also advises on issues arising from negotiations or performance of a contract for sale, including drafting termination notices. She has a breadth of experience in general commercial and property litigation matters in state and federal jurisdictions within Australia, including claims for negligence, breach of lease, licence or contract, misleading conduct, in equity and under statute, in connection with disputes arising in fields such as property, technology, financial and professional services.


Diane Skapinker, Principal, Skapinker Law
Principal, Skapinker Law is Principal at Skapinker Law and previously a consultant at Ashurst. Diane practices in all aspects of property law, including property developments, strata and community titling, acquisitions, disposals and leasing and has particular expertise in the property aspects of telecommunications, data centre and infrastructure projects. Diane was formerly an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Sydney lecturing in Real Property, Conveyancing and Equity, and since 2009 has been a member of the NSW Law Society’s Property Law Committee and a member of the subcommittee responsible for drafting the NSW standard form contract for the sale and purchase of land. Diane is recognised as a real estate practitioner by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers Australia.


Lexia Wilson, Principal Lawyer, Lexia Wilson Lawyers
Lexia Wilson is a real estate lawyer based in Sydney. She has expertise in real estate, climate change, stamp duty, GST and real estate finance. Lexia acts for both Australian and international participants in the real estate sector, advising on a wide range of commercial, residential, industrial and retail transactions including sales, acquisitions, developments, joint ventures, leasing and real estate investment trusts. She is a former national director of the Property Council of Australia, the industry's peak association and a current member of the Property Council's NSW Industrial Committee. She is very active in industry education and regularly lectures on a variety of real estate topics for property associations and clients.