Join your colleagues and keep up to date with the latest developments. In the morning, with workers compensation and public liability updates, explore the interaction of third party and work injury damages claims as set out in Section 151Z, address workplace sexual harassment to navigate personal injury and employment law intersections, plus master essential medical concepts. In the afternoon, obtain practical information that you can take back to work with you while ticking the ethics, professional skills and practice management mandatory boxes. 

Presenters

Mr. Michael McAuley, Barrister, Second Floor, Selborne Chambers
Michael McAuley has practised as a barrister since 1984. Prior to Michael’s admission to the Bar, he was Personal Assistant to the Deputy General Manager and Solicitor for the Government Insurance Office, and subsequently Commercial Lawyer. Following Michael’s admission to the Bar he has practised principally, but not exclusively, in personal injury law, including cases involving emergency worker posttraumatic stress disorder. Michael has also appeared from time to time in criminal matters and before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Michael appeared on behalf of the plaintiff in Day v Perisher Blue Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 110; [2005] 62 NSWLR 731, a major case on legal ethics. There, it was held that a pre-trial conference conducted by a legal practitioner acting on behalf of an insurer in which multiple witnesses attended and discussed amongst themselves the evidence which they intended to give at trial, seriously undermined the trial process, and was improper. Michael practices from Second Floor Selborne Chambers. Michael has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame Sydney.


Mr. Dominic Toomey SC, Barrister, Jack Shand Chambers
Dominic Toomey SC commenced practice as a barrister in 1999, having practised for 6 years before that as a solicitor. During that time he conducted cases in a variety of fields, including many major personal injury actions. He appears as counsel, both at trial and on appeal, in many areas of practice, including common law, contract, equity and crime. He specialises in tort law – including medical and other professional negligence, personal injury and death claims, and intentional torts – and in the fields of insurance and administrative law. Mr Toomey has appeared in many appeals as lead counsel, including in the High Court of Australia in the leading case on the power of arrest, State of New South Wales v Robinson [2019] HCA 46. He has been a councillor of the New South Wales Bar Association for 20 of his 24 years at the Bar, serving as Honorary Secretary of the Association for part of that period and for many years as a member of the Association’s Finance Investment and Audit Committee. He has also sat on the Common Law Committee. He presently chairs a Professional Conduct Committee, the Costs and Fees Committee, and is the Senior Vice President of the Association. Mr Toomey was appointed Senior Counsel in 2015. He appeared for the Respondent (Plaintiff) in Synergy Scaffolding Pty Ltd v Alelaimat and Anor [2023] NSWCA 213, and will be discussing the ramifications of that case in his paper at the conference.


Mr. David Weng, Principal Solicitor, Legal Heroes Lawyers
David is the Principal Solicitor of Legal Heroes Lawyers. David specialises solely in personal injury claims. David has represented both claimants and insurers. He now exclusively represents injured claimants. David graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Health Science and Nursing and worked as a nurse in various hospitals in Sydney before studying law. In 2013, David completed his Juris Doctor and was admitted as a Solicitor. In 2020, David was accredited as a specialist in personal injury law. David has run multiple cases in the Personal Injury Commission, District and Supreme Courts. David is a member of the Injury Compensation Committee of the NSW Law Society and has also contributed some articles to the Law Society Journal.


Ms. Roshana May, Lawyer, Consultant
Roshana has over 35 years experience in both private and public sector roles as a personal injury lawyer with a particular focus on the NSW statutory compensation schemes. Currently working as a consultant, her most recent public sector role was as Director, Policy Strategy and Support following three years as the Director ILARS at the Independent Review Office (IRO, formerly WIRO). She is a recognised subject matter expert in workers compensation law and practice. She has a keen interest in workers compensation policy formulation and has represented the legal profession in numerous reform and change processes in the NSW workers compensation and CTP insurance schemes. Roshana is a current member of the Injury Compensation and Costs Committees of the Law Society of NSW and a member of the Specialist Accreditation Committee in Personal Injury Law. She is the current NSW Director of the Australian Lawyers Alliance.


Mr Michael Barnes, Partner, Carroll & O’Dea
Michael’s depth of experience, ability to get to the heart of an issue and communication skills put him at the top of employment & industrial law and personal injury. Michael is recognised in the profession as a leading practitioner in these practice areas and is accredited by the NSW Law Society in employment & industrial law and personal injury. He has served on a variety of committees of the Law Society, including as part of the peer review process by which solicitors become accredited specialists in employment and industrial Law. He has been a partner at Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers since 2013 where he has a busy practice handling matters from a diversity of clients from all areas of New South Wales. Key Professional Achievements: Michael completed a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws in 1975 and 1977 (respectively) from the University of Sydney. He completed a Masters of Laws at Sydney University while working in legal practice.


Dr Richard Sekel, Occupational Medical Practitioner, IMMEX
Dr Richard Sekel is an occupational medical practitioner. He was on the NSW WorkCover Committee of the 1998 WIM Workers Compensation Act. He is a Fellow and Chair of the Education Committee of Australian Medicolegal College. He is an ABIME Certified Independent Medical Examiner, a Fellow of International Academy of Independent Medical Examiners, has a Diploma in Occupational Health, is on the Training Faculty of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners, and is on the Editorial Board of International Disability Journal. He is a peer reviewer of American Medical Association Publishing (Publishers of the AMA Impairment Guides). He is a NSW SIRA Authorised Health Practitioner.


Mr. David Miller, Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley
David Miller is a partner in the Disputes & Investigations team at Colin Biggers & Paisley. Widely experienced in asbestos-related matters, David is a regular speaker in Australia and overseas on indemnity and claims management issues. David is also experienced in corporate governance and risk management (including regulator actions involving the ACCC and various WorkCover authorities), Australian Consumer Law issues and commercial disputes. David was listed as a leading insurance lawyer by Best Lawyers in Australia. He has also been listed as a leading product liability lawyer since the 2017 edition. David sits on the Professional Conduct Committee and has chaired the Ethics Committee of the Law Society of NSW since 2022. David is also a member of the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Sydney-based Centre for Digestive Diseases.


Ms. Sue Chennell, Director, Shared Safety and Risk
Sue Chennell started professional life as a Physiotherapist and quickly moved into working with elite sports teams and professional athletes where maximising individual and team performance was always the goal. When sore thumbs drew her into injury prevention and ergonomics, Sue quickly saw that the workplace was not dissimilar to the sports field. Creating healthy and safe workspaces and people not only amplify human potential but also that of teams and organisations more broadly. Fast forward 17 years in the health and safety industry and as Director of the bespoke consultancy Shared Safety and Risk, Sue’s passions still lie in people. Observing, collaborating with and coaching individuals, teams and her clients to solve problems and integrate health and safety management into the day to day. Sue’s other passions are the ocean, the environment, taking the odd (calculated) risk and adventuring with her young family. As a skilled people manager, Sue has built an experienced, mature yet dynamic team of associate WHS consultants committed to Shared Safety Risk’s collaborative approach.


Dr Tim Channon, Consultant, Barry Nilsson Lawyers
Tim is a special counsel at Barry.Nilsson. with over 30 years’ experience specialising in litigating numerous insurance and general commercial disputes, including property damage and product liability, indemnity and recovery matters, arson and fraud. Tim has advised insurers on claims relating to cheque fraud and mortgage insurance across the entire sector from the construction, manufacturing and mining industries to the small business sector and householders. He has drafted household, motor vehicle, medical indemnity and lenders mortgage insurance policies for several insurers and acted in many complex commercial disputes, such as contractual, building and trade practices disputes.


Ms. Jane Campbell, Principal, Aeran Pty Ltd
Jane is a financial adviser (and former lawyer) who specialises in personal injury advice. Most of her clients have suffered very serious injuries and lack financial capacity. She has worked in the area of personal injury compensation since she was studying law/commerce at Uni more than 30 years ago. Jane is the Principal of Aeran Pty Ltd, an independent financial advice practice that is focused on the best interests of clients, not biased or compromised by conflicts of interest. Aeran was founded in order to ensure a client-first approach to advice, investments and service for vulnerable people. The business now has 21 staff and is steadily growing. Jane is a Certified Financial Planner and maintains her qualifications as a lawyer. She lives in Sydney with her husband and two sons.