Here it is! Welcome back! By popular demand, we have top-notch experts ready to share the latest updates right here on the stunning Gold Coast. Our program is designed to keep you up-to-date in essential practice areas, ensuring you meet all your CPD requirements, including the mandatory units, in a single day. Join us for a day of convenience and 12 knowledge-packed sessions – it's going to be an outstanding day! 

Presenters

Ms. Jennifer Sheean, Barrister-at-law, Nationally Accredited Mediator
Jennifer was admitted in 1992 as a solicitor in the New South Wales Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. In 1991 and 1992, she was Associate to the late Mr Justice R.P. Meagher of the New South Wales Court of Appeal. After moving back to Brisbane in 1997, she was in general practice as a solicitor before joining the College of Law as a Lecturer in 2006. Jennifer was called to the Queensland Bar in 2011. Jennifer is a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), current chair of the STEP Australia Policy and Advocacy Committee, a past member of the QLD STEP Committee, a past Board Member of STEP Australia and is the Chair of the Appeals Panel of Virginia Golf Club, Brisbane. In 2017, she undertook the Advanced Certificate in Cross Border Estates course through STEP and received a distinction. Jennifer is also a sessional member at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) sitting primarily in the Human Rights Division. She is a NMAS accredited mediator. She is able to provide advice, draft documents, and appear in Courts and Tribunals (excluding QCAT) and at mediations and conferences as well as conduct mediations.


Mr. Stephen Hartwell, Barrister, 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.


Ms. Melanie Thorley, Director, MJT Law
After graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) I then completed my Masters of Law (LLM) with Queensland University of Technology. In 2014 I opened MJT Law that is thriving today. I have a number of interests including bike riding and beekeeping. I have two cats, two dogs and four native Australian beehives. My dogs come to the office each day and my cats visit from time to time. Their favourite activity is playing fetch and riding with me on my bicycle. Like most New Zealander’s, I love being outdoors and when my husband I go canoeing we bring our dogs along for the ride. I have lived in 11 countries and visited many more, I believe in the right to have proper legal representation and have incorporated this view into MJT Law through our pro bono work. Our pro bono practice saw hundreds of clients and gave away over $100,000 of free legal advice in 2018/2019.


Ms. Hayley Mitchell, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward
Hayley Mitchell is a Wills and estates specialist lawyer in Brisbane. Hayley has dual accreditation in succession law (Queensland) and self managed superannuation funds (through the SMSF Association). Hayley can provide advice and assistance to clients in a range of matters including estate planning, Wills, enduring powers of attorney and superannuation binding death benefit nominations, advice to executors and beneficiaries of estates and SMSF disputes and superannuation death benefit disputes.


Mr. Alex Nelson, Barrister-at-Law, Gibbs Chambers
Alex Nelson was first admitted to practice as a lawyer in New South Wales in 1998. He was enrolled as a Solicitor in Queensland in 1999 and called to the Bar in March 2010. Alex’s first role as an Army Lawyer where he got the opportunity to prosecute and defend courts martial. After resigning his full time commission, he continued as an Army Reserve Legal Officer for several years while he worked as a solicitor in commercial law before establishing his own law firm in Townsville where he, and several employed solicitors undertook family law, criminal law and commercial litigation. After 8 years he was called to the bar, commencing practice in Brisbane in 2010. The highlight of Alex’s work in criminal law has been acquittal for both murder and manslaughter. He has had more acquittals in sex crime and serious assaults than he cares to count and has enjoyed some great successes in the Court of Appeal. His work in criminal law jury trials enhances his other major area of practice which is defamation law where the right to a jury is maintained.


Senior Judicial Registrar Ann-Maree McDiarmid, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
Prior to her appointment as a Senior Judicial Registrar, Ann-Maree was a highly experienced Barrister and nationally accredited mediator who specialized in family law.  She is also a qualified arbitrator.  She acted in a wide range of complex family law disputes, including appellate work. Ann-Maree is an experienced decision maker, having held appointments as a member of various tribunals.  She enjoys academic writing and is a frequent presenter at legal conferences. In the early years, Ann-Maree conducted a general practice and prior to admission to the Bar she worked as Associate to a Supreme Court Judge.


Mr. Anand Shah, Barrister, Brisbane Chambers
Anand Shah joined the Queensland Bar over 20 years ago after practising as a solicitor for eleven years. Anand’s practice areas include commercial litigation, administrative law, wills & estates, defamation, and human rights. Anand has appeared as counsel in the High Court, the Queensland Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, as trial counsel in all State Courts, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and many Tribunals (including QCAT). Anand has acted as a mediator in a variety of disputes including wills & estates, contract, professional negligence, insolvency and personal injuries. Anand has been elected by the Queensland Bar, on many occasions, to serve on its Bar Council (the Bar's peak executive body). Anand is a Past President of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) (Qld Branch). AALA promotes and encourages cultural diversity within the legal profession. Anand is a past chair of QUT’s Learning Potential Fund. That fund supports socio-economically disadvantaged students across all QUT faculties. Anand sits on the Qld Chapter Committee of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law. Anand has co-authored Personal Injuries Litigation Queensland (LexisNexis) for over 25 years. Anand tries to enjoy many things outside of the law : road trips with his wife, music, art, reading (particularly fiction and cookbooks), picnicking, catching up with friends, watching classic cinema and just chilling.


Ms. Carla Parsons, Director, Parsons Law
Carla Parsons is the founder and Legal Practitioner Director of Parsons Law Pty Ltd and is one of only 43 Accredited Specialists in Succession Law in Queensland. She has extensive experience in all areas of Estate Planning, deceased estate and trust administration and Estate Litigation. Carla has been recognised since 2017 in Doyles Guide as a Leading Lawyer in respect to her practice in Wills, Estate & Succession Planning and in Estate Litigation in Queensland. Carla has been recognised since 2020 in Best Lawyers and has further been named in Best Lawyers as the “2021 Lawyer of the Year” for her work in respect to Trusts and Estates, Brisbane and “2022 Lawyer of the Year” in respect to her Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice, Brisbane. She is a regular speaker and presenter and a current member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Queensland).


Mr. 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.


Dr. Adrian McCullagh, Principal, ODMOB Lawyers
Adrian has degrees in Computer Science and Law as well as a Ph.D. in IT Security. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Information Security Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology. He has been practicing in IT law for more than 30 years being one of the pioneer IT lawyers within Australia. He is a member of the Queensland Law Society and a member of the American Bar Association and participate in the Information Security Forum. In 1999 he was the QUT Faculty of Information Technology Alumnus of the year. Even though in private practice he continues to undertake research matters with academics at the Griffith University and the University of Queensland and has published in a wide variety of academic journals in the USA, UK and Australia. He is a member of the Intellectual Property and Information Technology Committee for the Queensland Law Society. Adrian’s current research interests include Telecoms security, IT security, IT governance, cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and its uses in supply chain management, Decentralised Autonomous Organisations and Identity Management. He is also investigating the impact of autonomous vehicles and machine learning and their policy considerations.