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.


Mr. Dan Johnston, Director, JHK Legal
Dan is a Legal Practitioner Director at JHK Legal and has over 10 years’ experience working and assisting clients in commercial litigation, debt recovery, insolvency and employment law contentious matters. Dan has worked with clients ranging from small to medium enterprises, blue chip clients, insolvency practitioners (both corporate and personal), bankrupts, mercantile agents, creditors, debtors, employees and employers. Dan has worked on numerous matters in both Federal and State Courts including (but not limited to) resisting claims made for and against Insolvency Practitioners, Australian Consumer Law claims, summary judgement and strike out applications, and appeals in the District and Supreme Court of Queensland. Dan has practised in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory and currently holds a practicing certificate in Queensland. Dan is also admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland and to the High Court of Australia.


Ms. Leanne O’Neill, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward
As a partner in Cooper Grace Ward’s property, planning and environment team, Leanne advises on all aspects of land access, management and use for developers, resources companies, government and agribusinesses. Leanne brings 20 years’ experience, including nine years as a solicitor representing the State of Queensland in negotiations and litigation. She held several senior legal roles in the Queensland Government and provided high level advice and representation in land management and resources sector law. Leanne advises developers on planning and development approvals and appeals under the Planning Act 2016, and compulsory acquisition and valuation law. She provides strategic advice and legal support to petroleum and resources companies on environmental, water, vegetation and biosecurity compliance, as well as native title and cultural heritage, and landholder access and compensation agreements. Leanne also advises agribusinesses and other major landholders on the diversification of land use and income streams, including environmental offsets, carbon sequestration, agistment, timber management, quarries and solar farms.


Rob Knowsley, Managing Director-Principal, Knowsley Management Services
Rob Knowsley has spent the 49-plus years since his admission as a lawyer in early 1975 working with growth-oriented legal practices in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He founded Knowsley Management Services (KMS) in early 1988. He is unashamedly passionate about assisting his fellow lawyers to build into their firms a strong ongoing capability to optimise their investments of money, education, experience and time, to produce proper profits, dramatically better profits than most assume possible. He is clear in his view that a profitable firm greatly increases options in terms of succession, a real problem for many partners in small-medium firms. Rob has a long track record of making vast improvements happen in relatively short periods of time in all manner of firms, and brings to his consultancy advice a wide experience from a range of legal roles, having practised as a Barrister and Solicitor, employed lawyer, partner and managing partner, sole practitioner, and in both private practice and Government. He has served on various State and Regional Law Society councils and committees, and Government committees, lectured and written widely on legal practice management, and is a skilled trainer and facilitator. Rob`s day to day contact with all manner of firms, especially those where he is retained on an annual basis as a practice coach, gives him a constantly updated flow of information about the changing practical problems the Legal Profession is facing. He has had significant consulting input into over 1385 legal firms, and greatly assisted his many thousands of seminar and workshop attendees. A significant part of every business day is spent advising lawyers by e-mail, by telephone, Zoom/Teams, or in person. Rob knows what`s needed, what`s possible, and exactly how to achieve it. His ground-breaking systems for planning and ensuring full utilisation of law firm human resources, developed originally in the late Eighties, have stood the test of time, being used to huge advantage in a multitude of firms to this day. Rob adheres fully to the Code of Ethics of the Institute of Management Consultants in Australia.


Mr. Michael Thomson, Barrister, Fullagar Chambers
Michael Thomson Michael Thomson practises as a barrister in Queensland, Australia and advises and appears in commercial litigation, property disputes, personal injury claims, family law matters, and employment law matters. He has appeared in both federal and state courts and provides advice for matters in both jurisdictions. In addition to court processes, Michael is also committed to alternative dispute resolution options including mediations and other forms of negotiated settlements. In mediations, he is experienced in both representing clients and conducting the session as the mediator. Michael is based in Brisbane City at Fullagar Chambers but is available to appear on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, other parts of Queensland, or via telephone or video link. Michael comes from a mixed cultural background and is equally proud of his Australian and Japanese heritages. Michael speaks both English and Japanese natively. He is interested in cultural diversity in the legal profession and society generally. Michael is a current committee member of the Queensland Branch of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association. He is also an active member of the Australia Japan Society Queensland. Michael studied journalism and arts before turning to law. He holds bachelor and master degrees in law and before being called to the Bar, gained experience in commercial dispute resolution and litigation as a solicitor at firms in Australia and the United Kingdom. Michael does not accept direct access briefs (i.e. instructions directly from clients). He only accepts briefs from solicitors.


Mr. John Williams, Director, Asset Reports
John is a Director of the Asset Reports group, he oversees all departments across Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. John joined Asset Reports in 2015. Before this, he worked for global companies such as Glencore, BHP, and IBM. John holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in accounting. His knowledge and experience in both areas help Asset Reports identify clients’ needs and provide them with the best products and service possible.


Mr. Robert Quirk, Barrister, Higgins Chambers
With over 25 years of experience across various legal domains, Robert Quirk has provided counsel to a diverse clientele, including major corporations, government departments, local governments, and individuals. His expertise spans contract, property, commercial, administrative law, environmental law, and appellate work. Additionally, Robert has extensive knowledge in criminal and enforcement matters related to these areas. He is also a Defence Force reservist.