Modules:

• Commercial

Biography:

Natalie Caton is the head of the Australian white-collar crime and investigations practice at DLA Piper and a leading regulatory and investigations expert with over 20 years’ experience working across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific Region. She specialises in reputational risk and ESG-related matters including Human Rights and Modern Slavery, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Sanctions and Money Laundering. She is also recognised as a trusted advisor to the boards and executive leadership teams of large national and multinational corporations on issues related to corporate reputation and risk management.

Awards and Recognition
Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 - Band 4 : White-Collar Crime & Corporate Investigations

Memberships
Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
Solicitor of the High Court of Australia
Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland

Biography:

Denise has specialised in commercial litigation since graduation. She has acted in a wide variety of commercial disputes, including trade practices claims, property and leasing disputes, building and construction litigation and in a range of issues associated with disputes with franchisees. Denise's practice also has a focus on security enforcement and debt recovery for lenders, from banks to private organisations.

Biography:

Tom has over 25 years’ experience in commercial litigation and insolvency and restructuring law, including 18 years at Minter Ellison, 2 years at a global law firm in New York, and most recently, as Head of Litigation at a boutique commercial firm.

Tom has acted on a range of matters for lenders, creditors, insolvency administrators and distressed companies. This has included acting for the receivers of a large agribusiness managed investment scheme business, the administrators of public company in the mining industry, advice to all the major Australian banks on recovery of loans and enforcement of securities and advice to a distressed hospitality group.

Tom is a regular commentator for LexisNexis on insolvency and restructuring law issues. Some recent examples include:

• Masterclass: The impending insolvency crisis and the impact on the legal profession, where Tom discusses insolvency and restructuring issues arising in the COVID-19 pandemic with Professor Pamela Hanrahan, lawyer, academic and author and John Winter, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association.
• Podcast: The new debt restructuring process—the road from appointment to implementation, where Tom discusses Australia’s new debt restructuring process with Michelle Wibisono, Practical Guidance Legal Writer - Corporations.

Contact

tom.read@lexisnexis.com.au

Modules:

• Immigration

Biography:

Anna is a registered migration agent with experience in immigration law in Australia, speaks three languages (English, Polish and Spanish) and has strong experience producing content for immigration related publications; co-authored, Juris publication, Australia - International Immigration and Nationality Law, co-authored, International Bar Association Conference Paper (Boston 2013) - Entrepreneurs and Investor Immigration Schemes Across the Asia Pacific Region, and a contributor, American Bar Association's publication 'International Labour and Employment Laws.'

Biography:

Recent transactions include:

• Acting for Blackgold International in relation to its Scheme of Arrangement involving Vibrant Group Limited in Singapore.
• Acting for the share vendors in relation to the sale of JRB Engineering and MRX Technologies to Siemens in Germany.
• Acting for BBX Minerals in relation to its successful defence against a takeover bid launched by Drake Private Investments.

Biography:

Martin Taylor is a commercial lawyer in the Commonwealth Australian Government team with 20 years' major projects experience.

Martin's experience includes advising government agencies and private sector clients on innovative and collaborative solutions to delivering complex projects throughout the infrastructure, ICT, transport, energy and natural resources, and property development sectors. In particular, Martin regularly provides strategic advice to the Commonwealth on the delivery of some of Australia's most significant and complex procurement and sustainment projects.

He specialises in drafting and negotiating project documentation including ASDEFCON, DEQMS, Project Alliance Agreements, Australian Standards, EPC and EPCM contracts, FIDIC contracts, PPP documentation, JCT construction contracts and consultation agreements. Martin's emphasis is on providing pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice to assist clients achieve optimal outcomes and meet their business goals.

Biography:

Ellie is an experienced workplace lawyer who has worked at the Fair Work Commission, before practising in employment law and industrial relations since 2014. She was listed in the Doyle’s Guide as a ‘Leading Employment Lawyer (Employee and Trade Union Representation) Qld’ in 2021 and 2022.

Contact

ellie.bassingthwaighte@lexisnexis.com.au

Modules:

• Commercial
• Property

Biography:

Tim has practiced Property and Commercial Law ,Wills and Estates since the start of 1980's . Tim is a long standing member of the Property Law Committee of the Law Society of Tasmania, receiving the Society's 2001 Presidents Award for service to the profession . He has represented the Law Society on many committees including the Australian Property Law Group and the Law Council working party on E-conveyancing.

Biography:

Sarah has been involved in a wide range of workplace matters.This includes a strong interest in assisting employers with the management of their workers compensation claims and as well in relation to liability insurance claims.

Modules:

• Criminal

Biography:

David began his career at Legal Aid Queensland is 1995 as part of the graduate intake of that year. He was admitted to the bar in November 1997. In 2000 he was appointed to the role Principal Lawyer and Mentor of the Graduate team with in the criminal law division of Legal Aid Queensland. In 2010 he was asked to take over the role of Principal Lawyer, Youth Legal Aid, a specialist youth justice team within the criminal division. David presents regularly on youth justice issues throughout Queensland to both lawyers and the general community.

Biography:

Peytee Grusche assists clients in the areas of research and development, commercialisation of intellectual property, patent, trade mark and design registration and enforcement and she is also a Patent and Trade Marks Attorney. She has a Doctor of Philosophy (Cancer Cell biology) from the University of Melbourne/Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute. Her research focussed on the pathways contributing to tumourigenesis using Drosophila Melanogaster.

Peytee is also experienced in advising on commercial agreements including collaboration agreements in the areas of medical technology, biotechnology and agricultural biotechnology; licences of intellectual property and information technology supply agreements. As a result of her Doctoral studies, Peytee has a firm grasp of the technology being created or licensed and can apply legal principles in commercial settings of collaboration and licensing.

Awards & Recognition

• Legal 500 Asia-Pacific – Key Lawyer, Intellectual Property (2022)

Memberships

Member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) which is an association of lawyers, patent attorneys, licensing managers and academics who advise and work in relation to Intellectual Property Laws.

Speaking Engagements

2025

• Speaker and organizer of the IP Commercialisation Workshop entitled "Partner, Protect, Profit" organised by the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub on 13 August 2025
• Presented a talk entitled "Universities, CRCs and IP" at the Society of University Lawyers conference on 17 October 2025

Modules:

• Dispute Resolution

Biography:

Joseph has advised and acted for private insurers, and Australian Government and ACT Government clients, predominantly in relation to liability claims. Joseph has considerable experience with matters involving issues of insurance and administrative law, including claims under workers’ compensation legislation and discretionary compensations schemes. He has also advised on a range of litigated matters before the ACT Courts, Administrative Review Tribunal and Federal Court.

Memberships

• Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory

Modules:

• Criminal

Biography:

Stephen is a Barrister at Sir Owen Dixon Chambers in Sydney. He is an experienced public lawyer with a wide range of experience in trials and appeals. Internationally he has worked extensively in the fields of transitional justice and the rule of law. Stephen is on the list of counsel at the International Criminal Court. His international experience includes extended periods working in legal positions in Afghanistan, Solomon Islands and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Stephen regularly presents at conferences and has lectured in the area of public international law.

Biography:

Harry practices for the most part in common law/personal injury. He has a particular interest in medical negligence and intentional torts, including police battery and institutional childhood sexual abuse claims.

Prior to being called to the bar, Harry worked for 6 years as a personal injury lawyer in NSW. He has represented health agencies and individual medical practitioners in clinical negligence matters and coronial inquests. He has extensive public liability, workers compensation and CTP experience, having managed a high-volume practice of both litigated and unlitigated claims. He has advised in relation to complex multi-party insurance disputes and appeared on behalf of plaintiffs and insurers in settlement conferences, mediations and arbitrations.

Harry also has an interest in administrative/public law and has experience instructing in Supreme Court judicial review applications.

Memberships

NSW Bar Association

Professional Organisation

https://7gbc.com.au/barrister/harry-black/

Professional Contact

hblack@7gbc.com.au

Modules:

• Competition

Biography:

Rhonda is an academic economist who teaches competition law subjects to undergraduates and post graduates.

She was formerly a commissioner with the ACCC and has acted as an expert witness in a number of competition cases.

Modules:

• Property

Biography:

Tony is a Partner in HWL Ebsworth’s Commercial/Corporate Group. Tony graduated from the University of Sydney in 1989 and has practiced in the NT for 31 years.

Tony assists corporate and governmental clients in a broad range of commercial matters including acquisitions and disposal of substantial commercial, pastoral and other undertakings, land access matters, solar energy projects, property developments, construction and NT and local Government departments.

Tony has participated on a number of corporate boards including Hottest Sevens Rugby, NT Chamber of Commerce and Industry and various private corporations.

Tony is currently a member of the NT Health Governance and Assurance Committee to the Department of Health and Chairs the Diocese Finance Council of the Catholic Church in the Northern Territory.

Professional Organisations & Memberships

• HWL Ebsworth, Lawyers
• https://hwlebsworth.com.au/people/tony-morgan/
• Law Society of the Northern Territory
• Law Council of Australia
• Property Council of Australia, NT Chapter
• NT Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Graduate and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Department of Business - Business Innovation Support Initiative, Panel of Assessors
• Chair of the Finance Council of the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Darwin
• Committee Member of the Department of Health (NT) Regulatory Compliance and Assurance Group

Professional Contact

Email: tmorgan@hwle.com.au

Phone: +61 8 8943 0478

Modules:

• Personal Injury QLD

Biography:

Anand joined the Bar over twelve years ago after practising as a solicitor for eleven years. Anand has appeared as counsel in the High Court, Queensland Court of Appeal, Federal Court and as trial counsel in all State Courts, the Federal Magistrates Court and many Tribunals. Anand has been elected by the Bar, on many occasions, to serve on the Bar Council (the Bar’s peak executive body).

Biography:

Brendan advises on IT transactions of all types and sizes, including large scale, complex outsourcing and integration projects, cloud-based offerings, data analytics and software licensing and development agreements. He also assists on IP protection and commercialisation, digital marketing and content, social media, sponsorships, privacy and cyber security.

Brendan has particular expertise providing strategic cyber and data resilience advice, and has current experience advising clients on their journey towards GDPR compliance.

Publications and Editorial Contacts

• LexisNexis - Practical Guidance Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Privacy (Australian chapters).
• Co-authored Australian Chapter of World Online Business Law.
• The Censorship of Misogynistic Rap Music—A Consideration of Gender-Based Harms and Free Speech, 26 VICT. U. WELLINGTON L. REV. 531 (1996).

Awards & Recognition

• Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2018, recommended for IT & Telecommunications.
• Victoria University of Wellington annual award for best legal writing.
• Selected from Australia & New Zealand to attend the "Building Global Lawyers" conference at IBM HQ in Armonk (New York State).
• Appointed global co-lead of an IBM initiative to improve customer experience.
• British Telecom Recognition Award for work on BT’s purchase of NSB Retail Systems plc’s UK operations and exclusive distribution agreement.
• British Telecom Recognition Award for work on BT Fusion (world’s first hybrid mobile and landline phone).

Speaking Engagements

• Engaged by Commvault to present at their “Connections Live” customer events in Sydney and Melbourne on cyber security and privacy developments (Australian mandatory date breach notification and the GDPR).
• Interviewed by Bloomberg BNA for ‘Companies to Face Mandatory Data Breach Notice Down Under’ article
• Interviewed by Sydney radio station regarding mandatory date breach notification.

Professional Organisations & Memberships

• Law Society of New South Wales

Professional Contact

T: +61 2 9291 6121

E: brendan.tomlinson@maddocks.com.au