Biography:

Priscilla is a nationally accredited mediator, predominantly focusing on all personal injury claims, located in Melbourne, Victoria.

Having represented both plaintiffs and defendants for over 15 years in insurance litigation, including as Special Counsel at a national law firm, she understands the importance of a balanced approach to conflict resolution.

Her real-world experience in many mediations has only reinforced her belief in the value and safety of the mediation environment.

Professional Organisations & Memberships

• Spyridis Mediation, Mediator
• Member – Mediation Institute

Professional Contact

0448 998 051

priscilla@spyridismediation.com.au

www.spyridismediation.com.au

Modules:

• Criminal

Biography:

David has a wide range of experience appearing as an advocate in all jurisdictions in NSW, and has successfully appeared unled in contested substantive proceedings in the NSW Court of Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeal and Common Law Division of the Supreme Court.

The following is a short selection of recent cases that David has appeared in (some client names abbreviated for matters not widely in public domain):

R v Tuhakaraina [2016] NSWCCA 81 – unled, successfully resisted Crown appeal for inadequacy of sentence

JC v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2014] NSWCA 228 – unled, successful judicial review challenge to lower court decision relating to statutory interpretation

R v JR (No.4) [2013] NSWSC 1106 – led by S Russell, acquittal for murder and manslaughter following judge-alone trial

WorkCover Authority of NSW v SF (3 October 2014, NSWDC, unreported) – unled, acquittal for various offences relating to onsite workplace death; favourable costs order made

R v Moylan [2014] NSWSC 944 – led by Sutherland SC, widely publicised sentence proceedings relating to protester’s hoax ANZ-press release for Whitehaven Coal; full-time custodial sentence not imposed

BSF v Roads and Maritime Services [2014] NSWSC 858 – unled, successful judicial review challenge to public authority’s decision to cancel public transport accreditation in denial of procedural fairness

Prior to coming to the Bar, David was a senior member of two of Sydney’s leading private law firms that specialised in criminal law and, prior to that, land use and environmental planning.

Modules:

• Succession

Biography:

Brian Hor is the Principal and Legal Practitioner Director of WillWorks Pty Ltd, a boutique law practice specialising in providing sophisticated estate planning services.

Before establishing WillWorks Pty Ltd, Brian was a Partner with a "top tier" global professional services organisation and was a founder of its Private Clients Estate Planning practice in Australia.

Brian was also Chairman of the Financial Planning Association's Tax Committee and member of the FPA Public Policy Committee continuously from 1997 to 2004, and helped negotiate ATO concessions to assist financial planners' transition to the FSR regime, amend the PSI laws for the special circumstances of financial planners, and promote tax deductibility for tax advice given by financial planners. More recently Brian was an industry representative on the ATO's Alienation and Part IVA Working Group Review into the Alienation of Personal Services Income Rules in 2009.

Brian has published numerous professional articles, and regularly presents at professional training and legal education seminars on taxation, trusts, estate planning, asset protection and business structuring for organisations including The Taxation Institute, Television Education Network, LexisNexis, the Financial Planning Association, IBC Conferences, The Law Society of NSW, The CLE Centre, NSW State Legal Conferences, and The College of Law.

Modules:

• Succession

Biography:

Caite is a Barrister specialising in all things estates and trusts. She has been a lawyer for more than 30 years, a barrister for more than 20.

Until the rules were changed in 2023, she was one of only five QLS accredited specialists in succession law at the Queensland Bar. She received the highest achiever award in her graduating year (2009).

Caite is consistently named “Market Leader” and “preeminent” junior counsel in Estate Litigation in Doyle’s List, both in Queensland and nationally.

Caite is a former chair (2010-2013) of the Queensland Branch of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).

She is a member of Hemmant’s List and a regular presenter at seminars on succession law issues. Her particular interests are in contentious probate matters, will construction and rectification cases, informal will applications and disputes about superannuation.

Modules:

• Personal Injury QLD

Biography:

Since 1994, Harry has practised as a solicitor in personal injury litigation. Currently he heads up the section focussing on his practice area in general personal injury law, at Turner Freeman's Brisbane office.

He has been part of been part of committees which have reported to the Queensland Government on legislative changes relating to claims for compensation and personal injuries. He holds a Master of Laws and has been an accredited specialist in personal injuries since 1999.

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).

Modules:

• Criminal

Biography:

Admitted to practice in September 2004, Shaun was appointed a partner of the law firm Doogue O’Brien George in 2013 (one of Victoria’s largest criminal defence firms).  Shaun is a Law Institute Accredited Criminal Law Specialist, an accreditation he has held continuously since 2012.  In July 2020, Shaun launched his own firm, Pascoe Criminal Law, a boutique criminal defence law firm based in Melbourne.

Professional Organisations & Memberships

• Pascoe Criminal Law
• https://www.pascoecriminallaw.com.au
• Law Institute of Victoria

Awards & Recognition

• Accredited Criminal Law Specialist (2012)

Professional Contact

Email: shaun@pascoecriminallaw.com.au

Phone: 03 9668 7600

Modules:

• Succession

Biography:

Ken is the Founder and principal of Wills & Probate Victoria. Ken was admitted to practice as a legal practitioner in 1982. Since admission, Ken has always practiced in the areas of wills and estates.

Ken has been accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a wills and estate specialist since 1993 - the first year that accreditation commenced. He is the co-author of the Wills, Probate and Administration Service, Victoria, a two-volume publication which is a leading loose-leaf services dealing with wills and estates for legal practitioners in Victoria.

Ken is also the co-author of Succession Law for LexisNexis. He founded the Wills & Probate Bulletin in 1996 and was the editor of that publication from 1996 to 2008. He was also co-convenor of the Wills & Probate Conference from 1995 to 2008.

Since 1997, Ken has conducted regular workshops for law graduates in the areas of wills and estates for Leo Cussen.

Modules:

• Family

Biography:

Modules:

• Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Privacy

Biography:

Mary T. Costigan is a principal with Jackson Lewis, P.C. and a member of the firm’s Privacy, AI & Cybersecurity practice group. She is an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional, holding US and EU designations.

Mary has broad experience advising clients of all sizes on U.S. and global privacy and security regulations including the California Consumer Privacy Act, the DOJ Bulk Data Transfer Rule, HIPAA/HITECH, and CAN-SPAM as well as matters relating to AI governance and biometric data collection. For multinational clients, she helps operationalize compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, the EU e-Privacy Directive and U.K. PECR, the EU AI Act, and cross border transfers of data.

Leveraging her extensive experience as a data breach coach, Mary provides strategic counsel to clients navigating cybersecurity incidents and responding to related regulatory inquiries.

Mary serves as co-chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers Privacy and Cybersecurity affinity group and is a member of the IAPP Women Leading Privacy Advisory Board. She is recognized for her work by The Best Lawyers in America^©, “Employment Law – Management” (2024-present), The Best Lawyers in America^©, “Privacy and Data Security Law” (2025-present), and the Lexology Index, “Client Choice Award” (2026).

Awards & Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Employment Law – Management” (2024-present)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Privacy and Data Security Law” (2025-present)
• the Lexology Index, “Client Choice Award” (2026).

Memberships

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (iapp) (CIPP certifications – EU, US)
• National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) 

Speaking Engagements

• Jackson Lewis, PC; webinar: “India’s Digital Personal Protection Act 2023”, March 2025 (panelist)
• National Home Delivery Association Forum; Technology Roundtable panel: “Enhancing Cybersecurity in Final Mile Operations”, July 2025 (speaker, moderator)
• National Association of Women Layers; webinar: “Cyber Claims and Insurance”, October 2025 (speaker) 
• Association of Corporate Counsel (U.S.): webinar, “Ransomware Attacks: What every in-house counsel should know.” December 11, 2025 (panelist, moderator)

Modules:

• Banking & Finance
• Personal Property Securities

Biography:

Steve is a commercial-focused lawyer with over three decades’ experience in banking & finance transactions, including over 20 years as a partner at Allens, where he is now a consultant. His practice has included corporate finance, debt capital markets, project finance and more recently consumer finance work. He is currently based in Melbourne, and has also spent several years practicing in each of Hong Kong and Singapore

Outside the law, Steve also works as a researcher at the Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, with a focus on public transport projects.

Progessional Organisation

www.allens.com.au/people/p/steve-pemberton

Modules:

• Family

Biography:

Justin has specialised in family law since 1987 and has an excellent understanding of the family law system having been employed as the Senior Registrar of the Parramatta Registry of the Family Court, then as Regional Registrar of the Court with responsibility for NSW and the ACT. His past and current legal experience includes very complex family law cases, including matters that comprise offshore assets and children's issues.

Modules:

• Intellectual Property

Biography:

Anna is a barrister at 5 Wentworth Chambers where she specialises in intellectual property, consumer and media law. Her work has spanned all areas of intellectual property law, including copyright, trade marks, patents, privacy, advertising and consumer law. Prior to being called to the bar, Anna was a senior associate in the King & Wood Mallesons intellectual property team. In 2012-2013, Anna worked as Associate to the Hon Justice Annabelle Bennett AO at the Federal Court of Australia.

Biography:

Fiona has more than eight years’ experience providing legal advice across a variety of sectors. Fiona practiced as a solicitor at Allens and the not-for-profit LawRight (formerly QPILCH) in Brisbane before relocating to the United Kingdom. In London, Fiona worked as in-house commercial legal counsel at the non-departmental government body The Single Source Regulations Office, the multinational jeweller Swarovski and the global news publisher The Guardian. Fiona has diverse practical experience in consumer and contract law.

She is admitted in the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Fiona was shortlisted for the QUT Undergraduate Writing Prize in 2011.

Contact

Fiona.thatcher@lexisnexis.com.au

Modules:

• Personal Injury QLD

Biography:

Modules:

• Dispute Resolution

Biography:

Ruth has more than five years’ private practice experience at leading commercial law firm Allens, where she specialised in commercial litigation, restructuring and insolvency, and risk and compliance advisory.

Ruth’s dispute resolution experience includes large-scale complex commercial disputes, breach of contract claims, professional negligence claims (against auditors), personal property securities and real property priority disputes, and debt recovery proceedings. She has also advised multi-national conglomerates on risks relating to bribery, corruption and international sanctions.

She has acted in various Australian jurisdictions, including Federal, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

Ruth is admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Contact

ruth.engelbrecht@lexisnexis.com.au

Modules:

• Banking & Finance

Biography:

With 20 years’ experience as a banking, finance and projects lawyer, Daniel works across property, public–private partnerships (PPPs) and infrastructure projects; wholesale fund and portfolio financing; and corporate/real estate investment trust and acquisition finance, treasury and debt capital market transactions, and complex debt reconstructions.

Daniel is noted in Chambers Global/Asia Pacific as having a Band 1 rating, and to be an “excellent practitioner” who “attracts glowing praise for his collaborative approach and great negotiating skills”, and "extremely good; measured and great at solving technical and practical problems." (Chambers Asia Pacific 2015). Daniel is also noted in International Who’s Who of Banking Lawyers (2014), Who’s Who Intercontinental Edition Banking World Rankings Law (2015-16), Who’s Who Legal: Banking (2015-17), International Financial Law Review 1000 (2008-16 editions) and ExpertGuides (2015-17) as a world leading Banking lawyer, Asialaw Leading Lawyers (2013-17) for Banking and Best Lawyers International: Australia Peer Review (2010-16 editions) for Project Finance and Development, Banking and Finance, and Real Property - Finance.

Modules:

• Mergers & Acquisitions

Biography:

Gavin is a partner in the Corporate Advisory Team in Sydney.

He brings a wealth of experience having previously acted as a partner of a boutique law firm in Sydney and a principal of a corporate legal practice in Perth.

Gavin regularly acts for listed, public and large proprietary companies.

His expertise includes corporate and commercial law with a particular focus on:

• regulated and private treaty acquisitions, divestments and restructurings;
• fundraising via equity capital markets; and
• domestic and foreign investment.

Gavin is a ‘hands-on’ lawyer who enjoys providing high quality strategic, tactical and practical advice.

Recent transactions include:

• advising on the sale of Australian Contract Mining Pty Ltd to Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX)
• advising the independent directors of Universal Coal plc (ASX: UNV) on their successful takeover defence of a hostile bid by IchorCoal N.V.
• advising the independent directors of Universal Coal plc on a recommended takeover offer by Coal of Africa Limited (ASX: CZA)
• advising on the sale of Financial Choice Pty Limited to Spring FG Limited (ASX: SFG)