Meet Our Practical Guidance Authors

  1. Andrew Johnson

    Andrew Johnson

    Partner, Mills Oakley Lawyers

    Andrew Johnson

    Andrew Johnson

    Partner, Mills Oakley Lawyers

    Biography:

    Andrew is a partner in the Brisbane Property and Commercial team where he specialises in: property development, complex strata titling and off the plan pre-sale contracts and acquisition and disposal of management rights, funds management, listed and unlisted property trusts, commercial and industrial property sales, acquisitions and commercial and industrial leasing, securities and mezzanine funding. Clients appreciate Andrew's ability to deliver creative, dynamic and pro-active solutions that are unmatched in competing markets. Andrew has excellent negotiation, project management and drafting skills, which he uses to develop and maintain strong client relationships.

    Recent transactions include:

    • Negotiating and assisting with the contract of sale and due diligence for ISPT's acquisition of CPI Brisbane
    • Advising on a $200 million industrial real estate transaction and associated capital raising in Brisbane through a newly listed property trust
    • Lexology/ACLA Author of the Year - Commercial Real Estate 2010
    • Lecturer in property law for several legal service education providers
    • Limited and Eureka Funds Management Limited on various strata property developments, including; land subdivisions,drafting sales documentation for flat land residential developments, community title structuring under the Mixed Use Development Act, the Body Corporate and Community Management Act, Property Agent and Motor Dealers Act and the applicability of the managed investment provisions of the Corporations Act

    Andrew also provides advice to the Property Council of Australia and is a member of the Residential Committee Qld.

  2. Riyad El Choufani

    Riyad El Choufani

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Criminal. Barrister, formerly at Legal Aid NSW

    Riyad El Choufani

    Riyad El Choufani

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Criminal. Barrister, formerly at Legal Aid NSW

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Riyad is a Law Society of NSW accredited specialist in criminal law. He commenced his career in criminal law in 2010 with Nyman Gibson Stewart (now Nyman Gibson Miralis) Lawyers. He is currently employed with Legal Aid NSW and has worked at offices in Penrith, Sydney and Newcastle. Riyad has represented clients in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, Supreme Court, District Court and Local Court. He has practised extensively across summary, committals and indictable practice areas. Riyad regularly works with experienced counsel in serious matters, including senior counsel in several high profile homicide cases. He is an experienced advocate in Local Court and District Court proceedings. Riyad has prepared and presented papers on matters of criminal practice and procedure including Fitness in Local Court Proceedings and Breaches of Suspended Sentences.

  3. Charlotte Mann

    Charlotte Mann

    Solicitor, King & Wood Mallesons

    Charlotte Mann

    Charlotte Mann

    Solicitor, King & Wood Mallesons

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Charlotte is a lawyer specialising in competition and consumer law investigations and litigation. She has worked on a number of litigious matters for private sector, public sector and pro-bono clients. Charlotte’s work spans private competition proceedings, regulatory investigations, class actions, consumer law, and discreet contractual disputes.

  4. Susannah Wilkinson

    Susannah Wilkinson

    Regional Head, Emerging Technology (APAC) Herbert Smith Freehills

    Susannah Wilkinson

    Susannah Wilkinson

    Regional Head, Emerging Technology (APAC) Herbert Smith Freehills

    Biography:

    Susannah is a senior lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills specialising in cutting edge legal issues arising from the adoption of emerging technology, digital assets, automation, and infrastructure. Susannah has over 17 years’ experience with leading firms in Australia, the United Kingdom and Russia.

    Susannah is the global co-head of the Digital Law Group driving digital transformation of law including the development of smart legal contracts and digital business transformation in conjunction HSF’s multidisciplinary teams. Susannah is also a key member of the Emerging Technology Group, a team of specialist lawyers who advise on cutting edge issues arising with the adoption of emerging technologies.

    Having worked across multiple jurisdictions, Susannah uses her experience to assist clients navigate complex transactions often in uncertain regulatory environments.

    Susannah is Chair of the Digital Commerce Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, and Co-Founder and Director of the Digital Law Association.

    Recently published Smart Legal Contracts: Computational Law in Theory and Practice, Edited by Jason Allen and Peter Hunn, Oxford University Press (2021) - “Six Levels of Contract Automation: The Evolution to Smart Legal Contracts – Further Analysis” Susannah Wilkinson & Jacques Giuffre.

    Professional Memberships & Organisation

    Awards & Recognition

    • Most Innovative International Law Firm, Asia Pacific Financial Times Awards 2019

    Professional Contact

    https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/our-people/susannah-wilkinson

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannahwilkinson-b5311161

  5. Karin Ottesen

    Karin Ottesen

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Corporations. Former Barrister

    Karin Ottesen

    Karin Ottesen

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Corporations. Former Barrister

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Karin Ottesen began practising at the New South Wales Bar in February 1994, after working as a banking and finance solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jacques, a major commercial law firm. While at Mallesons, Karin spent 10 months on secondment to the Australian Payments Clearing Association Limited as in-house legal counsel reporting to the Chief Executive Officer.

    Karin has held the following academic positions: Lecturer/tutor in business law and corporate law (since 2007) and international business law (since 2010), part-time lecturer in legal institutions, Law Extension Committee, University of Sydney (1994-2002) and Principal Examiner in Legal Institutions, NSW Legal Practitioners Admission Board (1995-2002), lecturer coordinating "Law relating to Banking" and "Public Unit Trusts" in the MBA program conducted by the University of New England (1996).

  6. Joshua Taaffe

    Joshua Taaffe

    Partner and Accredited Criminal Law Specialist, Doogue O'Brien George

    Joshua Taaffe

    Joshua Taaffe

    Partner and Accredited Criminal Law Specialist, Doogue O'Brien George

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Josh has practised exclusively in Criminal Law since beginning practice in 2006. He is now a partner at the firm Doogue O’Brien George, serving as the firm’s in-house counsel.

    Josh has specialised in representing his clients at trial. The bulk of his practice now involves defending clients who are pleading not guilty. This can mean defending clients in Magistrates’ Court hearings or running their cases in jury trials in the County Court. As an advocate, Josh has specialised in indictable crime, including violence (assaults, armed robberies, aggravated burglaries), drug matters, and sexual offences, especially rape charges.

    Josh is the vice-chair of the criminal law section executive of the Law Institute of Victoria. He is accredited as a specialist in the criminal law by the same institute. In 2014 Josh attended the National Criminal Defense College in the USA and completed their Trial Practice course.

  7. Melissa Brunning

    Melissa Brunning

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Employment. Lawyer, formely at Corrs Chambers Westgarth

    Melissa Brunning

    Melissa Brunning

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Employment. Lawyer, formely at Corrs Chambers Westgarth

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Melissa has been a lawyer in the Sydney Workplace Relations group for close to 5 years. Melissa has been involved in providing advice to a range of leading Australian companies in relation to a number of aspects of workplace relations law including industrial relations, discrimination and general employment matters. In addition, she has been involved in a range of litigious matters for employers at both State and Federal level in Fair Work Australia and the District, Supreme and Federal Courts and also in relation to WorkCover investigations in New South Wales. Most recently she had carriage of a $9 million breach of contract claim by a former Chief Executive Officer of a listed company, been involved in discrimination conciliations/mediations and a matter involving 49 claimants of employee entitlements of a failed financial conglomerate. The latter matter also had a number of elements of insolvency law.

  8. Greg McIntyre SC

    Greg McIntyre SC

    Barrister, Michael Kirby Chambers, Western Australia

    Greg McIntyre SC

    Greg McIntyre SC

    Barrister, Michael Kirby Chambers, Western Australia

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Greg commenced practice with the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia in 1976 in Kalgoorlie. He practised for several years in Western Australia and North Queensland for Aboriginal Legal Services, largely in the area of Criminal Law. He had the conduct of Mabo v Queensland from its commencement in 1982 until judgment in 1992 and has had a practice in Native Title since that time. He was the solicitor for John Koowarta in relation to the High Court's decision of Koowarta v Bjelke Petersen in 1982 and has had a practice in Racial Discrimination and Human Rights since that time. He appeared for the Appellant in Bropho v Western Australia in the High Court in 1990 and has conducted a number of other cases concerning Aboriginal Heritage protection. He went to the Independent Bar in Western Australia in 1993, was founder of John Toohey Chambers in 1999, took silk in 2001, and was made an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame in 2001 and University of Western Australia in 2016, where he has taught a course on Indigenous Peoples and the Law. He received the Law Award from the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2009.

  9. Simon Haag

    Simon Haag

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Immigration. Former Senior Associate, Fragomen

    Simon Haag

    Simon Haag

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Immigration. Former Senior Associate, Fragomen

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Simon is an experienced practitioner of immigration law. Simon specialises in providing complex legal advice and formulating immigration management strategies which identify and resolve areas of risk. Simon also works with government and parliamentary bodies with a view to clarifying government policy and improving the operation of visa programs.

  10. Rose Khalilizadeh

    Rose Khalilizadeh

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Criminal. Barrister, formerly at Legal Aid NSW

    Rose Khalilizadeh

    Rose Khalilizadeh

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Criminal. Barrister, formerly at Legal Aid NSW

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Rose is a criminal defence lawyer at Legal Aid NSW, representing both adult and juvenile clients in a variety of jurisdictions in NSW.

    Rose has practiced as a criminal defence lawyer at the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT and in private practice. She also has experience in Commonwealth prosecutions, as well as holding various roles in the public sector.

    She also teaches at the University of Sydney Faculty of Law.

  11. Tony Cahill

    Tony Cahill

    Advisor

    Tony Cahill

    Tony Cahill

    Advisor

    Biography:

    Tony Cahill was admitted as a solicitor in 1981 and practiced extensively in conveyancing, probate and commercial law. In July 2002 he commenced a "sabbatical" from private legal practice to concentrate on legal education and writing.

    He has completed the Advanced Certificate in Property Agency and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment through TAFE NSW. He teaches commercial law and property law at various TAFE Colleges.

    He currently serves on the Law Society's Property Law and Environmental Planning and Development Committees.

    Tony has been associated with LexisNexis since 2005. He is a current co-author of Conveyancing Service New South Wales since 2005. He is also the co-author of Annotated Conveyancing and Real Property Legislation New South Wales, and is the General Advisor in the Property Law module of Practical Guidance.

  12. Robert Walsh

    Robert Walsh

    Counsel - Asia Pacific, Fragomen

    Robert Walsh

    Robert Walsh

    Counsel - Asia Pacific, Fragomen

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Robert was formerly the Regional Managing Partner of the firm's extensive Asia Pacific practice, where he was responsible for the strategic direction and the operations of all Fragomen offices in the Asia Pacific region including offices in Auckland, Bangalore, Beijing, Brisbane, Guanhzhou, Hong Kong, Kochi, Melbourne, North Ryde, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington.

    As an experienced commercial lawyer, Robert has significant experience in providing immigration and other legal advice and visa services to companies in sectors such as financial services, mining and resources (including off-shore oil and gas), information technology and telecommunications, retail, science and engineering, and health. Robert's clients include Australian and multi-national companies in the sectors listed above and he is responsible for the firm's compliance and litigation practices.

  13. Thomas Abraham

    Thomas Abraham

    Contributor to Practical Guidance Property; Special Counsel, Commercial and Tax with Macpherson Kelley

    Thomas Abraham

    Thomas Abraham

    Contributor to Practical Guidance Property; Special Counsel, Commercial and Tax with Macpherson Kelley

    Biography:

    Thomas Abraham is a Special Counsel, Commercial and Tax with Macpherson Kelley. Thomas has extensive public and private sector experience and deep expertise in state taxation advice and litigation. During his time as a solicitor in the Legal Services Branch of the State Revenue Office of Victoria, Thomas conducted litigation on behalf of the Commissioner in various state taxation matters. Thomas practices in all state taxation matters across Australia, including land tax, duties, payroll tax, congestion levy and taxation administration matters (eg, assessments, re-assessments, refunds, private rulings, objections, reviews and appeals).

    Professional Contact

    Thomas Abraham - Macpherson Kelley

    Memberships

    Thomas is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s State Taxes Committee.

  14. Richard Graham

    Richard Graham

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Corporations. Partner, formerly at Clifford Chance

    Richard Graham

    Richard Graham

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Corporations. Partner, formerly at Clifford Chance

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Richard has over 15 years' experience advising clients on high profile corporate transactions and major projects.

    He is considered a specialist in complex private treaty transactions, joint ventures, corporate governance, capital management, corporate reconstructions, infrastructure and asset procurement (including electricity, gas, rail, waste, mining and renewable energy), real estate and dealings with government.

  15. Ruth Hart

    Ruth Hart

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Employment. Former Senior Associate, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

    Ruth Hart

    Ruth Hart

    Former contributor to Practical Guidance Employment. Former Senior Associate, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Ruth Hart joined Corrs' Workplace Relations Group in July 2006 and has become a key member of the Group in providing advice and assistance across a range of workplace relations matters. This includes in-house management of issues, such as enterprise bargaining, through various secondments to clients in the private and public sectors. Ruth has expertise in dispute management, employment, occupational health and safety, discrimination and privacy matters. In particular, she advises on compliance with specific laws regulating the construction industry. She is also an experienced litigator, regularly representing clients in civil penalty proceedings. Ruth has also been involved in drafting and reviewing of regulations and Compliance Codes.

    Ruth was an integral member of the team of lawyers assisting the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. She preformed the role of Project Manager for the team and was also responsible for managing the interaction between key stakeholders.

  16. Professor Dale Pinto

    Professor Dale Pinto

    Curtin University Law School

    Professor Dale Pinto

    Professor Dale Pinto

    Curtin University Law School

    Biography:

    Dale Pinto is currently a Professor of Taxation Law and Head of the Taxation Department of the Curtin Law School at Curtin University. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law (FAAL), a member of the Divisional Council of CPA Australia (WA Division) and Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA), and is also a Chartered Tax Adviser and Honorary Life Member of the Tax Institute CTA (Life).

    Dale is the author/co-author of numerous books, refereed articles and national and international conference papers, and is on the editorial board of a number of peer-reviewed journals as well as being the Editor-in-Chief of several refereed journals.

    Dale is the Chair of the Tax Institute’s National Education Quality Assurance Board and is a member of TEQSA’s Expert Panel in Accounting and Taxation. Dale served as an inaugural member of the National Tax Practitioners Board and is a current member of the Board of Taxation’s Advisory Panel and the ATO’s Tax Technical Panel (Superannuation) as well as CCIWA’s Government and Fiscal Policy Forum.

  17. Richard Neal

    Richard Neal

    Partner, Teece Hodgson & Ward

    Richard Neal

    Richard Neal

    Partner, Teece Hodgson & Ward

    Modules:

    Biography:

    Richard Neal is an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates Law with over 50 years of experience advising clients on complex estate and succession matters. A partner at Teece Hodgson & Ward in Sydney, he has extensive expertise in equity litigation, contested estates, will construction, family provision claims, and trust administration. He also provides estate planning guidance, particularly in matters involving foreign assets and cross-border succession issues.

    Richard is named in the Doyle’s Guide from 2015 to 2024 as a Preeminent Wills & Estates Litigation Lawyer – New South Wales and Preeminent Wills, Estates Planning and Succession Planning Lawyer – New South Wales.

    Beyond his legal practice, Richard is a respected educator and thought leader in succession law. Since 1986, he has conducted workshops and seminars for solicitors’ continuing legal education and frequently acts as an expert witness in estate litigation.

    Publications

    • Co-author, Mason and Handler's Succession Law and Practice NSW (LexisNexis)
    • Co-author, Hutley's Australian Wills Precedents, 9th Edition
    • Advisor, Practical Guidance Succession (LexisNexis)
    • Regular contributor of seminar papers and case reviews on wills, family provision, estate disputes, and elder law

    Awards & Recognition

    • Fellow, Australian Academy of Law
    • Member, STEP NSW Committee (since 2012)
    • STEP Australia Education Officer (since 2013)
    • Member, Advisory Committee on Succession Law Reform, NSW Attorney General’s Office
    • Former Chair, Advisory Committee for Specialist Accreditation in Wills and Estates Law, NSW (1999–2007)

    Speaking Engagements
    Richard has been a keynote speaker at numerous legal education events, focusing on estate planning, succession law reform, and probate litigation.

    Professional Organisations & Memberships

    • Member, International Academy of Estate and Trust Law
    • Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
    • Affiliate Member, The Taxation Institute
    • Member, Supreme Court of NSW Probate Users’ Committee
    • Member, Elder Law, Capacity & Succession Committee, Law Society of NSW

    Professional Contact
    Teece Hodgson & Ward
    Level 10, 1 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000
    Tel: +61 2 9232 3733

  18. Nicole Spicer

    Nicole Spicer

    Solicitor, formerly at Spicer Lawyers

    Nicole Spicer

    Nicole Spicer

    Solicitor, formerly at Spicer Lawyers

    Modules: