Lavan is delighted to announce our most recent appointments and promotions. The well-earned promotions to special counsel of Michael Jensen in our Employment, Safety & Education team and Stephanie Tan in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team are a true reflection of their market-leading legal expertise.
Since joining the firm in 1995, Michael Jensen's considerable expertise in employment and workplace & safety related matters has been highly valued and respected.
Stephanie Tan advises clients on all areas of litigation law and has significant experience with general commercial disputes including in the areas of corporate law, insolvency, construction, insurance and local government.
In the past six months, we have also been pleased to welcome the following senior staff: partner Leith Ayres and senior associate Abhinav Sharma to our Restructuring & Insolvency team, partner Jorja Brady and associate Alistair Graham to our Family Law team, associate Kate Daniels to our Aged Care, Seniors Living & Disability team, associate Calvin Warries to our Employment, Safety & Education team and Hal Jenkins as Chief Information Officer to our Executive team.
Full details of the promotions and appointments are below.
Lavan is excited to welcome respected practitioner Leith Ayres as a partner in our leading Restructuring & Insolvency team. Leith has worked with some of Australia’s largest financial institutions and insolvency practitioners in a notable career that spans more than 30 years.
Jorja Brady joined Lavan in Feburary as a partner in our Family Law team. Jorja specialises in the management of complicated financial and parenting matters in the Family Court with a particular interest in financial cases involving substantial asset pools, including matters with complex company, trust, partnership, and valuation issues.
Abhinav Sharma joins Lavan's Restructuring & Insolvency team as a senior associate. Abhinav practises in all areas of restructuring and insolvency law and has significant experience in insolvency investigations, recoveries and litigation as well as corporate restructuring and turnaround.
Lavan welcomes Kate Daniels as an associate to our Aged Care, Seniors Living & Disability team. Kate is a commercial lawyer providing specialised legal and strategic advice to clients in disability services, aged care, retirement and lifestyle villages, community housing, not-for-profit and Indigenous corporations.
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Alistair Graham joins Lavan's Family Law team as an associate. Alistair specialises in all areas of family law and wills and estate matters. Alistair is experienced in complex financial matters including those involving intricate business trust structures and high net worth individuals. |
Calvin Warries joins Lavan as an associate in our Employment, Safety & Education team. Calvin is an experienced commercial, dispute resolution and litigation lawyer who manages all aspects of the employment relationship from engagement to termination.
Lavan is happy to welcome back Hal Jenkins into a new role of Chief Information Officer. Hal's expertise in the cyber and technology space will play a key part in driving the firm to provide focussed IT solutions to benefit our staff and clients.
Commenting on these promotions and appointments, managing partner Dean Hely said: “On behalf of the partners and everyone at Lavan, I am delighted to congratulate these outstanding lawyers and senior executives on their promotions and appointments. Lavan is extremely fortunate to have welcomed so many accomplished professionals to the firm in the last six months and I am excited for what the future holds for the firm as we strive to make a real difference together."
Lavan is very pleased to welcome respected practitioner Leith Ayres as a partner in our leading Restructuring & Insolvency team.
Leith is a highly regarded litigator with extensive experience in complex insolvency matters, dispute resolution and corporate finance.
Leith has worked with some of Australia’s largest financial institutions and insolvency practitioners in a notable career that spans more than 30 years. His practice encompasses many areas of corporate finance including financial services and business structuring. Leith is a specialist in insolvency and reconstruction, and regularly acts in insolvency and general commercial proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the Federal Court of Australia.
Managing partner Dean Hely commented: “I am delighted to announce Leith’s appointment as a partner at Lavan. Leith will bring valuable additional depth to our experienced Restructuring & Insolvency team as well as our Litigation team and will add greatly to our capacity to handle large, complex matters, ensuring our clients’ interests are in excellent hands at all times.”
Restructuring & Insolvency partner Joseph Abberton said: “Leith is a well-respected practitioner with a significant amount of restructuring experience who will add to the strength and depth of our team. He will be a great addition and help us to continue to deliver the best outcomes for our clients. The team is very much looking forward to having Leith on board."
Lavan is pleased to share that respected legal directory Doyle’s Guide has ranked Lavan as a First Tier firm in its 2023 listing for Property & Real Estate Law.
Partner Peter Beekink has once more been ranked as a preeminent lawyer for Property & Real Estate Law in Western Australia, a title he has held since 2015, as well as being recognised as a leading lawyer for his work in Leasing Law.
We are also pleased to share that partner Tamara Heng has been recognised as a leading lawyer in both Leasing Law and Property & Real Estate Law. Other recognitions include partner Tim Morgan as a leading Property & Real Estate lawyer, and partner Anka Burns who has been recommended for her work in Property & Real Estate Law. Special counsel Rebekah O’Brien has been recognised as a leading Leasing lawyer.
Congratulations also go to special counsel Jennifer Tropiano who has been recognised as a 2023 Rising Star for Property & Real Estate Law in WA.
These recognitions for so many of our Property team members are testament not only to Lavan’s high-level expertise in this area of law, but also to our continued development of talented lawyers in the real estate market.
Lavan is delighted to announce that we have again been recognised by respected international legal directory The Best Lawyers in Australia™ for the experience and expertise of our lawyers.
The latest rankings demonstrate Lavan’s deserved reputation as a leading Western Australian law firm. Best Lawyers has listed 22 of our partners and lawyers across 14 different categories. and has also recognised seven Lavan lawyers in The Best Lawyers in Australia: Ones to Watch™.
Commenting on the results, Lavan managing partner Dean Hely said "It is very pleasing to see Lavan recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia 2024 rankings. This prestigious listing reflects Lavan’s pre-eminence across practice areas. We are particularly proud to see so many of our younger lawyers making their mark and congratulate them on their personal success and excellent contributions to Lavan. Recognition in Best Lawyers is a significant acknowledgement of the high quality of work the Lavan team consistently produces for our valued clients."
The full list of the Lavan lawyers recognised in the 2024 directory includes:
Real Property Law
Leasing Law
Employee Benefits Law and Labour & Employment Law
Occupational Health and Safety Law
Planning & Environmental Law
Land Use & Zoning Law
Insurance, Litigation, Privacy and Data Security Law
Insolvency & Reorganisation Law
Construction/Infrastructure Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Family Law
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession globally. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is a considerable honour and is conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. These latest results would not be possible without the relationships Lavan shares with our trusted clients. The work we do with them and their continued support is greatly appreciated by everyone at Lavan.
Lavan is delighted to announce that respected legal directory Doyle’s Guide has once again ranked Lavan as a First Tier firm in Western Australia for Planning and Environment Law in their 2023 rankings.
Identified by clients and peers for their market-leading expertise, we are proud to announce that Paul McQueen has been ranked as a preeminent lawyer, Craig Wallace as a leading lawyer and Alex McGlue has been recognised as a recommended lawyer.
Congratulations also goes to Isabella Mosole who has once again been recognised as a Rising Star for Planning and Environment Law in WA.
These recognitions are testament to Lavan’s market-leading expertise in planning and environment law and the complex work we continue to undertake with our trusted clients.
Lavan is very pleased to announce the appointment of Jorja Brady as a partner in our Family Law team.
Jorja has been consistently recognised as a leader in the areas of family and divorce law, particularly in high-value and complex matters. Jorja focuses her practice on financial cases including international matters with complex company, trust, partnership, and valuation issues.
Managing partner Dean Hely commented: “Jorja’s appointment to our Family Law team reflects our pre-eminent reputation in the family law space. We now have Framy Anne Browne, Tamara Arapovic and Jorja Brady as three dynamic partners spearheading this team which will only continue to go from strength to strength in providing cutting-edge advice for our growing client base.”
Family Law lead partner Framy Anne Browne said: “Jorja’s appointment aligns with our firm’s values and ensures we have high quality leaders to serve the needs of our people and our clients. Jorja’s reputation as a leading lawyer is outstanding and I look forward to working with her in forging our path as a leading practice in family law and providing top-tier service for our clients.”
Lavan is pleased to announce our most recent promotions and appointments.
Effective from 1 January 2023, we are delighted to announce Tamara Arapovic’s promotion to partner in Lavan’s Family Law team and Millie Richmond-Scott’s promotion to partner in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team.
These promotions reflect Tamara and Millie’s market-leading legal expertise and their valued contributions to firm life, as well as Lavan’s commitment to recognising the dedication and excellence of our senior staff.
Commenting on the promotion, Family Law partner Framy Anne Browne said: “Tamara’s appointment as partner is commensurate of her steadfast contribution to the growth and development of our people and her dedication to servicing the needs of our clients. As our Family Law team continues to forge our path as a leading practice, I am elated to recognise her as a leader of Lavan.”
Iain Freeman, head of Lavan’s Litigation team also commented that: “since Millie re-joined the Lavan team in 2021 she has added an invaluable additional depth to our litigation and dispute resolution offering. Her skills in responding to ever-changing market conditions and her ability to advocate on the most complex and sensitive of matters has made a significant impact to our clients”.
On their promotion to special counsel we are delighted to congratulate:
Alex Biddulph in our Corporate Services team. Alex specialises in construction and investment property finance, corporate finance, project finance and acquisition finance. He regularly acts for banks and investment funds, both domestic and international. He is well regarded by clients and peers for his commercial approach to complex legal issues.
Donella Galavan on her promotion in our Risk & Compliance team. Donella plays an integral role in Lavan’s operations and this promotion to special counsel is testament to her experience, commitment, expertise, and specialist knowledge in all aspects of legal governance and compliance.
In other promotions and appointments, we also congratulate:
Jemma Huntsman on her promotion to senior associate in our Restructuring & Insolvency team. A member of the Lavan team since 2011, Jemma is an integral member of the R&I team, with extensive experience in providing advice to insolvency practitioners, private clients and financiers across all aspects of credit restructuring, administrations, liquidations and receiverships.
Alex Johns-Putra on her promotion to senior associate in our Property & Leasing team. Alex counsels clients on all areas of property law including the acquisition and disposal of assets, subdivisions, land development, commercial leasing, and partnering projects involving government and the private sector. She is an advocate for the development of young professionals in the sector through her involvement in industry committees.
Tristan Seymour on his promotion to senior associate in our Employment, Safety & Education team. A member of the Lavan team since 2015, Tristan is not only a trusted advisor to our client base with a broad range of expertise in employment and education law, but a valued leader in our Rostrum Club.
Mareli Treurnicht on her promotion to senior associate in our Corporate Services team. A dual-qualified lawyer, Mareli is experienced in high-value corporate and commercial transactions, commercial litigation, corporate tax and energy matters. Her commercial acumen is valued by clients and partners alike.
James Davidson on his promotion to associate in our Restructuring & Insolvency team. A member of the R&I team since 2018, James has experience in contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters, trust disputes and debt recovery and enforcement. He is valued for his strong legal knowledge and technical skills and his ability to provide timely advice and mentor others.
Jordan Grapsas on his promotion to associate in our Corporate Services team. A member of the team since 2019, Jordan has advised on a wide range of corporate transactions, with a focus on private and public mergers & acquisitions, capital raisings and ASX Listing Rules compliance. He is valued by clients and colleagues for his commercial and pragmatic approach to transactions.
Jayde Jarvis on her promotion to associate in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team. Jayde’s strategic and extensive experience in disputes spans a wide range of sectors including mining, insurance, commercial tenancy, employment and family law.
Stefan Pawlak joins Lavan as an associate in our Corporate Services team. He specialises in commercial and institutional banking, finance and lending transactions. Stefan has experience in acting for all the major Australian banks on a range of matters and brings to his clients a pragmatic and solutions-driven approach to dealing with legal issues arising across the full spectrum of banking and finance transactions.
Jessica Pollock on her promotion to associate in our Planning & Environment team. Jessica is an integral member of Lavan’s Native Title practice and specialises in not-for-profit and small firm advocacy as well as advising mining proponents, property developers and other land users on matters relating to Native Title. She is also an active member of our RAP Committee.
Denise Woolhouse-Kwik on her promotion to Lavan’s Business Development Manager. Since joining Lavan Denise has been an excellent addition to our BD team, leading our tenders and BD initiatives and being a key member of our RAP and DEI committees.
Commenting on these promotions and appointments, managing partner Dean Hely said:
“On behalf of everyone at Lavan I am extremely proud to congratulate these brilliant lawyers and professionals on their promotions and appointments. Each of these highly skilled practitioners will be integral to the Lavan team as we continue our journey to make a real difference for our clients, our people and the Western Australian community in which we live and work. They have shown a real commitment to their practice, firm initiatives and our wider society, and I know that I speak on behalf of all the partners when I say that we are thrilled to have Tamara and Millie join the partnership. I have no doubt that they will continue to strive to make a difference for their clients.”
Lavan is delighted to announce our most recent promotions and appointments.
The well-earned promotions to senior associate of Rachel Harkness in Family Law, Claudie Hughes in Property & Leasing and Zac Sharp in Restructuring & Insolvency are a true reflection of their market-leading legal expertise. The promotions to associate of Rebecca Cain in Property & Leasing, Tiffany Lau in Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Isabella Mosole in Planning & Environment demonstrate their commitment to client service and their contributions to life at Lavan.
We have also been pleased to welcome partner Bruno Di Girolami, special counsel Sharon Payn and associate Anna Lee to our Employment, Safety & Education team, special counsel Kerrie Papamihail to Corporate Services and associate Tawnee Dickinson to our Family Law team.
Commenting on these promotions and appointments, managing partner Dean Hely said: “I am delighted to congratulate these talented lawyers on their promotions and appointments, on behalf of the partners and all of our people. Lavan is incredibly fortunate to have had so many talented and committed people join us over the last six months to help us on our journey to be Western Australia’s pre-eminent law firm. I have no doubt that each of these practitioners will continue to contribute to the successes of our clients as well as to Lavan and work together to make a difference.”
On their promotions and appointments we congratulate:
Bruno Di Girolami joins Lavan as partner in the Employment, Safety & Education team. Representing employers from the private and public sector, Bruno has been involved in some of Australia’s landmark employment and H&S cases and his clients value his ability to consider complex issues and provide clear, timely and
pragmatic advice.
Kerrie Papamihail has joined Lavan as a special counsel in our Corporate Services team. Kerrie has significant equity capital markets, corporate advisory and regulatory experience and advises both local and international clients on matters including IPOs, migration listings, spin-offs, M&A, secondary capital raisings, listing rule compliance, continuous disclosure and corporate governance.
Sharon Payn joins Lavan as special counsel in Employment, Safety & Education. Sharon has extensive experience in a wide range of employment matters including workplace relations strategies, redundancies, award compliance, bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct claims.
Rachel Harkness is promoted to senior associate in our Family Law team. Since joining Lavan Rachel has become an advisor that the partners and her team can rely on. She advises clients on all areas of family law and has significant experience with complex financial matters involving international assets, corporate and trust, and taxation and accounting issues.
Claudie Hughes is promoted to senior associate in Property & Leasing. A valued member of the team, Claudie counsels her clients on all areas of property law including strata titles, sales and acquisitions of commercial and industrial premises, property financing, leasing and due diligence.
Zac Sharp is also promoted to senior associate in our Restructuring & Insolvency team. A team first practitioner who clients can depend on, Zac has experience in advising insolvency practitioners, financiers and companies in relation to restructuring, corporate insolvency and distressed investments.
Rebecca Cain has been promoted to associate in Property & Leasing. During her time at Lavan Rebecca has been heavily involved in acting for clients in relation to strata titles. She is a commercially minded lawyer and has advised property developers, strata managers and strata companies on all aspects of the strata schemes lifespan and assists with the preparation of off the plan sales contracts.
Tawnee Dickinson joins Lavan as an associate in Family Law. Tawnee practices in all areas of family law and has significant experience relating to complex children’s issues such as relocation and recovery orders, family and domestic violence and restraining orders.
Tiffany Lau is promoted to associate in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team. Tiffany has acted for clients in a range of corporate and commercial disputes and has experience in criminal law and regulatory investigations.
Anna Lee has joined Lavan as an associate in Employment, Safety & Education. Anna provides innovative solutions and provides her clients with advice on a broad range of employment and workplace relations matters. She is also a registered migration agent and can assist clients with global mobility and migration matters.
Isabella Mosole is promoted to associate in our Planning & Environment team. She is experienced in advising clients from multiple sectors across WA in obtaining planning, environmental and liquor licensing approvals. Isabella has established herself as an integral part of the Planning & Environment team and has recently received a “rising star” award by Doyle’s Guide for her work in planning law.
Luke O’Callaghan, a partner in our Corporate Services team, recently spoke to the ABC, Sky News and The West Australian on “a big week in electricity markets” last week.
The contrast between Western Australia and the Eastern States in terms of energy policy settings and outcomes were particularly noticeable last week as Daniel Mercer reported here.
The Western Australian Government announced the planned closure of its Synergy owned coal fired power stations by the end of the decade and their replacement with renewable energy and storage. This story was reported extensively, but Daniel Mercer’s analysis is worth reading here.
Luke expressed the view to The West Australian that the policy was feasible because it provided a long lead time for planning and investment, including by non-government investors. You can read The West’s analysis here (behind a paywall).
At the same time, the National Electricity Market saw unprecedented challenges, spot market price spikes and forecast shortfalls in available generation capacity leading to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s decision to suspend the spot market because it had become impossible to continue operating while maintaining system security and reliability.
Western Australian policy settings like the domestic gas reservation policy and the reserve capacity mechanism provide a kind of insurance against high domestic gas prices and shortages of generation capacity. With the Energy Security Board’s proposal to adopt a reserve capacity mechanism in the National Electricity Market in play, Luke argued that participants should look to the West for guidance.
But he cautioned that perhaps the most crucial protection against volatility in electricity markets are clear and durable energy and climate policy settings that allow infrastructure investors and operators to plan, mitigating against an unstable and disorganised transition to a low carbon future.
Lavan is delighted that partner Amber Crosthwaite has once again been recognised as a preeminent lawyer in Health & Aged Care by respected legal directory Doyle’s Guide.
Amber said “I really want to acknowledge the breadth and depth of experience in the Lavan team. This means that we can offer a full service to our clients in these sectors, always through the lens of the regulatory landscape of which they operate."
Commenting on the results, managing partner Dean Hely said, “Amber is an invaluable source of advice and support for our aged care, seniors living and disability clients. These sectors are constantly having to navigate complex regulations and reform and they are fortunate to have Amber as their advocate”.
Further demonstrating the depth of Lavan’s commitment to the sector, partner Peter Beekink was also recognised as a recommended lawyer in Health & Aged Care Law in Western Australia.
