Digital program
Legal Practice Management Workshop
Tuesday 18 June to Thursday 20 June 2024
Thank you for attending the ACT Law Society's Legal Practice Management Workshop.
In keeping with the Law Society's committment to sustainability, papers relating to the workshop will be made available here for the benefit of registrants.
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Schedule Schedule
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DAY ONE
Ethical Dilemmas
ATHOL OPAS
BARRISTER
BLACKBURN CHAMBERS
Athol practices mainly in commercial law and also in general civil law and occupational discipline. Athol was called to the Bar in 2017. Before being called to the Bar, Athol worked as a solicitor in Canberra for 18 years, working in small and large Canberra firms, in a national law firm, and as a Commonwealth government in-house lawyer. Athol served for several years on the ACT Law Society Council, and was president of the ACT Law Society and a director of the Law Council of Australia. Athol has served on various committees of the ACT Law Society and ACT Bar Association, and he is a current member of the Law Society’s Legal Profession Act and Ethics Committee. Athol has been recognised in Doyle’s Guide in Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution and for Commercial Leasing.
Costs
DUNCAN HARRINGTON
MANAGING PARTNER
CANBERRA COSTING CONSULTANTS
Duncan grew up in Canberra, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Canberra. Duncan has practised as a litigation lawyer for over 6 years. He joined Canberra Costing Consultants in January 2017, prior to which time he worked for the ACT Government Solicitor office handling personal injury and commercial litigation. Earlier in his career Duncan worked in private practice, and the ACT Courts, including as an Associate to Justice Gray, and more recently as occasional acting Deputy Registrar including presiding over costs assessments.
JAMES HALL
PARTNER
CANBERRA COSTING CONSULTANTS
James grew up in Sydney and made the move to Canberra in early 2018. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Technology Sydney in early 2017 after previously graduating with a Bachelor of Business in 2012. James joined Canberra Costing Consultants in January 2018, prior to which time he worked as a plaintiff personal injury solicitor for a well regarded mid-tier firm in Sydney. James regularly appears on costs assessments in the ACT Magistrates and Supreme Courts, as well as advising clients on costing matters.
Profitability and Business Management
RODNEY JOHNSTON
EXECUTIVE MANAGER, BUSINESS ADVISORY DIVISION
NEXIA AUSTRALIA
Rodney is an Executive Manager in the firm’s Business Advisory division. Rodney joined the Nexia Canberra team in 2000. He works with a diverse range of clients from individuals and start-ups through to larger organisations and not-for-profit entities. Rodney has extensive experience in income tax return preparation for all entity types, preparation of financial accounts as well as budgeting and cash flow analysis.
KALISTA PAKKIYARETNAM
EXECUTIVE MANAGER, BUSINESS ADVISORY DIVISION
NEXIA AUSTRALIA
Kalista is an Executive Manager in the firm’s Business Advisory division. Kalista joined the Nexia Canberra team in 2004. She has extensive experience in income tax return preparation for all entity types, preparation of financial accounts as well as budgeting and cash flow analysis.
DAY TWO
Trust Accounting
Legal Profession Regulation 2007
LEA MCLEAN
FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER
ACT LAW SOCIETY
Lea McLean is responsible for the management of the Law Society’s general and statutory funds. Lea has been at the Society for 8 years and is the contact point for firms who have enquiries regarding interpretation and application of the legislation in relation to solicitor trust accounts. Lea manages the random inspection schedule of ACT trust accounts, along with examining the annual trust account external examination reports. Lea also invests statutory funds to maximise returns to assist with grants which are provided by the Society to the community legal centres in the ACT.
Risk Management
MALCOLM HEATH
PRACTICE RISK MANAGER
LAWCOVER
Malcolm joined Lawcover in 2012 and is Practice Risk Manager. In this role, he visits law firms and meets with the principals, employed solicitors and senior support staff to discuss identifying and reducing professional negligence claims-prone situations.
Malcolm presents risk management strategies through a variety of workshops, seminars and briefings through Lawcover’s Risk Management Education Program, on-site at law firms, at the practice management courses of The ACT Law Society, the Law Society of NSW, The College of Law, FMRC, Universities, NSW Regional Law Societies’ seminars and other events.
Prior to joining Lawcover, Malcolm ran his own company for 20 years providing consulting services to the general insurance industry and the legal profession. He has been a sole director and a co-director of private companies.
With a degree in Psychology and his experience in business, Malcolm focuses his work on the importance of effective law firm management and profitability which helps reduce professional negligence risk.
DAY THREE
Tax Effectiveness
MICHAEL BANNON
PARTNER, TAXATION CONSULTING
NEXIA AUSTRALIA
Michael joined Nexia Canberra in 1989 after 18 years in the Sydney and National Canberra offices of the Australian Taxation Office. He heads the Tax Consulting Division, which provides specialist tax advice to a broad range of clients including individuals, partnerships, trusts, companies, superannuation funds and public sector organisations. He has developed a specialty in achieving income tax exemptions for eligible organisations under the income tax law, including the associated fringe benefits tax concessions. Michael gives specialist advice to other accounting and law firms on the application of Australia’s tax and superannuation laws to their clients. He is also engaged to advise on which entity structure (sole trader, partnership, company or trust) most appropriately fits a client’s circumstances. Michael has advised the Committee of Public Accounts for the Federal Parliament and has attended before Parliamentary Committees on behalf of National Industry Associations. For 25 years, he wrote a weekly article for the Canberra Times Sunday newspaper on tax and superannuation laws and has provided comments on ABC radio. Michael’s forte is his ability to explain the application of Australia’s tax and superannuation laws simply and concisely.
Cyber Security
- Australian cybersecurity daily news
- Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
- ACSC: Cyber Incident Response Plan
- ACSC: Essential Eight
- Security training and tools: KnowBe4
- Security training and tools: Phished
- Cybersecurity legal and risk advice: Cyber GC
MALCOLM HEATH
PRACTICE RISK MANAGER
LAWCOVER
Malcolm joined Lawcover in 2012 and is Practice Risk Manager. In this role, he visits law firms and meets with the principals, employed solicitors and senior support staff to discuss identifying and reducing professional negligence claims-prone situations.
Malcolm presents risk management strategies through a variety of workshops, seminars and briefings through Lawcover’s Risk Management Education Program, on-site at law firms, at the practice management courses of The ACT Law Society, the Law Society of NSW, The College of Law, FMRC, Universities, NSW Regional Law Societies’ seminars and other events.
Prior to joining Lawcover, Malcolm ran his own company for 20 years providing consulting services to the general insurance industry and the legal profession. He has been a sole director and a co-director of private companies.
With a degree in Psychology and his experience in business, Malcolm focuses his work on the importance of effective law firm management and profitability which helps reduce professional negligence risk.
Employment Issues
GABRIELLE SULLIVAN
PRINCIPAL
SULLIVANS LEGAL CO
Gabrielle is Principal at Sullivans Legal Co. She is an Accredited Specialist in Employment & Industrial Law. She also has 20+ years experience in the practice of civil law, is a GAICD qualified company director and long term Doyle’s listed ‘Best Lawyer’.
Attracting, Managing and Motivating Staff
ALEX ELLIOTT
DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
ELLIOTT GRAY
Alex Elliott is Director and Co-founder of local recruitment agency Elliott Gray. Recognisable for recruitment interactions, Alex has sourced talent across Canberra, Sydney, and New Zealand for two decades. Dedicated to workforce development, she prioritises transparent communication and top-tier career opportunities for candidates. With a background spanning public, private, and non-profit sectors, she’s managed recruitment functions internally, contributed to major RPO arrangements, and served in the Commonwealth Government. A lateral thinker, Alex tackles problems at their core, striving to elevate the recruitment industry by delivering exceptional service and value.
MIKEY RICHARDSON
RECRUITMENT EXECUTIVE, COMMERCIAL TEAM LEADER
ELLIOTT GRAY
Mikey is a consultant and recruitment specialist at Elliott Gray, he excels in connecting people to suitable roles by understanding their motivators for long-lasting matches. He values authenticity, quality, service excellence, and results, building relationships based on trust and genuine interactions. Bringing fun to the workplace, he enjoys engaging with both internal and external colleagues. Known for his impressive dance moves, he adds a lively touch to the daily grind.
