Lesley Barber

Ann’s Vision Ann Janssen founded the firm in 2009 based on her vision to deliver first-class estate planning and administration services to clients at an accessible cost. Her reasoning was that if a law firm only focussed on this area of law, it would quickly become expert and efficient at it. This has proven to be true, and now Estate First Lawyers has become one of the largest estate planning teams of its type operating Australia wide. The firm consistently receives very high feedback...

Kim is a Special Counsel who practices in all areas of banking and finance law with a focus on corporate and business finance. Kim provides strategic and practical advice on a range of project documentation, including finance documents, charges and mortgages, and also advises parties receiving finance. Kim has experience undertaking due diligence for a variety of lenders who provide commercial loans. He also advises clients on the impact of the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 on their b...

Laura is a Special Counsel in the firm's Disputes Resolution & Litigation team, specialising in the areas of family business succession, estate planning and superannuation. She has over 16 years’ experience working with private clients and family businesses in crafting and executing succession plans. Laura’s key focus is to understand each individual or families motivation for their succession planning and tailor an appropriate plan for the individual or family. Her areas of e...

Deano is the managing Director of Simonidis Steel lawyers. From the commencement of operations in 2001, Deano has expanded the firm to the Gold Coast and more recently to Brisbane’s Northside to cater for a growing clientele. Practicing Family Law for 26 years, Deano has been Accredited by the Queensland Law Society as a Family Law Specialist due to both his experience and credentials in the field. It is no surprise that the hard work of Deano and the firm collectively were recognised b...

Andrew has more than 20 years' experience in the construction and engineering matters, both in Australia and in the United Kingdom, and advises principals, contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, architects and other consultants. Andrew leads a pre-eminent Construction team in Queensland consisting of 12 construction lawyers regarded as leading advisers to the industry, particularly in relation to the adjudication process under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Q...

Laura Gahan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leasing Law and Real Property Law. Laura, who practices law in Brisbane, Australia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laura is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Philip has over 30 years' experience practicing in business, commercial, and corporate law. Philip's range of industry experience includes agribusiness (private sector and public sector), mining services, large commercial and residential property development projects, acquisitions and sales, manufacturing, food service, medical practices, wills, and estates. Philip's areas of expertise are: Corporate acquisitions - company and business acquisitions, mergers, buy outs, and joint ventures. Corp...

Christopher O'Connor is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Christopher, who practices law in Brisbane, Australia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Khory is a highly experienced litigator, negotiator and strategist with over 30 year’s experience. He provides wide-ranging issues management and conflict advice to corporate and government decision makers at the highest levels. Khory has advised clients across a multitude of industries including energy, resources, finance, building and construction, government, health and education. He advises clients on commercial and industrial disputes and disruptions, strategic risk and issue manag...

Qualified as a lawyer, chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser, Mark provides advice across the spectrum of taxes. He has experience in income tax, capital gains tax, goods and services tax, fringe benefits tax, payroll tax and land tax. Mark assists with all legal matters involving taxation law, including making applications for private, class or product rulings from the ATO. He assists with tax audits and with related settlement negotiations with the ATO and State revenue authorities...