Samantha Downes

Chantal Kirkwood is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leasing Law. Chantal, who practices law in Richmond, Australia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Chantal is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

One of Australia’s leading estate planning lawyers, Bernie has over 40 years’ experience advising individuals, family groups and businesses on all aspects of estate and business succession. Often acting as advisor to prominent families, Bernie’s knowledge of family trusts, superannuation and estate and elder law enables him to provide clear, practical solutions for clients with complex family and asset structures. He is often asked to provide a second opinion on existing suc...

Lu is a pragmatic disputes and business lawyer who has built a practice helping people solve contractual and property disputes, shareholders disputes, building disputes and other commercial disputes. She also assists clients with debt recovery and insolvency. She is known for putting her clients’ goals and needs at the forefront of all work - and advising from a commercial perspective if they should be proposing a settlement or choosing to proceed with litigation. In any event she will ...

Neil has more than 20 years' experience advising on all aspects of commercial dispute resolution. Neil's experience includes commercial litigation, banking and finance, insurance, insolvency, directors and officers claims, and claims under the Competition and Consumer Act and the Corporations Act. Neil regularly appears in the Supreme and Federal Courts and on behalf of clients during ASIC examinations. His clients include leading financial institutions, accountants, and corporate entities op...

Adele Katzew is our Head of Family Law, a Principal, and Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in Family Law. Adele’s strength is helping people feel comfortable whilst they're dealing with the legal complexities and emotional strain of separation and divorce . She achieves this by helping clients identify and get a positive outcome, sorting things out on their behalf - and most importantly, providing people with as much certainty as possible when their lives may feel out of t...

Keith is a key figure in tax advisory, having been in significant roles within the profession for over 20 years. He was appointed by the Federal Government to the Board of Taxation in March 2004 and was appointed Deputy Chair in May 2011. Keith’s involvement with the tax profession has extended to Chairman of the Public Accountants Committee, Victorian President, National Councillor and Chairman of the Taxation Centre of Excellence and the National Tax Advisory Committee for CPA Austral...

Matt McDonald is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation. Matt, who practices law in Melbourne, Australia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matt is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dan is a General Counsel in the firm's Corporate & Commercial group, having retired from the partnership after more than 20 years, many of them spent leading the firm's technology, media and intellectual property practice. Dan has deep experience advising on all aspects of IT, intellectual property, media and related corporate and regulatory issues – including competition and consumer law, privacy and data governance, broadcasting, defamation and other legislative compliance. He ass...

Dr. Rodger Fernandez is a Senior Lawyer at FCG Legal Pty Ltd and is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia. He is also admitted to practice as a solicitor in New South Wales and is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a Specialist Solicitor in Immigration Law. He has been in legal practice for over 30 years. He is the current Chairperson of the Advisory Committee to the Specialisation Board of the Law Institute of Victoria in immig...

Nicole Norris is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. Nicole, who practices law in Melbourne, Australia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicole is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.