Vanessa Parkins

Bill has been a legal practitioner for over 30 years specialising in personal injury law including motor vehicle accidents and public liability, workers compensation, medical and dental negligence, and historical child sexual abuse cases. His practice also includes commercial litigation in the ACT courts involving insurance and professional indemnity issues, building and contract disputes, and employment matters. Bill’s straightforward manner complements his extensive experience and kno...

Nicholas Seddon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Law and Government Practice. Nicholas, who practices law in Canberra, Australia, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicholas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

https://www.thelawyermag.com/au/news/general/laugh-every-day-says-mills-oakley-partner/228601 Bernice has a broad-ranging commercial-disputes practice, but her specialities are insolvency and debt recovery, shareholder disputes, and building and construction disputes. She is sought out for her sound technical advice, along with her straight-talking and commercially pragmatic approach to protecting the interests of her clients. Bernice has been described as 'formidable and practical', 'a brigh...

Melanie acts for Commonwealth government agencies, statutory entities and corporate clients. Melanie's clients operate across the full spectrum of Commonwealth activity. Her clients include Comcover, ATO and Departments including Finance, Defence, Home Affairs, Industry, Attorney-General's and Agriculture. Melanie joined Thomsons in July 2025 as part of the transition of the one of Australia’s premier Commonwealth government practices. Melanie’s practice spans litigation, dispute ...

Sarah acts for Commonwealth Government departments and agencies on procurement, contracting and governance matters. Her client base is primarily the Commonwealth and Commonwealth entities, with a particular focus on defence procurement and capital equipment acquisition. Sarah advises on procurement activities for aviation, land vehicle and maritime assets, governance matters for statutory corporations, contract negotiations, competitive tendering processes and privatisations. She leads contra...

Jeremy's practice spans work with a range of government and corporate clients. He has acted in claims before the High Court, Federal Court, various Supreme Courts and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Jeremy's administrative and regulatory law experience includes: advising Commonwealth agencies in relation to regulatory proceedings, including in relation to options and evidence required for declaratory, civil penalty and injunctive relief in accordance with the Regulatory Powers (Standard ...

Elissa acts for Commonwealth government agencies and entities, universities and private sector organisations on employment, workplace relations and safety matters. Her focus is public sector employment and workplace relations. Elissa advises on enterprise bargaining (including drafting, strategy, industrial action and approval challenges), employment litigation (general protections, unfair dismissal, discrimination and bullying), workforce planning and reform, misconduct and underperformance ...

Catherine is a Family Law lawyer based in Canberra with Parker Coles Curtis . She is known for her clear communication, practical guidance and strategic approach, helping clients navigate complex family law matters with confidence and clarity during challenging periods in their lives. As an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an Independent Children’s Lawyer (ICL), Catherine regularly represents and supports children in family law proceedings, appearing in court and advocating for o...

Mark has practised the full spectrum of business and corporate law for more than 34 years. He is one of the firm’s founding name Directors and is a NSW Law Society Accredited Specialist in Business Law. His practice concentrates on the areas of contract and commercial law, contract negotiation and drafting, as well as enforcement and compliance strategies. His practice has involved all manner of business-related matters, ranging from advising on the placement of high-end Cray computers ...

Keith is a Director in the Estates and Estate Planning Section and brings more than 40 years’ experience in legal practice. An active member of the legal community in Canberra, he is regularly asked to lecture on various aspects of estate planning including charitable trusts, special disability trusts, succession planning, superannuation and family provision claims. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association Australia, a Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ...