News
Latest News    01 January 2024
Lavan Promotions & Appointments January 2024

Lavan is excited to announce the following promotions and appointments effective from January 2024.

  • James Barrett is promoted to senior associate and Jethro Schoeman to associate in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team.
  • Promotion of Ben Kruize to associate in our Corporate Services team.
  • In our Restructuring & Insolvency team, Amanda Soh is promoted to associate.
  • Promotion of Jay Bebbington and Jack Hely to associate our Property & Leasing team.
  • In our Construction & Infrastructure team, Regina Nunag and Nemanja Stepanovic are promoted to associate.

In the past six months, we have also been pleased to welcome the following new practitioners to the firm:

  • Adri Lock as senior associate in our Property & Leasing team.
  • Malini Tanabalan as senior associate in our Restructuring & Insolvency team.

On their promotions and appointments we congratulate:

James Barrett, on his promotion to senior associate in Lavan’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution team.  Since joining the firm as an associate in 2021, James has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team.  James specialises in complex commercial disputes with domestic and international clients across multiple sectors. 

Adri Lock, on her appointment to senior associate in Lavan’s Property & Leasing team. Adri joined Lavan as a senior associate in our Property & Leasing team in November 2023.  Adri practices in all areas of property law, with a particular focus on commercial office and retail leasing.  She has acted for several large commercial landlord and tenant clients.

Malini Tanabalan, on her appointment to senior associate in Lavan’s Restructuring & Insolvency team.  Malini joined the Restructuring & Insolvency team in September 2023 as a senior associate.  Malini has extensive experience in debt recovery matters and has acted for banks, commercial lenders, and debt recovery agencies in this area.

Jay Bebbington, on his promotion to associate in Lavan’s Property & Leasing team. Jay is a vital member of the firm and the Property & Leasing team. He has maintained a broad practice across different areas including developments, asset acquisitions, disposals and commercial, retail and NDIS specialist disability accommodation leasing.  Jay also sits on Lavan’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Jack Hely, on his promotion to associate in Lavan’s Property & Leasing team. A member of the Property & Leasing team since 2021, Jack utilises his legal knowledge to provide pragmatic solutions to supervisors, colleagues and clients.  As a transactional lawyer, he understands the importance of identifying commercial issues, and providing practical advice for clients.

Ben Kruize, on his promotion to associate in Lavan’s Corporate Services team.  Since joining the firm in 2020, Ben has been an integral part of Lavan and the Corporate Services team.  Ben specialises in mergers & acquisitions, energy projects & regulatory matters and general corporate advisory matters.  Ben also regularly assists not-for-profit entities with the obtaining of charitable registration with the ACNC and DGR endorsement with the ATO.

Regina Nunag, on her promotion to associate in Lavan’s Construction & Infrastructure team.  A member of the Lavan team since 2021, Regina goes above and beyond to meet client expectations and is an essential member of the Construction & Infrastructure team. Regina specialises in civil construction and residential building disputes including adjudication, arbitration, mediation and litigation.  She is actively involved in firm life as co-president of Rostrum Club and a member of the Community Committee.

Jethro Schoeman, on his promotion to associate in Lavan’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution team.  Jethro's broad litigation experience includes contractual disputes, board disputes regarding ASX listed entities, criminal matters, NDIS appeals, trust disputes and corporate governance issues.  Jethro is recognized in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team as reliable, commercially astute, and hard working.

Amanda Soh, on her promotion to associate in Lavan’s Restructuring & Insolvency team. A member of the Restructuring & Insolvency team since 2020, Amanda's strong technical skills and commitment to expanding her knowledge has rightfully earned a reputation in the team as being reliable, diligent and accessible.  Amanda takes ownership of her work and is willing to go above and beyond for the team, the firm and our clients.  

Nemanja Stepanovic, on his promotion to associate in Lavan’s Construction & Infrastructure team.  Nemanja is a committed and resourceful member of the Construction & infrastructure team.  Nemanja shows initiative, ensures he meets required deadlines and takes ownership for the delivery and outcome of the work he is involved in. Nemanja’s promotion to associate reflects his solid legal knowledge and commercial nous.

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 on their promotions and appointments.

Each of these highly qualified practitioners are skilled at navigating legal situations, from simple to the complex.  They have shown a real commitment to their practice, the firm and our wider society.”

Latest News    29 November 2023
Doyle’s Guide 2024 Recognises Lavan’s Family Law Team

Lavan is delighted to announce that Family Law partners Framy Anne Browne and Jorja Brady have both been recognised in the Doyle’s Guide Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers – Western Australia, 2024.  Jorja Brady has also been listed as Recommended in Leading Family Lawyers (High-Value & Complex Property Matters) – Western Australia, 2024.

Congratulations also go to Family Law associate Alistair Graham, who has been recognised by Doyle’s Guide as a Family Law Rising Star - Western Australia, 2024.  Lavan has also been listed as a Leading Family & Divorce Law firm in Western Australia 2024.

These recognitions reflect the extensive experience and talent of Lavan’s Family Law team and acknowledge the high quality of complex work that they undertake for their clients.

Latest News    02 August 2023
Lavan Advises Tassal in Acquisition and Restructure of Marine Produce Australia’s Barramundi Farm at Cone Bay, Western Australia

Lavan is pleased to have advised Tassal, Australia’s largest vertically integrated seafood grower, in its acquisition and restructure of MPA Fish Farms Pty Ltd and MPA Marketing Pty Ltd (“MPA”), which operate Australia’s only ocean-based barramundi farm at Cone Bay, Western Australia through a deed of company arrangement.

Lavan’s deal team was led by restructuring partners Joe Abberton and Leith Ayres, finance partner Ben Fong, and property partner Tamara Heng.  The deal team was supported by Amanda Soh, Michael Pendlebury, Aleisha Anderson and Piper Higgins.

The Lavan team was assisted by deals advisor Kordamentha and their team ably led by Richard Tucker, Craig Shepard and Jared Palandri.

Lavan would like to thank the administrator team at McGrathNicol led by Rob Kirman, Rob Brauer and Mark Knight and their legal advisors at Clayton Utz, led by special counsel Rebecca Hanrahan and partner Alistair Fleming for their hard work and assistance in achieving an expedited result that delivers a superior outcome for creditors, secures more than 50 local jobs in the Kimberley region, and provides a future for sustainably grown barramundi in WA.

The restructure and transaction, necessary to save the fish-stock, would not have been possible without the support of secured creditor National Australia Bank (Vic Yaschenko) and its legal advisors NRF (Jeff Black) and feed supplied Skretting (Joe Tidey).

Given Tassal’s successful turnaround of Australia’s salmon and prawn industries, Lavan is excited to be part of Tassal’s turnaround of the barramundi industry in Western Australia.  

Latest News    11 July 2023
Lavan Promotions & Appointments July 2023

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.

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."

Latest News    03 July 2023
Lavan Appoints Restructuring & Insolvency Partner Leith Ayres

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."

Latest News    10 May 2023
Doyle’s Guide 2023 Recognises Lavan’s Experienced Property & Leasing Team

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.

Latest News    20 April 2023
Lavan Lawyers recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia™ 2024

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

  • Partner Peter Beekink
  • Partner Tamara Heng
  • Partner Tim Morgan
  • Special Counsel Rebekah O’Brien
  • Special Counsel Jennifer Tropiano
  • Rebecca Cain [Ones to Watch]
  • Alexandra Johns-Putra [Ones to Watch]
  • Ching Yee Tan [Ones to Watch]
  • Emily Templeton-Knight [Ones to Watch]

 Leasing Law

  • Partner Tamara Heng
  • Partner Tim Morgan
  • Special Counsel Rebekah O’Brien

 Employee Benefits Law and Labour & Employment Law

  • Partner Ian Curlewis
  • Partner Bruno Di Girolami

Occupational Health and Safety Law

  • Partner Bruno Di Girolami

Planning & Environmental Law

  • Partner Paul McQueen
  • Partner Craig Wallace
  • Special Counsel Alex McGlue
  • Isabella Mosole [Ones to Watch]

Land Use & Zoning Law

  • Partner Paul McQueen
  • Partner Craig Wallace  

 Insurance, Litigation, Privacy and Data Security Law

  • Partner Iain Freeman

 Insolvency & Reorganisation Law

  • Partner Lawrence Lee
  • Special Counsel Shelley Gepp

Construction/Infrastructure Law

  • Partner Robert Shaw
  • Jesse Way [Ones to Watch]

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

  • Partner Derek La Ferla

Family Law

  • Mary Roseingrave [Ones to Watch]

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. 

Latest News    24 March 2023
Doyle’s Guide 2023 recognises Lavan Planning & Environment Team

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.

Latest News    28 February 2023
Lavan Appoints Family Law Partner Jorja Brady

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.”

Latest News    21 December 2022
Lavan’s Promotions & Appointments January 2023

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.”