Farzana Choudhury, President
Farzana is the Disability Law Supervising Solicitor at Canberra Community Law (CCL), where she provides free disability discrimination law and related legal assistance and community education to support people on low incomes and facing other barriers. She was previously the Program Manager and Senior Solicitor with CCL’s Street Law program, where she assisted people facing homelessness in civil and minor criminal matters. Prior to joining the community legal sector, Farzana was an in-house lawyer with the Australian Government.
Read More +
|
 |
Susan Platis, Vice President
Susan Platis is an experienced legal practitioner with a background in civil and criminal law, and government advisory work. She was a community legal practitioner at Legal Aid ACT, before accepting a secondment as Counsel Assisting the ACT Coroner in 2019. In 2020 and 2021 Susan advised the ACT Government on criminal law and policy. She holds a Masters degree in Legal Practice, and tutored at the ANU College of Law. In her fifth term on Council Susan is Executive co-vice president and has membership of the Pro Bono Clearing House Management Committee. Susan currently practices as a Principal Solicitor for the Office of the ACT Government Solicitor and enjoys mentoring young legal professionals.
|
 |
Tim Dingwall, Vice President
Tim is a partner at Griffin Legal in the general commercial and advisory practice and was first elected to Council in 2019. He was admitted to the profession in 2018 as a mature age entrant after a previous career as a software developer and IT consultant. Tim has a particular interest in the interaction between technology and the legal industry, and specifically how it relates to legal professional responsibilities. He is keen to apply his background in technology, and experience in commercial law and corporate governance, as Vice President.
|
 |
Vik Sundar, Treasurer
Vik Sundar is the managing director of Clear Law, a boutique commercial, tax and estate planning law firm. He is a leading private wealth lawyer specialising in estate planning, SMSFs, asset protection, commercial and tax law. He was admitted to practice in 2010 and has held numerous roles including in the public service, in-house, and private practice. Prior to working at Clear Law, Vik was the Managing Director of a multi-city law firm. Other roles that Vik has held include working as a solicitor and manager at NAB Private Wealth and at the Australian Taxation Office.
|
 |
Kevin Robinson, Secretary
Kevin is a founder of Robinson + McGuinness, and has been recognised as a Preeminent Family & Divorce Lawyer and Preeminent Leading Parenting, Custody & Children’s Matters Lawyer in the ACT for 2022, the sixth year in a row, in the prestigious Doyles Guide. Prior to founding Robinson + McGuinness, Kevin practised in all areas of family law in Canberra as well as in Guardianship and Care and Protection matters. Kevin is Chair of the Society's Family Law Committee, a member of the Canberra Region Family Law Professionals Association, a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, and a member of the Independent Children’s Lawyer Panel – ACT Legal Aid.
|
 |
Elizabeth Carroll, Immediate Past President
Elizabeth is a founding partner in Holding Redlich’s Canberra office. Specialising in public and administrative law, she has led the legal teams of three Commonwealth agencies. First elected to Council in 2017, she was elected Vice President in 2018 and President in 2020. She joined the Law Society's Government Law Committee in 2018, and received the Society's Government Law Award in 2016. With over twenty years’ experience in both government and private practice, Elizabeth is representative of the diverse nature of our local profession, and she is passionate about the role professional associations play in benefiting members and the wider community.
|
 |
Andrew Allan, Councillor
Andrew is a Partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers and was admitted to practice in June 2005. He is an expert dispute resolution lawyer and works primarily in the context of common law-based insurance schemes and administrative benefit and review schemes. He was recognised as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Canberra in BestLawyersTM Australia 2022, and as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Insurance work in Canberra in 2021. He has also been recognised in the same publication for Government Practice (2017-22), Insurance (2019-22) and Dispute Resolution (2020-22). Andrew is also a Registered Migration Agent and assists businesses and individuals to obtain Australian visas.
|
 |
Georgia Briggs, Councillor
Georgia began her career 7 years ago, working primarily in criminal law with a law firm in Queanbeyan. She went on to work as a prosecutor, before switching to family law and then opening her own firm, Briggs Law, in 2021. She currently works in criminal, family, care and protection, and estate planning law. Georgia also lectures and tutors at the University of Canberra, Charles Sturt University and UNE, and is a mentor to many university students through several programs. She has been a member of the Young Lawyers Committee since early 2021, and has been shortlisted as one of the Top 10 Best Criminal Lawyers in Australia Under 30 in 2019 and 2021. Georgia has also just been appointed as a Director of the Board of Capital Football. She has just finished a Masters in Law and is currently also completing a PhD in the area of criminal law.
|
 |
Catherine Coles, Councillor
Catherine is a Founding Director of the family law firm Parker Coles Curtis that commenced operation in September 2020. Prior to that she worked in a national family law firm and also Legal Aid ACT. She was admitted to practice in 2010 and obtained Specialist Accreditation in Family Law (NSW) in 2015. She is also an Independent Children’s Lawyer, a mentor for ANU and UC law students, and volunteers at the Women’s Legal Centre. She previously served on Council from 2013 to 2017, taking time off to have two children who are now 4 years and 2 years old and keep her busy. She has been recognised as a leading family and divorce lawyer and parenting custody lawyer in the Doyles Guide for multiple consecutive years.
|
 |
Chris Donohue, Councillor
Chris has been a sole practitioner in the ACT since 1978. He practices primarily in the areas of civil litigation, commercial, conveyancing and probate. His involvement in community groups has included serving as president of the Commercial and Retail Tenants Association, the Canberra Environment Centre, and the Residents Rally (a local political party). Chris has served on Council since 2007 (excluding two years), both as a councillor and executive member, including for two years as Vice President, and two as President (2018-20). He is a member of the Society's Family Violence & Children’s Committee.
|
 |
Sarah Milson-Mahy, Councillor
Sarah commenced her legal career in Goondiwindi and was admitted to practice in 1993. She has worked in private practice in Townsville, Sydney, and Canberra. In 2017 she became a partner with local firm, Gabbedy Milson Lee. Seeking a change and an opportunity to give back, in July 2020 she accepted the role of Deputy Principal Solicitor and Head of Practice (Family Law) at the Women’s Legal Centre. She is also a NMAS Accredited Mediator. She is a current member of the Society's Family Law Committee, and also mentors young law students through the Women in Law Mentor Program at ANU.
|
 |
Adam Peppinck, Councillor
Adam was admitted in 2003 and initially practised in Melbourne and London, before returning to Canberra in 2011, first as a Special Counsel at Ashurst, and since 2014 as a Partner at Mills Oakley. Adam has spent all his legal career as a property lawyer, advising public and private sector clients in relation to the acquisition, development, sale, and leasing of real property. He also assists clients with planning law and probity matters. Adam has been listed every year since 2014 in the Best Lawyers in Australia publication, every year since 2016 in Doyle’s Guide, and every year since 2017 in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Adam has been a member of the Society’s Property Law Committee for over ten years, including having Chaired that committee for the past five years. He was also a member of the ACT Law Society’s Government Law Committee for a number of years.
|
 |
Amy Pyett, Councillor
Amy was admitted to the ACT Supreme Court in 2017 and spent several years in private practice specialising in the provision of property, development and construction related legal services, including commercial structuring and private lending and borrowing. Amy is currently a Senior Solicitor with the ACT Government Solicitor in the Property, Land and Construction team, advising on a broad range of commercial property and construction related matters. Her experience spans government and the private sector (including start-up and traditional mid-sized firms), and in 2018 and 2019 she served on the ACT Chapter Council of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), a not-for-profit organisation seeking to champion and empower women in construction and related industries to reach their full potential.
|
 |
Lisa Quilty, Councillor
Lisa is a Special Counsel at King & Wood Mallesons, having been admitted to practice in 2004. She works predominantly in the areas of litigation and dispute resolution, acting for the Commonwealth Government and also private clients in several legal areas. She is a strong advocate for gender equality and the benefits of flexible work arrangements, being a mother of three young children. She is passionate about fostering a culture that embraces diversity, equality, flexibility and inclusion.
|
 |
Mark Tigwell, Councillor
Mark has practised in Canberra since 1984, and has worked in sole practice, and as a partner, director, and special counsel in several local firms. In February 2019 Mark co-founded Bedfords Legal, where he practices principally in small-medium business and commercial matters, specialised estate planning and business succession, as well as general client advisory work. Mark was a member of Council between 2010 and 2014, before stepping down for a few years. He was re-elected to Council in 2018 and was elected Treasurer in 2020. Mark has been a member of the Society’s Professional Standards Committee since 2007.
|
 |
Amanda Wescombe, Councillor
Amanda Wescombe is a corporate and commercial lawyer specialising in telecommunications, technology, and cybersecurity. Since her admission in 2006, Amanda has worked across corporate and government in-house roles and private practice. Amanda currently works as a Special Counsel at lawyerbank, and in a prior role was the commercial and procurement lead for a global corporate, delivering a major project for the Department of Defence. An advocate of flexible working and non-traditional legal pathways, Amanda is passionate about these options, together with advances in technology, being available to lawyers to achieve a sustainable balance of work-life integration.
|
 |
