This exciting new initiative brings together seven experienced lawyers from a broad spectrum of practice areas, all passionate about supporting early career lawyers. They're committed to providing new lawyers with the steps to success and fostering a positive, inclusive environment.
This event offers a relaxed space to connect with legal professionals who are here because they genuinely want to give back. You’ll have the chance to hear about different career paths, personal experiences with mentoring, and the value of building collegial networks.
The format is flexible—attendees can choose who they speak with based on what resonates most, whether that’s career direction, practice area insights, or simply navigating the early years in law. It’s a great opportunity to gain insights from those who’ve been there and to build confidence in connecting and networking within the profession.
It’s not about formal presentations or polished pitches—just real conversations with people who’ve been where you are now.
DETAILS
- When: Thursday 23 October 2025 I 4:00pm - 6:00pm
- Where: ACT Law Society I Level 1, 5 Constitution Ave, Canberra
- Cost: New Lawyer - $25
Ticket price includes drinks and nibbles - RSVP: Monday 20 October
If you are a student interested in a mentoring opportunity please contact events@actlawsociety.asn.au
MEET THE MENTORS
CHARLENE (CHARLIE) BARRIGA
SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER I ASPEN MEDICAL
Charlene (Charlie) Barriga is a Senior Legal Officer with over a decade of experience in legal practice. She currently serves as a senior in-house lawyer at Aspen Medical, where she has worked for the past four years. Prior to her in-house role, Charlie practiced at Moray & Agnew and Snedden Hall & Gallop Lawyers, gaining broad experience across litigation and commercial law.
In her current role, Charlie advises on a wide range of legal matters including strategy, governance, regulatory compliance, industrial relations, general litigation, and contract law. She has led the implementation of legal technology solutions at Aspen Medical, streamlining workflows and enhancing operational efficiency.
Charlie supports legal matters across both domestic and international jurisdictions, with sector experience spanning government, healthcare, oil and gas, mining, IT, and recruitment services. She has presented on Unfair Contracting at the ACT Law Society, advocating for commercially balanced agreements and the prevention of contractual disputes.
In addition to her legal practice, Charlie tutors at the ANU School of Law, contributes to the ACT Law Society Civil Litigation Committee, and serves as a Director of Well360 Pty Ltd and, when time allows, enjoys spending time travelling. Her contributions have been recognised with the 2023 Aspen CEO Award for Pursuit of Excellence, and her team was named Healthcare Legal Team of the Year by Lawyers Weekly in 2023.
Charlie holds a Master of Legal Practice from the Australian National University and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Charlie is passionate about women’s health, mental health and fitness.
LAUREN BABIC
SENIOR ASSOCIATE I THOMSON GEER
Lauren is a Senior Associate at Thomson Geer. Her practice comprises estate and succession law, and elder law. Lauren works closely with clients to ensure they have an effective estate plan where she drafts Wills, testamentary trusts, special disability trusts, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Superannuation Death Benefit Nominations to reflect clients’ unique circumstances. She administers estates and secures Grants of Probate across the ACT, NSW, and Victorian jurisdictions. Lauren also acts in various dispute matters including family provision claims, claims in relation to the validity of wills and equitable claims. Lauren is passionate about supporting women in law and client relationships.
MATTHEW CARMODY
FOUNDER & GENERAL COUNSEL I OX ROOMS
Matthew is the founder of OX Rooms, a legal tech platform transforming conveyancing by offering a secure, all-in-one workspace to communicate with clients and colleagues, share documents and exchange contracts. Matthew's legal career started in Federal Government before he went to private legal practice in 2012. He worked in national mid-tier Australian firms and spent a year working in London. Early in his private practice career Matthew focussed on commercial litigation and advisory work before switching focus to real estate law and rising to Partner in 2019. Matthew also sat on the Law Society Council in 2018. In 2024, Matthew left private legal practice to co-found OX Rooms. He and can offer a range of insights and perspectives from his time navigating through private firms, becoming familiar with and developing new practice areas or using technology to improve systems and relationships.
MOHAMED EL ROUBI
PRINCIPAL I EI SQUARED LEGAL & GOVERNANCE
Mohamed el Roubi is an experienced executive and senior lawyer and a specialist in governance, risk and compliance, business resilience, corporate restructuring, M&A and issues management. He has broad commercial, legal, governance, risk and compliance experience across a range of industries operating in a multi-jurisdictional context. As a successful member of senior executive management teams at Orascom Telecom, General Electric, Amec Foster Wheeler, GardaWorld, and Seeing Machines, Mohamed has contributed to business strategy and management beyond functional responsibilities and has provided impactful legal support for countless initiatives over twenty-six years. Mohamed has worked extensively throughout five continents and has a particular focus on complex and ambiguous legal and operating environments including the Middle East and Africa. A bi-lingual (English/Arabic) Northeastern University School of Law graduate, Mohamed has both corporate and private practice experience. He is admitted to practice as an attorney and counsellor at law in Massachusetts (1999) and the District of Columbia (2000), and, after requalifying in Australia was admitted as a lawyer in New South Wales in 2022, obtaining his first practising certificate in the ACT in 2023. He now holds an unrestricted ACT private practising certificate and practices solo. Mohamed is also an experienced independent non-executive director, a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and he currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Australian Press Council and as Treasurer of the ACT Law Society.
MING LI
SPECIAL COUNSEL I AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU
Ming has over 17 years experience working in Australian Federal and State government across multiple roles in legal practice, policy development and international relations. He has post-graduate degrees in law, public administration and transport safety investigation. He is currently Special Counsel at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, an independent national transport safety investigator. His in-house role includes managing legislative reforms, providing legal and strategic policy advice to senior executives, and representing the ATSB in external engagements, including as an Australian senior official at international meetings and as legal expert embedded in overseas accident investigation deployments. He is a contributor to the textbook Aviation Law in Australia (6th Ed), is a university lecturer, and has presented at high-level International Civil Aviation Organization (United Nations) forums on aviation safety and at law conferences. He had previous stints as a policy adviser at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, a research officer at the Department of the Senate (Federal Parliament), and as a lawyer at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
EMMA REILLY
MANAGING PARTNER I MORAY & AGNEW
Emma has almost 25 years’ experience with a demonstrated history of success in defendant insurance litigation, including lawyer professional negligence claims, and employment law. Her practice includes assisting government employees, medical professionals and private clients in the context of disciplinary matters and enquiries before Ahpra, the ACT Integrity Commission and the NACC. Emma also acts for licenced workers compensation insurers in the ACT and enjoys working with their insured clients to achieve great results on disputed claims and common law claims. Emma is passionate and dedicated to providing the best client service and negotiating commercially beneficial outcomes to disputes. As Canberra Managing Partner at Moray & Agnew and a member of the firm’s National Executive, Emma is passionate about authenticity at work and valuing the significant benefits of diversity. She also enjoys contributing to the community via her role as Chair of local charity Roundabout Canberra.
Emma’s experience means that she is well placed to provide support to practitioners in the context of workplace issues, ethical dilemmas and practice management. Emma is also able to assist with career options and work/life balance, with reference to her own career progression through to managing partner with a young family. Emma is an instinctive business builder and has extensive experience in managing client relationships so as to assist with coaching and mentoring in that regard.
LISA QUILTY
SPECIAL COUNSEL I MADDOCKS
Lisa is a Special Counsel at Maddocks, having been admitted to practice since 2004. She currently works predominantly in the areas of Commonwealth litigation and dispute resolution, but has previously acted for 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 (energetic) young children. She is passionate about fostering a culture that embraces diversity, equality, flexibility and inclusion. Lisa is also Vice-President of the ACT Law Society's Council.
Registration
| New Lawyer Registration | $25.00(GST incl.) | Register |
