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LIV celebrates 71 new accredited specialists

The Law Institute of Victoria has recognised the achievements of 71 lawyers who have just become accredited specialists across eight practice areas.

user iconNaomi Neilson • 15 February 2021 • Big Law
LIV celebrates 71 new accredited specialists
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President Tania Wolff congratulated the lawyers for now being eligible to undertake further study in their different practice areas after they each spent more than four years in practice and were assessed by independent examiners. 

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“Accredited specialists are nationally recognised as demonstrating superior knowledge, outstanding skills, experience and proficiency in their preferred area of law,” Ms Wolff said. 

Ms Wolff also thanked Victorian Legal Aid for their support of the program and celebrated that they now have 62 new accredited specialist lawyers. It comprises 31 in criminal law, 14 in children’s law, 12 in family law, three in migration law and two in administrative law. 

Along with the new 71 specialists, it has congratulated the lawyers who have spent 25 years as criminal law specialists:

  • Bernard Keating, Slink & Keating
  • Leanne Warren, Leanne Warren & Associates
  • James Cahill, Cahill Legal Consultants
  • Andrew George, Doogue & George Lawyers
  • George Defteros, Defteros Lawyers, Barristers and Solicitors
  • Mark Woods, Tyler, Tipping & Woods
  • Anthony Isaacs
  • Peter Ward, Galbally & O’Bryan Lawyers
  • Anthony Robinson, Dwyer Legal Warrnambool Pty Ltd
  • Tony Danos
  • Zygmunt Zayler, Melasecca Kelly & Zayler Barristers and Solicitors
  • Chester Metcalfe, Chester Metcalfe & Co
  • Robert Stary, Stary Norten Halphen Criminal Law Specialist
  • Peter Murphy, Warren Graham & Murphy
  • Brendan Wilkinson
The LIV’s accredited specialisation program has operated for more than 25 years, providing members of the legal profession with a “meaningful way” of determining legal expertise and ensuring quality legal representation, the institution said. 

It currently recognises 1,119 specialists across 16 areas of law, with 2020 marking the 25th anniversary of criminal law accredited specialisation. 

Below is the complete list of accredited specialists in 2020:

Children’s Law:

  • Lucy Andressen, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Alice Bewley, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Fiona Hintum, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Joanne Lau, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Paul Medi, Medi & Associates
  • France Prasad, VACCA
  • Miriana Smoljko, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Barbara Tindall, Victoria Legal Aid
Commercial Law:

  • Gavin Da Gama, Vernon Da Gama & Associates
  • Amanda Harrington, Scanlan Carroll
  • Michael Holcroft, Holcroft Lawyers
  • Christine Lau, Lau Legal Consulting
  • Scott McKenzie, Velocity Legal
  • Katerina Pshenichner, Peer Legal
  • Peter Saunders, Danaher Moulton
  • Sharelle Staff, Scanlan Carroll 
  • Denise Wightman, Klaus Kenny Intelex
Commercial Litigation:

  • Nathanael Kitingan, Macpherson Kelley
  • Michael Pickering, De Marco Lawyers
  • Will Punivalu, Whyte Just & More
Criminal Law:

  • Frances Bain, Fitzroy Legal Service
  • Lauren Bowden, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Emmanuel Brennan, Emma Turnbull Lawyers
  • Madeleine Carroll, Emma Turnbull Lawyers
  • Jacqueline Caust, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Alice Cooney, County Court of Victoria
  • Glenn Cooper, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Christina Cussen, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Louis Dean, Slades & Parsons
  • Natalie Elliott, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Dionysia Giannopoulos, Doogue & O’Brien
  • Nadia Giorgianni, Giorgianni & Liang Lawyers
  • Katrina Hartman, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Cecily Hollingworth, Victoria Bar
  • Emma King, Slater & King Lawyers
  • Anh Liang, Giorgianni & Liang Lawyers
  • Stephanie Mawby, Criminal Lawyers Geelong
  • Bronwen Robertson, Victoria Legal Aid
  • David Rofe, Chester Metcalfe & Co
  • Nicole Valos, Valos Black & Associates
  • Daniel Walsh, Dribbin & Brown Criminal Lawyers
  • Sarah Wood, Victoria Legal Aid
  • Angus Woodword, WEstjustice
  • Hui Zhou, Fitzroy Legal Service
Environment, Planning & Local Government Law:

  • Adrian McMillan, Slater and Gordon
Immigration Law:

  • Lawson Bayly, Lawson Bayly
  • Kian Bone, Macpherson Kelley
  • Emily Rutherford, Camatta Lempens
  • Mitchell Simmons, MSM Legal
  • Samantha Smith, WLW Migration Lawyers
  • Coenraad Van Der Westhuizen, Federal Court of Australia
  • Tegan Weir, Clothier Anderson Immigration Lawyers
Wills & Estates Law:

  • Kristy Brealey, Tisher Liner FC Law
  • Lav Chhabra, Perpetuity Legal
  • Linda Hart, Aitken Partners
  • Rachel Hocking, KHQ Lawyers
  • Clifford Hughes, Clifford Hughes & Associates
  • Jason Lau, Hutchinson Legal
  • Binay Prasad, Sharrock Pitman Legal
  • Erika Reese, Moores
  • Bree Ridgeway, Pearce Webster Dugdales
  • Ayse Sahinbas, Ryans Law Offices
  • Natalie Talia, Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams
  • Julia Tonkin, Maddocks
Workplace Relations:

  • Justine Ansell, IR Legal Solutions
  • Benedict Coyne, Susan Moriarty & Associates
  • James Francis, Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams
  • Kate Simpson, Thomson Geer Lawyers
  • Rachel Smith, Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman
  • Rohan Tate, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
  • Nicholas White, Gordon Legal

Naomi Neilson

Naomi Neilson

Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly. 

You can email Naomi at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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