In-Person Event |
Piper Alderman Offices
Level 26, Riparian Plaza,
71 Eagle Street, Brisbane
Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC AustraliaDoors open at 4:30pm for Registrations
In the dynamic environment of in-house legal practice, you may often find yourself under pressure to agree to statements or requests that challenge your ethical boundaries. This seminar will provide practical insights and strategies to help you respond effectively without compromising your professional integrity.
In partnership with Piper Alderman, the Association of Corporate Counsel (Queensland) is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion tailored for corporate counsel, focusing on the critical topic of navigating ethical boundaries in the workplace.
Our panel discussion will cover:
• Understanding your primary duty to the Court and upholding the law.
• Handling requests to sign documents or authorize transactions without proper oversight.
• Managing admissions and "off the record" communications.
• Communicating effectively and educating stakeholders about legal standards and risks.
• Building trust and maintaining your independence as a legal advisor.
Why Attend?
This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate complex ethical situations confidently. You will learn from real-life scenarios and gain practical tips to enhance your role as a trusted advisor within your organisation.
Networking drinks available from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.
Speakers
Lani Bajracharya, Regional Counsel, Stryker
Lani is the current Secretary for the Queensland Division of the Association of Corporate Counsel. She is the Regional Counsel for Stryker South Pacific. Lani has extensive experience in legal counsel roles, having previously worked at Toll Group, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Thomson Geer.
Melissa Singleton, Head of Legal – Kelsian Group
Melissa is an accomplished corporate counsel with extensive experience across various sectors. She began her career in private practice, focusing on intellectual property, insurance, and commercial litigation. Following this, she joined the Queensland Government with the Environmental Regulator.
Melissa then transitioned to in-house roles, gaining expertise in industries such as oil and gas exploration, infrastructure projects, and environmental law compliance. She is currently the Head of Legal at Kelsian Group, a leading company in the transport industry.
Phil Ware, General Counsel, Stanwell Corporation Limited
Phil is the current Vice President for the Queensland Division of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Phil is an experienced senior governance executive with over 20 years in the energy and resources sector and 30 years as a lawyer. He has held significant roles in executive management and first-tier private legal practice, dealing with governance, regulatory, transactional, and contentious matters. Phil is also active in various not-for-profit professional organisations and mentoring programs. He has served on the Queensland Law Society Council and chaired several of its committees.
Moderator:
Paul Venus, Partner, Piper Alderman
Paul Venus is a highly experienced lawyer specialising in commercial litigation, dispute resolution, and commercial law across Australia. With over 29 years of experience, he has acted in all levels of the Australian Court system, including the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia, and Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales. His expertise spans areas such as competition and consumer law, intellectual property protection, privacy, franchising, technology, defamation law, insolvency litigation, and banking litigation.
Paul is known for his responsiveness, clarity, and strong advocacy, serving clients ranging from multinational corporations to SMEs and high-net-worth individuals. He also has substantial experience in contract disputes, negligence cases, corporate law disputes, and shareholder disputes. In addition to his litigation expertise, Paul brings a wealth of knowledge in commercial and corporate law, gained from non-executive director roles in the electricity and health sectors, as well as not-for-profit organizations.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Laws from Queensland University of Technology, and a Certificate of Arbitration and Mediation from the University of Adelaide.
Notes
*Competitor Exclusion – ACC Australia Partner’s may request that representative/s of a competitor organisation/s registered for the event be excluded, and ACC Australia reserves the right to make the final decision as to whether a registration is rejected. As a guide, a competitor organisation could be defined as a rival organisation of similar size to the host Corporate Partner, with an established practice, product or service in the area being showcased by the Corporate Partner’s at the event. Please provide a brief statement as to why you have deemed an organisation to be a competitor, in support of any request to ACC Australia to reject a registration.
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