Slater & Gordon - Lawyers, Lawyers Australia, Law Firm

Board & Management

In 1987 Anna became the first woman National Secretary of the Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia and, upon amalgamation, the Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia. She has been a vice president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and a member of the boards of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the NRMA.

She was also a member of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). Anna is a Non-Executive Director of Industry Super Holdings Pty Ltd, along with subsidiaries including Members Equity Bank and Industry Funds Management. She is also an Executive Director of CoSolve Pty Ltd where she consults in workplace relations. She is a member of the Mothers Day Classic Sydney Organising Committee which stages an annual event to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and a qualified Leader with Girl Guides NSW.

Anna is the Chair of the Board and Nominations and Remunerations Committee and a member of the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee. Anna brings to the Board a broad knowledge of government and corporate environments, in particular banking and financial services. She is a specialist in workplace relations and is highly skilled in facilitation, collective decision-making and mediation. Anna has developed a strong capability in corporate governance including financial performance, and has a strong commitment to coprorate responsibility.

Peter Gordon - Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair

Peter is internationally renowned for his work on numerous landmark cases during his leadership of the class actions and major projects division between 1986 and 2008. Cases include the first successful asbestos cancer claim in Australia in 1984 followed by thousands of actions for asbestos affected employees in Australia and the US; the first medically acquired HIV/AIDS trial in the world in 1990; the world's first group settlement against Dow Corning for women injured by defective breast implants; acting for union and asbestos victims groups in the inquiry into the James Hardie companies in 2004, and acting for Rolah McCabe in the litigation against British American tobacco. Most recently, Peter has led the team on the class action trial over the arthritis drug, Vioxx.

Peter served as the President and Chair of the Western Bulldogs from 1989 to 1996. He has been a Director (and Acting Chair) of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) since 2005, is the inaugural Chair of Victoria Walks, and the Chair of the Australian Community Centre for Diabetes.

Peter has been an owner of Slater & Gordon since 1989 and a Director since 2000. In addition to contributing the benefit of his extensive experience, Peter brings to the Board key skills in project litigation management and business strategy.

Andrew Grech – Managing Director

Andrew joined Slater & Gordon in 1994 and has worked as a litigator in most areas of the company’s litigation practice. Andrew also spent three years in the then fledgling Sydney office between 1997 and 2000. Since he became Managing Director in 2000 the company has enjoyed substantial growth, expanding from seven offices in 2002 to thirty in 2009. Andrew has also successfully managed the acquisition and integration of thirteen smaller firms over the past two years.

Andrew has more than twenty years of experience as a legal practitioner which has equipped him with very strong skills in the assessment and maangement of litigation risks. During his tenure as Managing Director, Andrew has developed skills in all facets of legal practice management.

Ken Fowlie – Executive Director

Ken has taken a lead role in establishing Slater & Gordon’s presence in New South Wales. One of two original Slater & Gordon employees in that State, Ken now leads a team of around 130, the majority of whom have joined the company through the acquisition of smaller firms.

Ken has been a litigator for more than a decade. He has extensive litigation experience in claims for sufferers of asbestos related illness, including acting for the ACTU and asbestos support groups in negotiations with James Hardie, and large multi-party group and representative actions.

As State Manager in NSW and Divisional Practice Group Leader for commercial and project litigation, Ken brings to the Board a unique operational perspective in two of the company's key strategic areas. As a legal practitioner with 15 years' experience and a strong interest in economics, Ken contributes skills in legal practice, legal practice management, risk management, financial analysis and financial reporting.

Ian Court – Non-Executive Director

Ian has extensive experience as a senior executive and Non-Executive Director in a diverse range of companies and industry sectors. He is currently a Non-Executive Director with Victorian Funds Management Coporation (Chair of the Nominations and Remunerations Committee), SSSR Holdings Pty Ltd, Epic Energy Holdings Pty Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiaries (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee). He is an Executive Director and Chair of the ACTU Member Connect Pty Ltd and also Chair of the Industry Funds Management Investor Advisory Board.

Prior non-executive positions held include companies in the financial services; unlisted infrastructure; private equity, and property sectors including Pacific Hydro Pty Ltd, Federal Airports Corporation, Utilities of Australia Pty Ltd, Bennelong Funds Management Pty Ltd, Ecogen Holdings Pty Ltd, Australian Venture Capital Association Ltd, Australian Prime Property Funds Custodian Pty Ltd, and Deputy Chair of ISPT Pty Ltd. Ian was also the inaugural President of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST). Prior executive positions include CEO of Developement Australia Funds Management Ltd (1998-2004) and Executive Chair of Cbus (1992-1998). Earlier in his career, Ian was a senior industrial officer with the ACTU (1982-1992).

Ian is the Chair of the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management committee and is a member of the Nominations and Remunerations Committee. Ian brings to the Board expertise and skills in finance, financial markets, business strategy, human resources, risk management and corporate governance.

Erica Lane - Non-Executive Director

Erica Lane Erica has over 20 years of experience at Board and senior executive levels in a range of international business and government related environments. She has expertise across a broad range of industry sectors, in particular financial services, professional services and healthcare.

Erica was a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration and Human Resources Committee for Victorian Funds Management Corporation from 2002 to 2009, and was on the Board of Eastern Health from 200 to 2004. Erica currently runs her own advisory firm focused on strategy and business performance. She is also a Director of the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation and Founder of AnaphylaxiSTOP, philanthropic organisations which support medical research into life threatening food allergies.

Earlier in her career, Erica held senior executive positions with ANZ Bank, CS First Boston (NY, USA), KordaMentha and RACV, and consulting roles with Booz Allen & Hamilton, Arthur Anderson and Korn Ferry International. Prior to her business career, Erica practised as a medical microbiologist in the public health system. Erica was awarded the Rupert Murdoch Fellowship in 1992 and was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women's Awards in 1997.

Erica was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the company in December 2008. Erica is also a member of the Nominations and Remunerations Committee and the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee. Erica contributes specialised skills in strategy, finance, general management and business turnaround and performance improvement.

Wayne Brown - Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary

Wayne joined Slater & Gordon in 2004 as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.

Prior to joining the company, Wayne was the financial controller of the ASX listed Grand Hotel Group and prior to that, Wayne spent ten years with Arthur Andersen where he specialised in corporate recovery and restructuring. Wayne contributes skills in financial management, analysis and reporting.

Kirsten Morrison - General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary

Kirsten completed her articles at Allen Arther Robinson in 2003 and obtained experience in property, planning and commercial litigation before completing an Associateship to the Hon. Justice Hargrave in the Commercial List of the Victorian Supreme Court in 2005.

Kirsten commenced as a commercial litigator with Slater & Gordon in 2006 and then as General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary in 2008. She is currently completing subjects toward a post-graduate qualification in corporate governance. Kirsten contributes skills in legal compliance, corporate governance and commercial litigation.

Management Structure

Slater & Gordon’s senior leadership team, the National Executive, is made up of leaders of the largest National Practices, State Practice Group Leaders and senior functional managers. The members of the National Executive are:

Peter Gordon - Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair

Peter is internationally renowned for his work on numerous landmark cases during his leadership of the class actions and major projects division between 1986 and 2008. Cases include the first successful asbestos cancer claim in Australia in 1984 followed by thousands of actions for asbestos affected employees in Australia and the US; the first medically acquired HIV/AIDS trial in the world in 1990; the world's first group settlement against Dow Corning for women injured by defective breast implants; acting for union and asbestos victims groups in the inquiry into the James Hardie companies in 2004, and acting for Rolah McCabe in the litigation against British American tobacco. Most recently, Peter has led the team on the class action trial over the arthritis drug, Vioxx.

Peter served as the President and Chair of the Western Bulldogs from 1989 to 1996. He has been a Director (and Acting Chair) of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) since 2005, is the inaugural Chair of Victoria Walks, and the Chair of the Australian Community Centre for Diabetes.

Peter has been an owner of Slater & Gordon since 1989 and a Director since 2000. In addition to contributing the benefit of his extensive experience, Peter brings to the Board key skills in project litigation management and business strategy.

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Andrew Grech – Managing Director

Andrew joined Slater & Gordon in 1994 and has worked as a litigator in most areas of the company’s litigation practice. Andrew also spent three years in the then fledgling Sydney office between 1997 and 2000. Since he became Managing Director in 2000 the company has enjoyed substantial growth, expanding from seven offices in 2002 to thirty in 2009. Andrew has also successfully managed the acquisition and integration of thirteen smaller firms over the past two years.

Andrew has more than twenty years of experience as a legal practitioner which has equipped him with very strong skills in the assessment and maangement of litigation risks. During his tenure as Managing Director, Andrew has developed skills in all facets of legal practice management.

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Ken Fowlie – Executive Director and NSW Practice Group Leader

Ken has taken a lead role in establishing Slater & Gordon’s presence in New South Wales. One of two original Slater & Gordon employees in that State, Ken now leads a team of around 130, the majority of whom have joined the company through the acquisition of smaller firms.

Ken has been a litigator for more than a decade. He has extensive litigation experience in claims for sufferers of asbestos related illness, including acting for the ACTU and asbestos support groups in negotiations with James Hardie, and large multi-party group and representative actions.

As State Manager in NSW and Divisional Practice Group Leader for commercial and project litigation, Ken brings to the Board a unique operational perspective in two of the company's key strategic areas. As a legal practitioner with 15 years' experience and a strong interest in economics, Ken contributes skills in legal practice, legal practice management, risk management, financial analysis and financial reporting.

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Wayne Brown - Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary

Wayne joined Slater & Gordon in 2004 as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.

Prior to joining the company, Wayne was the financial controller of the ASX listed Grand Hotel Group and prior to that, Wayne spent ten years with Arthur Andersen where he specialised in corporate recovery and restructuring. Wayne contributes skills in financial management, analysis and reporting.

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Mike Feehan – Chief Operating Officer

Mike joined the Company in 2006 after having consulted to it for three years.
He was instrumental in the development of the Company’s strategic plan and the Employee Ownership Plan.

Mike had previously worked for Orica in several senior executive roles, including as General Manager of its Adhesives division, General Manager of its largest petrochemical site at Botany in Sydney and Group Corporate Affairs Manager.

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Kirsten Morrison - General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary

Kirsten completed her articles at Allen Arther Robinson in 2003 and obtained experience in property, planning and commercial litigation before completing an Associateship to the Hon. Justice Hargrave in the Commercial List of the Victorian Supreme Court in 2005.

Kirsten commenced as a commercial litigator with Slater & Gordon in 2006 and then as General Counsel and Joint Company Secretary in 2008. She is currently completing subjects toward a post-graduate qualification in corporate governance. Kirsten contributes skills in legal compliance, corporate governance and commercial litigation.

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Paul Henderson - Principal Lawyer

Paul has led or worked in most of the Company’s personal injury practices with cnsiderable success. Paul is regarded as an authority in the field of catastrophic njury claims and currently practises in the Medical Negligence and Workers compensation practices.

In addition, Paul has extensive experience in the design and implementation of precedent and workflow systems and is responsible for overseeing the development of the Company’s workflow and knowledge management platform, key component of the Practice Management System.

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Marcus Clayton - National Practice Group Leader - Industrial
and Employment Law

Marcus is the National Practice Group Leader for the Industrial and
Employment law practice.

Highly regarded in the union movement, he leads the Company’s national Industrial and Employment Law practice, with overall responsibility for dealings with the many unions for which the Company acts.

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Cath Evans - National Practice Group Leader - Motor Vehicle Accident

Cath is the National Practice Group Leader for the Motor Vehicle Accident practice. Cath oversaw rapid growth in the Melbourne Motor Vehicle Accident practice, and now leads that practice nationally.

Cath also has responsibility for the development and implementation of the Company’s National Practice Standards, which play a pivotal role in quality assurance, risk management and the training of staff.

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Hayden Stephens - National Practice Group Leader – Workers Compensation

Hayden is the National Practice Group Leader for the Workers Compensation
practice. In his previous role Hayden was instrumental in the rapid growth of the
Perth practice.

Hayden has now returned to Melbourne to take national responsibility for the growth of the Workers Compensation practice.

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James Higgins - Principal Lawyer - Asbestos and Project Litigation

James is a Principal lawyer specialising in asbestos litigation and the
conduct of class actions.

James has recently returned from the Brisbane office where he was State Practice Manager during a period of rapid growth in that practice.

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Mark Walter – National Practice Group Leader - Commercial Litigation

Mark is the National Practice Group Leader for the Commercial Litigation practice.

Mark has overseen the expansion of the company's range of legal services into the commercial area in the Melbourne practice and now, as National Practice Group Leader, has the responsibility for the growth of commercial law services nationally.

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Chris Prast – State Practice Group Leader – Western Australia

Although not a lawyer, Chris has 30 years experience in the law, and has been involved in litigation in all jurisdictions in Western Australia.

Chris has a particular interest in the rights of injured workers and has appeared regularly as an advocate in all compensation Tribunals in Western Australia over the last 20 years.

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Stuart Barnett - Practice Group Leader - Newcastle | Gosford

Stuart Barnett Stuart is the Practice group Leader for the Newcastle and Gosford Offices. Prior to joining Slater & Gordon he was the managing partner of a leading Newcastle law firm until its merger with Slater & Gordon in 2006.

Stuart oversees the growing Newcastle and Central Coast offices and is responsible for growing the firms personal injury practice on the Far North Coast of New South Wales.

He is an accredited specialist in Personal Injury Law and has a particular expertise in coal miners personal injury matters, serious injury claims and coronial work.

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Gerard Peter Rees - Practice Group Leader, Canberra

Gerard Rees’ strong communication skills, effective method of preparation and easy going nature are only few of the components behind the selection to have Gerard as the practice group leader in the Canberra office of Slater & Gordon.

Gerard’s vast experience has been gained not only by his position in the legal field but also through being involved in areas outside of the law. Those various roles include:
    · President and Chairman of Directions – the largest drug and alcohol agency in the ACT
    · Chairman of the ACT AFL Appeals Board and Appeals Committee
    · Honorary ambassador of the ACT as appointed by the Chief Minister.

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Board & Management

Board Members

National Executive Team

Board Members

Management Structure

Stuart Barnett - Practice Group Leader - Newcastle | Gosford

Gerard Peter Rees - Practice Group Leader, Canberra