Personal Injury Conference
To have an agile, informed and successful personal injury practice you need to be up to date with key legal developments. Hear from our experts on workers compensation, public liability psychiatric injury, motor accident claims and intentional torts in the morning followed by ethics, practice management and professional skills presentations in the afternoon. 233V21
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD units including:
4 units in Substantive Law
1 unit in Ethics & Professional Responsibility
1 unit in Practice Management & Business Skills
1 unit in Professional Skills
This program is based on VIC legislation
Session 1
Personal Injury Law
Chair: Leah Hickey, Special Counsel and the General Manager for West Victoria, Shine Lawyers
9.00am to 9.45am Judicial Review of Medical Panels in Workers Compensation and Public Liability
- An overview of key issues and principles
- A recent case update including a discussion of recent cases and emerging grounds of review
Presented by Fiona Spencer, Barrister, Greens List
9.45am to 10.50am TAC Legislative and Case Law Update
- Legislative amendments/review
- Protocols update and data
- Current operational projects with the TAC
- Case law update
Presented by Geraldine Collins, Principal, Maurice Blackburn
10.50am to 11.05am Morning Tea
11.05am to 12.15pm Establishing Breach and Loss in Pure Psychiatric Injury Cases
- General principles regarding an employer’s duty to provide a workplace safe from psychiatric injury
- What constitutes a breach of duty when the employee has suffered injury through:
- Bullying
- Over-work
- Vicarious trauma
- When is causation material required in psychiatric injury cases and what does it look like?
Presented by Genna Angelowitsch, Barrister, Greens List
12.15pm to 1.15pm Intentional Criminal Acts of Third Parties in the Context of Public Liability and Workers Compensation
The Courts are increasingly recognizing a duty of care to protects others against the intentional criminal acts of third parties. The recent case of Bell v Nexus Primary Health [2022] VSC 605 will be discussed as well as historical progression of the duty of care and causation.
Presented by Michel Margalit, Managing Principal, Margalit Lawyers; Leading Public Liability Compensation Lawyers - Doyles Guide 2022, Recommended Work Injury Compensation Lawyers (Plaintiff) and Public Liability Compensation Lawyers (Plaintiff), Doyles Guide 2021
Session 2
Ethics, Professional Skills & Practice Management and Business Skills for Personal Injury Lawyers
Chair: Richard Johnson, Partner, McCabes Lawyers
Ethics & Professional Responsibility
2.00pm to 3.00pm Ethics in Personal Injury Practice: Dilemmas in Mediation
- Solicitors' ethical obligations under conduct rules
- Parties' obligations in mediations
- Recent case law
- Interactive discussion canvassing real world ethical dilemmas in mediations
Presented by Michael Lombard, Principal, Lombard Mediations, materials prepared by The Hon. Michael Kent KC, Inns of Court
Practice Management & Business Skills
3.00pm to 4.00pm Using Social Media to Grow Your Practice
- How social media can grow your brand and drive business into your firm
- Which social media platforms are best for you
- How to get the most out of social media
- How to create engaging content for social media that people want to see
Presented by Jessie Weatherley, Creative Director, Jork Consulting
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
Professional Skills
4.15pm to 5.15pm Getting Value and Working Effectively with Barristers
- Whether and who to brief
- Information
- Communication
- Evaluation
Presented by Andrew Dimsey, Barrister, Dever’s List; Preeminent Insurance & Personal Injury Law Junior Counsel, Doyles Guide 2021
Testimonials
Enjoyable and educational, very good speakers
Overall, the seminar was fantastic. The speakers were great providing differing and current knowledge on the law
Would highly recommend. Appreciated all the speakers and chairs efforts
Presenters
Leah Hickey
Leah is a Special Counsel and the General Manager for West Victoria, where she leads our Victorian teams of dedicated legal professionals to provide access to justice for members of their local communities who have been wronged. A Law Institute Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law, Leah is driven by the desire to make sure all Australians have access to justice. Her primary area of practice is in Workers Compensation Claims, however Leah also has experience with Motor Vehicle Accident Claims and Public Liability claims. Leah graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Melbourne in 2008. She was successful in becoming a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in personal injury law in 2017. Leah is currently the treasurer for the Western Suburbs law association and sits on the LIV committee for specialist accreditation. Before joining Shine Lawyers, Leah worked at a leading law firm from 2011 to 2019 as a Senior Associate specializing in WorkCover claims.
Fiona Spencer
Fiona practices in administrative, commercial and personal injuries law. Her administrative law and appellate practice includes judicial review of medical panel opinions, appeals from decisions of the Magistrates’, County and Supreme Courts and appeals from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to the Federal Court. She also advises and appears in discrimination, sexual harassment, immigration and privacy disputes. Fiona’s personal injuries practice spans the gamut of disputes in the area including statutory compensation disputes (under State and Commonwealth legislation including Comcare and veterans’ claims), serious injury applications and jury trials. She has a particular interest and focus on claims involving intentional torts including police torts cases.
Geraldine Collins
Geraldine Collins is a Principal at Maurice Blackburn, based in Melbourne. She has more than 20 years legal experience in personal injury compensation claims. Doyles Guide lists Geraldine as a leading lawyer in motor vehicle accident compensation law in Victoria. She is a LIV accredited specialist in personal injuries law. She has been both the Victorian and National President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA). Geraldine was a member of the working group which undertook a complete re-write of the TAC Protocols during 2014 - 16. The new Protocols were introduced in July 2016. She is a member of the working group which has just finalized the Supplementary Common Law Protocols, which commenced 1 January 2020. She sits on the TAC Legal Liaison Committee, LIV TAC Committee, TAC Protocols Review Forum, TAC legislative review committee, the LIV Specialization Committee and is a former chair of the LIV's Litigation Lawyers' Executive. Geraldine has trained as a (snow) ski guide for people with disabilities and is involved in that activity each winter.
Genna Angelowitsch
Genna is a common law barrister, practicing primarily in personal injury and insurance law. She accepts briefs in transport accident cases, WorkCover and industrial injuries, medical negligence, public liability, police torts, VOCAT and sexual abuse cases. She also appears in administrative law matters relating to the judicial review of medical panel decisions, as well as coronial inquests. Prior to joining the Bar, Genna worked as a solicitor for over ten years in the personal injury department at Holding Redlich (now trading as Redlichs’ Work Injury Lawyers). During her time as a solicitor, Genna managed files across the complete spectrum of personal injury law, particularly in transport accident, industrial injury, medical negligence, public liability and sexual abuse cases. She also instructed in numerous hearings, including VCAT disputes with the TAC, Magistrates Court matters in WorkCover, applications for Serious Injury Certificates in the County Court, common law trials, and appeals in the Court of Appeal (both administrative and substantial). Genna also has extensive experience in the Coroner’s Court, including acting for the family of Gong Ling Tang who died shortly after being in custody at Dandenong Police Station, and acting for the families of the six individuals who died in the Bourke Street attack in January 2017. In 2017, Genna was accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a Specialist in Personal Injury Law. In 2019, Genna was a Finalist at the National Women in Law Awards in both the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year and Senior Associate of the Year categories. In 2020, Genna was again a Finalist in the National Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year category. In 2020 and 2021, she was recognised by her peers through a listing in Doyle’s Guide as a Recommended practitioner in the Motor Accident Compensation, Work Injury Compensation and Public Liability Compensation categories respectively. Genna has authored several articles featured in the Law Institute Journal and Precedent magazine, distributed by the Australian Lawyers’ Alliance. Since 2016, Genna has been a member of the editorial committee for Precedent magazine.
Michel Margalit
Michel is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law and Partner at Le Grand Margalit Lawyers. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University and a Master of Laws (Applied Law). In 2018 Michel will complete a second Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne focusing her studies on personal injury law and civil litigation. Throughout her career Michel has fought for the rights of injured Victorians, in the jurisdictions of WorkCover, TAC and Public Liability. She is a committee member of the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
Richard Johnson
Richard has practised solely in insurance law for over 15 years and has been integral to the growth of the Melbourne general liability practice at McCabes. With specialties in personal injury, workers liability and property damage, Richard regularly provides advice to insurers relating to complex indemnity issues and through this work is widely regarded for his exceptional defence and negotiation skills in highly technical matters. He has a special interest in Sports related injury claims and is a committee member of the Law Institute of Victoria Sports Law Committee.
Jessie Weatherley
Jessie Weatherley is the owner and creative director of Jork Consulting, a marketing consultancy based in Melbourne. She is passionate about inspiring professional services in their marketing. Working mainly with lawyers and accountants she understands the unique challenges and opportunities in marketing a professional services firm. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Management and Marketing from Monash University, she is a Certified Practicing Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute, and was also a judge in the 2021 & 2022 Australian Marketing Institute Awards. Jessie is a professional member of Professional Speakers Australia and is an engaging and enthusiastic speaker that aims to provide practical, useful information that you can start implementing immediately.
Andrew Dimsey
Andrew came to the Bar in 2014 after 10 years of managing the Asbestos and Public Liability practices at Maurice Blackburn. In addition to having significant experience in Asbestos litigation and Public Liability claims, since joining the Bar, his practice has expanded to encompass WorkCover (statutory benefits and common law), TAC (common law), Sexual Assault and Medical Negligence matters. Andrew litigates, principally on behalf of Plaintiffs, in each of the Magistrates Court, County Court and Supreme Courts as well as the Commonwealth AAT.
Venue
RACV City Club
Level 2, 501 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
VIC
Australia
Parking information
Parking is not included in you registration. Here are some options below.
RACV City Club Car Park. Click here to view rates
Directions
Nearby Public Transport:
Tram Stations - William/Bourke St or Queen/Bourke St
Bus Interchange - Little Collins St or Supreme Court