The people who will run your matter

How the firm is put together

There is no separate Gold Coast firm and Brisbane firm. It is one team working out of two offices, chosen because Southport and Brisbane are the two busiest Magistrates Courts in Queensland and most matters start in one of them.

Work is grouped into four practices, and the person who takes your first call is usually the person who runs the file:

• Criminal and traffic. Tam Elabbasi, Samuel Hwang, Elizabeth Main, Gabby King and Charlotte Edwards.
• Family law and domestic violence. Niamh O’Dowd and Natalie Tuson, with Elizabeth Main on the criminal side of domestic violence charges.
• Commercial, litigation and disputes. Joseph Lee and Bohden Clark.
• Support. Sienna McAllister and Yasmin Elabbasi, both law clerks completing law degrees and not yet admitted as solicitors.

Law clerks work under the supervision of an admitted solicitor. They prepare material, chase disclosure and keep files moving, which is a large part of why matters do not stall. They do not give you legal advice in their own right.

Who to ask for, by the problem you have

If you are not sure, say what happened and we will route it. But if you want to ask for someone by name:

Joseph Lee has worked with the Korean and Vanuatu Consulates in Australia for many years, so if English is not your first language, say so when you call and we will match you accordingly.

What you are actually buying

A law firm is a group of people, and the qualifications on this page matter less than two questions: does this person know this court, and will they return your call. We publish direct lines and direct email addresses on every profile for the second reason.

Every matter is quoted as a fixed fee in writing before work starts, and the first appointment is free. Read the areas of practice if you want to know what we take on, or book the free first appointment and skip ahead.