Events

Dear Colleagues,  As the introduction of AML/CMTF provisions gets closer and with the release of the Austrac Starter Kits for Law Firms and Conveyancers, it is proposed by the NNWLS to run a workshop for AML Officers and Principals in Tamworth on the 13th April to enable all firms (particularly the firms with less than 15 staff and sole practitioners) to discuss these provisions, work through the starter kits (or alternatives) and share information so we can as a region be ready for AML. Further resources will be produced by the Law Society of NSW which will assist with using the Starter Kits (as most firms will need to complete the starter kit for both Law Firms and Conveyancers unfortunately) and these will be utlised to help all firms get a good understanding of what compliance looks like and how to do it.  This is one of the greatest challenges that has affected Law Firms in many years so working together to get the region through will benefit the whole region. So that we can arrange the logistics and specialists in this area for this event Principals, can you please reply indicating if this is of interest to your firm. There will be no charge for the event and we anticipate it running from 11 to 3 to assist with the travel requirements and we will also provide lunch for all attendees. It woudl be beneficial if firms send their AML officer (who may or may not be a Principal of the firm) and a Principal (as they are ultimately responsible) so that we can help make the transition as simple as possible for all.  Whilst products offerred by providers such as infotrack will assit with meeting AML requirements there are still quite specific firm centric tasks (such as criminal record checks on staff) which will need to be done so it is important to have as much information as possible.  Please RSVP by 6 April 2026 for catering purposes. Natalie

Dear Colleagues NNWLS will be holding a Full Day CLE on Friday 27th March 2026 at IBIS STYLES, 80-90 Ebsworth Street, Tamworth, commencing at 8.30am. This year we have a heavy focus on AML/CMTF given the changes affecting our profession from 1 July 2026 and this information will be essential for all practitioners. This has made the substantive components considerably less then previous years and for this we apologise but given the importance of AML we have decided to focus on this.  A POST conference dinner will be held on the evening of FRIDAY 27th March 2025 at 5.30pm for 6pm at the same venue. This will provide a great opportunity to meet and catch up with colleagues. At this event we will also be honouring our Members who have been practicing for longer than 25 years. Dinner is a great way to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones and have an enjoyable meal - with drinks included! This year we will be joined by our speakers as well as the President of the Law Society NSW Ronan MacSweeny  and CEO Kenneth Tickle in attendance who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. It is wonderful that we get them out to the region so please join us for dinner. The CLE will provide 8 hours of eligible CLE points and the preliminary agenda includes (times of individual sessions are subject to change so should not be relied upon): 8.30am - 9.30am  Ethics Update - Linden Barnes - Senior Ethics Solicitor - Law Society of NSW 9.30am - 10.30am Lawcover Roadshow – Glenda Carey (this presentation meets the requirements for ongoing education to receive the Premium Discount on your premium) 10.45 - 12.45pm AML Update  Law Society NSW 1.15 - 2.45pm Supervision and Professional Complaints - Valerie Griswold - Director of Legal Regulation - Law Society NSW and Nadya Haddad - Deputy Director of Legal Regulation - Law Society of NSW 2.45 - 3.45pm Costs in Focus: Key Case Law Updates and What They Mean for Your Practice - Joe Rose - Principal Solicitor, Rose Legal Stay ahead of the curve with an in-depth review of the most significant costs decisions from the past 12 months. This session will unpack recent rulings, explain their practical implications, and provide actionable strategies to help your firm ensure compliance and manage risk. 3.45 - 5 pm Update on Conveyancing Case Law - Gary Newton - Accredited Specialist in Property Law, Partner HWL Ebsworth, Legal Author The cost of the day, including morning, afternoon tea, lunch as well as the conference dinner, on the Friday night, is a very low $220.00 for members and $300.00 for non members.  Spouses are welcome to attend dinner at a cost of $50.00 per head. Accommodation is available at the Ibis. Bookings should be made directly with the motel. Please book for the day at www.nnwls.tidyhq.com  with payments by credit card accepted. Arranging CLE in our region and at very competitive rates is not an easy task so I do ask that people strongly consider attending so that we can keep running these events. Regards Natalie Any dietary requirements should be included in the details field when booking. 

Seminar: Small business restructuring update ·         After a slow start SBR appointments have gone to ~3000 annually (with a high success rate) ·         Update about the process and ingredients of successful restructuring plans ·         Discussion about what the ATO expects before it will approve restructuring plans and case studies of small businesses that have successfully restructured their debt About the speaker Ben Sewell is an experienced insolvency lawyer and an ASIC qualified Restructuring Practitioner.   Please register to attend so that attendance can be recorded Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3516440437?pwd=L1VER1FLMFA1NWlwaENHdExxNW1nUT09  Meeting ID: 351 644 0437 Passcode: 2340

Engaging with EnergyCo and its legal documents EnergyCo is proposing to acquire property interests for the purposes of the New England Renewable Energy Zone (NE REZ) project. This presentation aims to assist local lawyers and regional law firms to advise property owners and other interest holders (such as tenants) whose land is affected by a proposed acquisition. The presentation will cover: a brief overview of the types of property interests that EnergyCo may acquire; EnergyCo’s acquisition and negotiation process under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991; the template agreements that EnergyCo has developed to assist in concluding negotiated agreements, including standard easement terms; and practical tips for lawyers gained from the experiences on the Central West-Orana REZ (CWO REZ) project. The presentation will be led by Brendan Bateman, Partner, and Sally Campbell, Senior Associate, from Clayton Utz, who have acted for EnergyCo on the CWO REZ and Hunter Transmission projects, and are currently advising EnergyCo on the NE REZ project. A representative of EnergyCo will also be available to answer any general questions regarding the NE REZ project. Zoom link is below: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3516440437?pwd=L1VER1FLMFA1NWlwaENHdExxNW1nUT09 

NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE DUE TO DOUBLE BOOKING BY VENUE Dear Colleagues NNWLS will be holding a Full Day CLE on Friday 28th March 2025 at IBIS STYLES, 80-90 Ebsworth Street, Tamworth, commencing at 8.30am. A POST conference dinner will be held on the evening of FRIDAY 28th March 2025 at 6pm for 6.30pm at the same venue. This will provide a great opportunity to meet and catch up with colleagues. At this event we will also be honouring our Members who have been practicing for longer than 20 years. Dinner is a great way to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones and have an enjoyable meal - with drinks included! This year we will be joined by the President of the Law Society NSW Jennifer Ball and CEO Kenneth Tickle in attendance who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. It is wonderful that we get them out to the region so please join us for dinner. The CLE will provide 8 hours of eligible CLE points and the preliminary agenda includes (times of individual sessions are subject to change so should not be relied upon): 8.30am - 9.30am  Ethics Update - Linden Barnes - Senior Ethics Solicitor - Law Society of NSW 9.30am - 10.30am Lawcover Roadshow – Glenda Carey (this presentation meets the requirements for ongoing education to receive the Premium Discount on your premium) 10.45 - 11.45am AML Update- Carol Prasad - Professional Support Solicitor - Law Society NSW 11.45 - 12.45 Costs Update- Nick Satouris - Costs - Law Society NSW 1.30 - 2.30pm Family Law Update - Shanna Mahony - Barrister - Lachlan Macquarie Chambers 2.30 - 3.30pm Update on Conveyancing Case Law - Gary Newton - Accredited Specialist in Property Law, Partner HWL Ebsworth, Legal Author 3.30 - 5 pm Topical Issues with Wills, Estates and Estate Planning – Darryl Browne – Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates The cost of the day, including morning, afternoon tea, lunch as well as the conference dinner, on the Friday night, is a very low $220.00 for members and $300.00 for non members.  Spouses are welcome to attend dinner at a cost of $50.00 per head. Accommodation is available at Gregory's. Bookings should be made directly with the motel - please mention the conference for a special rate. Please book for the day at www.nnwls.tidyhq.com  with payments by credit card accepted. Arranging CLE in our region and at very competitive rates is not an easy task so I do ask that people strongly consider attending so that we can keep running these events. Regards Natalie Any dietary requirements should be included in the details field when booking. 

We will be holding our first lunchtime seminar via Zoom on 27 August 2024. The Topic is Uncertainty about the terms of a Will and Family Provision claims. The Seminar will be presented by Fiona Sinclair, of Queen's Square Chambers.  Fiona is a Barrister-at-Law who practices from Queen’s Square Chambers in Macquarie Street, Sydney. Fiona’s legal career focuses on commercial, equity and Will disputes and she also has an active mediation practice. The Link for the meeting is below. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3516440437?pwd=L1VER1FLMFA1NWlwaENHdExxNW1nUT09  Meeting ID: 351 644 0437 Passcode: 2340