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Our highly qualified staff can help you with all aspects of Business and Personal Legal requirements. To contact us about your Legal requirements please select the required team member and follow the link to their email address. Alternatively, contact us via the Contact Us page.

Partner

Tony O'Connor

Tony.O'Connor@spglawyers.com.au

Tony was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1986 and commenced employment with SPG Lawyers in 1990 in the Litigation Division and became a Partner in 1991.

Through his time with SPG Lawyers, Tony has been involved continually in the management of common law litigation through all State Tribunals and Courts as well as the Federal Court of Australia.

He has significant experience in a wide range of matters including:

  • Litigation disputes arising out of commercial transactions and insurance claims;
  • Disputes arising under deceased estates;
  • Guiding businesses faced with public liability and Workcover claims;
  • Fair Work Commission and Federal Circuit Court proceedings arising under the Fair Work Act.

Tony has also tracked the ever changing industrial law landscape and provided advice (predominantly to employers) in respect of Awards, Award Flexibility and Common Law Contracts.

He frequently appears as advocate in contested matters in courts and tribunals and has appeared in hundreds of mediations and conciliations.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Queensland Law Society
  • Admitted Solicitor of Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Admitted Solicitor of the High Court of Australia

Team Members:

Alison Turner - Senior Legal Assistant

  • Email: Alison.Turner@spglawyers.com.au
Partner

Michael Webb

michael.webb@spglawyers.com.au

Michael joined SPG Lawyers in 1982 as an articled law clerk. He was admitted as a solicitor in January 1989 and has been a Partner of the firm since July 1991.

Michael’s areas of practice include:

  • Acting for franchisors and franchisees;
  • Acting for lessors and lessees in Retail and Commercial leases
  • Acting for shopping centre owners;
  • Acting for small business owners,
  • Preparation of shareholder agreements and buy sell agreements
  • Acting for parties in the sale and purchase of businesses;
  • Shopping centre sales and purchases;
  • General conveyancing;
  • Joint Ventures and Development Agreements
  • Establishment of Companies, Partnerships and Trusts

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (QUT)
  • Completed Practice Management Course
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Admitted Solicitor in the High Court of Australia
  • Member of Queensland Law Society

Team Members:

Francene Quetcher - Senior Legal Assistant - Property & Commercial

  • Email: Francene.Quetcher@spglawyers.com.au

Janette Webb - Legal Assistant

  • Email: maw.assistant@spglawyers.com.au

Sarah McTaggart - Legal Assistant

  • Email: sarah.mctaggart@spglawyers.com.au
Partner

Paul Jones

paul.jones@spglawyers.com.au

Paul practises in commercial matters with particular emphasis on

  • Specialised Corporate and Individual Structuring
  • Commercial Property and Business Acquisitions and Partnerships (specialising in Pharmacies)
  • Body Corporate and Management Rights matters
  • Commercial and Retail Leasing
  • Corporate Finance

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (Bond University)
  • Bachelor of Commerce (Bond University)
  • Completed Practice Management Course
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Admitted Solicitor in the High Court of Australia
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
  • Member of Gold Coast District Law Association

Team Members:

Leonie Saxby - Senior Legal Assistant

  • Email: Leonie.Saxby@spglawyers.com.au

Lauryn Smith - Legal Assistant

  • Email: Lauryn.Smith@spglawyers.com.au

Madeline Gordon - Legal Assistant

  • Email: madeline.gordon@spglawyers.com.au
Partner

Matthew Brook

Matthew.Brook@spglawyers.com.au

Matthew joined SPG Lawyers in 2008. He is a Partner of the firm and practices in the area of property development, working with private and public developers in Queensland.

As Matthew practices in property development, he works with a range of clients in order to assist and advise them in a wide range of property matters, including:

  • Strata Title Development Projects including Mixed Use Projects, Staged Projects and Projects with Layered Arrangements;
  • Land Developments and Subdivisions;
  • Body Corporate and Community Management issues;
  • Commercial Finance (acting for Borrowers and Lenders);
  • Commercial and Retail Leasing;
  • Site acquisition and disposal;
  • Joint Ventures and Development Agreements;
  • Establishment of Companies, Partnerships and Trusts
    Recent matters that Matthew has been involved in include:

  • Advising on the structure of, and establishing, one of the Gold Coast’s largest layered Community Titles Schemes;
  • Advising on the structure of and assisting with all aspects of acquisition, subdivision, financing and disposal of a $150 million Community Titles Scheme project on the Gold Coast;
  • Assisting with the acquisition of a large resort that is subject to the Mixed Use Development Act, and providing advice in relation to its titling and operation arrangements;
  • Assisting with the acquisition of a number of car dealerships from a listed public company;
  • Shopping Centre establishment, acquisition and disposal.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (Bond University)
  • Completed Practice Management Course
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Partner

Maria Stafurik

Maria.Stafurik@spglawyers.com.au

Maria practices in property and commercial law with particular emphasis on health professions. She has been involved in numerous transactions involving sales, purchases and restructures of high net worth businesses with a focus on pharmacy related businesses and transactions Australia wide.

Maria’s areas of practice include:

  • Commercial and Retail Leasing acting for both tenants and landlords;
  • PBS Approval for new and relocating pharmacies;
  • Commercial and residential conveyancing;
  • Business restructures;
  • Entering, exiting and establishing partnerships;
  • Business structure advice including assisting in incorporation of companies, drafting Trust Deeds, drafting Shareholders Deeds and drafting Shareholders and Unitholders Deeds
  • Franchising;
  • General Commercial Transactions

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
  • Bachelor of International Business
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Partner

Jeffrey (Hao) Su

Jeffrey.Su@spglawyers.com.au

Jeffrey Su is a Senior Associate at SPG Lawyers. He graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws from Bond University. He was admitted to the Queensland Supreme Court as a solicitor. He joined SPG Lawyers in February 2014 as a commercial lawyer.

Jeffrey has prior experience in an international law firm in Shanghai where his main area of work involves international business laws. Jeffery has good knowledge of the business and corporate laws in Australia and China.

Jeffrey advises on the sale and purchase of real estate including residential, commercial and mixed use real estate projects and rural properties and advises on property and financier due diligence investigations, community title and body corporate law.

Jeffrey’s expertise includes acting for sophisticatedclients/purchasers and joint ventures to negotiate and prepare contracts for the acquisition of commercial sites, and subsequently working closely with his client and their advisers to construct and sale the sites and units to end buyers.

At SPG Lawyers, Jeffrey will be handling all commercial matters, including matters relating to:-

• Body Corporate and Community Management;
• Residential and Commercial Conveyancing;
• Commercial and Retail Leasing;
• Commercial Contracts;
• Management Rights.

Jeffrey speaks both English and Mandarin (both writing and fluent speaking).

Recent Matters Jeffrey has been involved in include:-

• Advising clients purchasing $30+ million shopping centre;
• Advising clients purchasing $30+ million shopping centre;
• Advising clients purchasing numerous off-the-plan management rights businesses with over $10+ million in acquisition and restructuring client’s internal shareholding structure and financial agreements;
• Advising foreign clients on joint venture, partnership agreement, foreign acquisition and Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”) structures;
• Advising foreign clients on shareholding agreement, share purchase agreement and profits sharing agreement;
• Advising clients on commercial leasing and body corporate laws;
• Advising corporate and private clients on the acquisition and disposal of businesses, such as shopping centres, management rights, retails businesses, and rural interests including preparing specialty contracts and option agreements.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Master of Laws (ongoing)
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society

Business Manager

Jane Turner-Young

Jane has over 20 years experience in legal practice management.
Her areas of expertise are finance and human resources.
Outside of SPG Jane enjoys all sports particularly netball, tennis & rugby league.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Qld Law Society Practice Management Course
  • Diploma of Management
  • Member of Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA)
  • Associate Member of Qld Law Society
  • Justice of the Peace (Qualified)

Team Members:

Caroline Farmer - Accounts Supervisor

  • Email: Caroline.Farmer@spglawyers.com.au

Kirsty Ivanusa- Credit Control & Accounts

  • Email: Kirsty.Ivanusa@spglawyers.com.au
Senior Associate

Hannah Crabtree

Hannah.Crabtree@spglawyers.com.au

Hannah graduated with a Bachelor or Laws from Bond University in February 2017. Whilst completing her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Hannah undertook an internship with SP&G and on completion was admitted as a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2017.

Hannah’s areas of practice include:

  • Commercial leasing, including retail shop leases;
  • Commercial and residential conveyancing;
  • Management rights;
  • Business acquisitions and sales including pharmacies;
  • Corporate finances;
  • Body corporate matters;
  • Retirement village acquistions;
  • Debt recovery.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Admitted Solicitor in the High Court of Australia including the Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Associate

Kimberley Yin

Kimberley.Yin@spglawyers.com.au

Kimberley Yin commenced at SPG in 2013 after her graduation with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons). Kimberley was admitted to the Queensland Supreme Court as a solicitor in June 2013.
Kimberley has experience as an in-house counsel in a Singapore semi-government listed company and she has good knowledge and experience in corporate compliance and handling classified agreements.
In 2022 Kimberley returned to SPG. Working closely alongside Partner Jeffrey Su, she has focused on the sale and purchase of management rights businesses Kimberley also deals with high-value business and commercial site acquisitions in excess of $30m. Kimberley is experienced in handling complex business negotiations with an ability to guide her clients towards mutually beneficial and commercially viable agreements.
Kimberley’s area of practice includes:
• Management rights business – sale, purchase and variation of agreements;
• Business acquisitions via asset sale or share sale;
• Commercial site acquisitions;
• Rural property sale and purchase;
• Loan, mortgage and security documents;
• Commercial leasing including retail shop leases;
• General commercial and corporate matters.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted as Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Associate

Jessica Smith

jessica.smith@spglawyers.com.au

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Laws from Griffith University as well as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Bond University and was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland in June 2021.

Jessica has worked at SPG Lawyers since 2015 and prior to being admitted worked in the areas of property and conveyancing with founding partner of the firm, John Punch. Having worked in the property and commercial department for several years, Jessica has gained a keen interest in this area of law.

Jessica is currently working alongside Partner Matthew Brook in the Projects & Development team, leading the project conveyancing including settlements. Jessica’s practice areas include:-

- Property Development Projects;
- Contract drafting, reviews and negotiation;
- Residential and commercial conveyancing;
- Off-the-plan purchases (including contract review);
- Put and Call Option Deeds;
- Advice on loan documents;
- Mortgages and securities (for either borrow or lender).

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Associate

Natasha Hughes

natasha.hughes@spglawyers.com.au

Natasha is an Associate Lawyer within the Wills and Estates department and can assist you with matters involving:

  • Personal and business succession planning;
  • Preparing simple Wills & mutual Wills;
  • Complex Wills (including testamentary trusts) and estate planning;
  • Probate applications, deceased estate and trust administration;
  • Assisting the estate where there is no Wills;
  • Applications for construction and rectification of Wills;
  • Family provision claims and defences in the District Court of Queensland and the Supreme Court of Queensland;
  • Applications for Statutory Wills on behalf of a person who lacks testamentary capacity
  • Providing advice on the rights and the role of executors/trustees and the appointment and removal of executors/trustees;
  • Complex jurisdictional issues where choice of law questions arise
  • Contentious issues arising from grants of Probate, estate administration and executor's duties;
  • Superannuation death benefit/insurance claims;
  • Preparing enduring powers of attorney and QCAT applications for appointment of administrator/guardian;
  • Powers of attorney disputes; and
  • Residential conveyancing.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Lawyer

Nicole Hodkinson

nicole.hodkinson@spglawyers.com.au

Nicole Hodkinson holds a Bachelor of Laws from Southern Cross University and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Bond University. She was admitted as a Lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland in July 2018.
Prior to being admitted as a Lawyer, Nicole worked in legal support roles for twelve years.
Nicole joined SPG Lawyers in 2023 and practices in the areas of commercial and property law.

Nicole's area of expertise includes:

  • Commercial and retail leasing;
  • Business disposals and acquisitions;
  • Company and trust structures;
  • High profile commercial disposals and acquisitions;

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Lawyer

Aaron Cherniwchan

aaron.cherniwchan@spglawyers.com.au

Aaron completed his Juris Doctor post graduate degree at Bond University and Bachelor of Commerce undergraduate degree at MacEwan University.

He is admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia.

He works within the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Work Group, with a special interest in commercial litigation, body corporate disputes and building and construction conflict resolution.

Prior to admission in the law, he worked in the construction industry gaining over a decade of experience in OH&S and construction management.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Juris Doctor
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Lawyer

Fengshu Gao

fengshu.gao@spglawyers.com.au

Fengshu graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Bond University and was admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2018.

Fengshu has practised predominantly in the areas of property law since his admission, including:
• commercial, industrial and retail shop leases;
• residential, commercial and industrial property acquisitions and disposals and associated due diligence matters;
• land developments and subdivisions; and
• mortgage and security documents.

Fengshu brings a positive and enthusiastic approach to his work and prides himself on providing clients with clear, practical and timely advice.

Outside of work, Fengshu is an avid reader of detective fiction and loves dogs and travel.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Lawyer

Luke Wu

luke.wu@spglawyers.com.au

SPG welcome back Luke Wu.
Luke worked at SPG from 2018 to 2020 and has recently returned to work in the Commercial Property Department.

Luke completed his Juris Doctor (Law) and his Practical Legal Training at Bond University. He was admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2018.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Member of Queensland Law Society
Law Graduate

Brodie Smith

brodie.smith@spglawyers.com.au

Brodie commenced her career with SPG Lawyers in 2018. Brodie has a wealth of experience as a property para-legal and has now completed her Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 2022 and will be seeking admission as Lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland later this year.

Brodie enjoys developing, building and maintaining long standing relationship with clients and is working alongside Partner Maria Stafurik in property and commercial law with a particular emphasis on health professions.

Brodie's area of practice includes:
- Commercial and Retail Leasing acting for both tenants and landlords;
- Franchising;
- General Commercial Transactions;
- Commercial Finance (acting for Borrowers and Lenders);
- Joint Ventures and Development Agreements;
- Put and Call Option Deeds;
- Establishment of Companies and Partnerships;
- Mortgage and Securities (acting for Borrowers and Lenders); and
- Commercial and residential conveyancing
- Community Title Scheme Developments;
- Land Developments and Subdivisions;
- Body Corporate and Community Management Issues.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
Law Graduate

Harrison Jones

harrison.jones@spglawyers.com.au

Harrison commenced his career with SPG Lawyers in 2021.

Harrison has previous experience as a property para-legal and has now completed his Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at Griffith University. He is currently enrolled in the Diploma of Legal Practice course and will be seeking admission as a Lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland towards the end of 2024.

Harrison is working alongside Partner Matthew Brook dealing with commercial and property matters including:
- Establishment of Companies and Partnerships;
- Land Developments and Subdivisions;
- Community Title Scheme Developments;
- Put and Call Option Deeds;
- General Commercial Transactions;
- Electronic Lodgments for DOR.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
  • Diploma of Business
  • Cert III & IV Fitness
  • Justice of the Peace
Law Graduate

Lauren Ansell

lauren.ansell@spglawyers.com.au

Lauren began her career with SPG Lawyers in 2016. She has recently completed her Law Degree with Distinction and is set to be admitted to the Supreme Court in early 2025. Her exceptional academic performance has earned her an invitation to join the prestigious Golden Key International Honours Society.

During her tenure at SPG Lawyers, Lauren has amassed valuable experience in Commercial Litigation, Succession Law and Commercial Property. Her dedication and expertise make her a vital asset to our team.

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Laws with Distinction (Hons)
  • The Golden Key International Honours Society