Pro Bono

Cornwall Stodart has a long tradition of performing pro bono legal work, including providing advice on a no fee or reduced fee basis and assisting on a voluntary basis for not for profit organisations.

Due to an increasing demand from our staff for more opportunities to contribute to those in need, as well as our desire to enhance the success of our community, we have established a formal pro bono scheme. We believe this scheme will benefit our firm, our staff and our community as a whole.

Under our scheme, "pro bono legal work" means "providing legal or other services (ie: community legal education or law reform), financial or in kind assistance either free of charge, or at a reduced rate for:

• disadvantaged persons or organisations, thereby enhancing their access to justice
• the public good, on matters of broad public or community concern
  or
• not for profit organisations with which the firm may or may not have an existing relationship."

Through our scheme, we make available our skills, talents, people and resources to individuals or organisations that may otherwise not have access to them. In turn, the scheme benefits our people by providing them with professional development opportunities and experience, and allows them to contribute to people in need.

Staff Contributions

A number of our partners and senior staff are board members of not for profit organisations and provide over 200 hours of pro bono legal advice each year. In addition to the work performed through our pro bono scheme, our people also contribute to our communities in their personal lives.

• John Hutchings, our Chairman of Partners, is a Chair of the Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand Board. John has provided legal advice and support to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd for many years. In 2004 he was appointed to the Board of Good Shepherd Aged Services. In 2009 John was appointed Chairman of the Board of Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand, a not for profit organisation which ensures sound governance, management and resourcing of Good Shepherd ministries and assets, and supports disadvantaged, marginalised and oppressed persons, families and communities.
• Leneen Forde, Partner, is a Board Member of the Good Shepherd Trading Circle.
• Michelle McLean, Managing Partner, has been involved in fundraising activities for a variety of charities. Substantial contributions from these activities have gone to the Smith Family, Open Family Australia, Save the Children and the Red Cross Australia.
• Paul Buitendag, Partner, is a supporter of Life Goes On, an organisation that assists survivors of cancer.
• Tracey Davies, Partner, sponsors a World Vision child and is a regular donor to Greenpeace and Medecins Sans Frontieres. She also supports Make A Wish and The Alannah and Madeline Foundation. For the past 5 years Tracey has been a Team Manager at Mentone Little Athletics and is currently on the committee at Mordialloc-Braeside Junior Football Club.
• Elpis Korosidis, Partner, is involved with the charity Art Cabriolet and handles its legal work. Art Cabriolet is a mobile charity run by volunteers, which aims to provide disadvantaged children and teenagers with artistic materials for their personal expression.
• Joe Naccarata, Partner, has done volunteer work at the Fitzroy Legal Service. In addition, his family is a long time supporter of Plan Australia and has sponsored many children over the past 15 years. Joe and his family are also regular contributors to the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal and National Cancer Council.
• Stephen Newman, Partner, provides honorary legal and other services to the North Caulfield Maccabi Junior Football Club and the Australia-India Business Council.
• Ian Sinclair, Partner, is honorary solicitor for the Professional Golfers Association of Australia (Victorian Division) (1991 - 2006; 2009 - present). He has also acted as honorary solicitor for several other sporting and charitable bodies in providing general commercial advice. In 2000 Ian was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in recognition of his service to the Australian Golf Union Inc.
• Levent Shevki, Partner, is a regular donor to the Australian Red Cross and Salvation Army.
• Nicole Stevens-Warton, Partner, was part of the organising committee for the Gala Ball for Open Family Australia in 2008 and 2009. The Gala Ball is the major fundraising event of the year for Open Family. Nicole also supported The Wilderness Society in 2009 by participating in its major fundraising event, a 100 kilometre hike in the Blue Mountains over one weekend.
• Ian Tuszynski, Partner, is involved in the Gardenvale Masonic Centre as a Freemason, and performs legal work for the Centre from time to time. He has also advised the Elwood Talmud Torah Congregation (Synagogue) on its Constitution.
• Peter Window, Partner, is the honorary treasurer and long standing committee member and life member of the Northcote Cycling Club. In addition, he is a former committee member of the John Street Community Child Care facility. He has given his time and expertise freely to those organisations, as he has done for religious orders such as the St Columbans Mission Society and the FCJ order of religious sisters.
• Peter McMullin, Consultant, has been involved in various community organisations throughout his career, including through his position as Secretary for the Victorian Council of Social Services, and as a Board Member for the Action and Resource Centre for Low Income Families and for Philanthropy Australia. He is also a former Chair of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
• John Date, Consultant: John performs work for organisations such as religious orders, hospitals, schools and university colleges. All of his advisory work is pro bono, with concessional rates on costs for the legal implementation of new corporate structures.
• Tracey O'Neill, Consultant, supports her children's school community, kindergartens, childcare centre and her local town, Daylesford, via sponsorships and involvement in various activities. She is one of the founding members of the Daylesford and District Business Group, a keen supporter of Daylesford and District Community Bank, and sponsors local causes including Daylesford Primary School's Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden and Hepburn Wind Farm.
• Amanda Snaddon, Lawyer, has worked with the Women's Legal Service and is also a supporter of various charities, including the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, St Mary's House of Welcome Orphans in Tanzania and a number of cancer support groups.
• Peter Macnish, Consultant, has undertaken varied pro bono work throughout his career, including his position on the board of a charity that supplied crisis housing for homeless children.
• Carolyn Falcone, Senior Associate, is involved in fundraising for and is a supporter of various charities, including the Cancer Council.
• Jennifer Holdstock, Senior Associate, is a Big Sister in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, which provides young people with mentoring, friendship and support outside their family units.
• Clare Hudson, Senior Associate, has advised and represented individuals through participation with the Free Representation Unit in London.
• Katherine Payne, Senior Associate, has been involved in fundraising and profile-raising for community organisations such as KidsHelpline.
• Katerina Poulakis, Senior Associate, has worked in community legal centres providing advice and drafting law reform policies. In addition, she is involved with fundraising for the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and the Starlight Foundation.
• Justin McCleave, Senior Associate, is an officer in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve and in that capacity assists the Royal Australian Navy with legal and administrative work on an as needs basis. In 2007 he was awarded the Australian Defence Medal by the Commonwealth Government for service to the Australian Defence Force.
• John Chamberlin, Lawyer, is actively involved as trustee of three private perpetual trusts, two of which involve the funding of students of music.
• Michael Kohn, Lawyer, is a past national treasurer for the United Israel Appeal of Australia. He was also national convenor of the Family Business Council of Australia and a member of the King David Parents Association.
• Fran Bedford, Director of Strategy: As part of Cornwall Stodart's community commitment, Fran has been involved in developing our pro bono program, as well as our CCC Foundation. She is also a member of our Not for Profit team. Fran and her family sponsor a number of children locally and overseas through various charitable organisations.