Cooper Grace Ward is pleased to announce three recent appointments and three promotions within the firm in the areas of Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Family Law, Estate Planning, Workplace Relations, and Planning and Environment. Our new team members bring substantial expertise to our firm and to our clients in their specialist areas. At Cooper Grace Ward we are committed to growth and to the development of our team members.
Cooper Grace Ward welcomes Andrew Cheetham as a new partner. Andrew specialises in financial services disputes and professional indemnity insurance claims for Australian Financial Services Licensees. In addition to his recognised Finance and Investment qualifications, Andrew has over ten years of experience practising at national law firms in the areas of commercial litigation and professional indemnity insurance.
Ann Somers has joined Cooper Grace Ward’s Property Planning & Environment practice as Special Counsel.
Ann completed her articles in Australia before heading to England, working in both the public and private sector in planning law and policy.
Her considerable expertise includes conduct of Planning Appeals and High Court Challenges, advising on city regeneration and infrastructure projects and retail and residential schemes, negotiation of legal agreements and advice on affordable housing issues.
Ann advised on all aspects of planning law, both contentious and non contentious and was listed as a “planning specialist of note” in the Legal 500 for West Yorkshire.
Annie Smeaton joins Cooper Grace Ward as a senior associate in the firm’s Employment and Workplace Relations practice.
Her considerable expertise includes advice and litigation, focusing on industrial relations and employment law, occupational health and safety, anti-discrimination, and administrative/ government law. Annie has acted for clients in resources and energy sectors, including electrical power and water industry, manufacturing and rail, as well as for a variety of State and Federal Government Departments and Agencies.
Annie has extensive experience in the Federal Court, Federal and State Magistrates’ and Supreme Court and Industrial Magistrates’ Court, as well as the Queensland and Australia Industrial Relations Commissions.
As well as working in large corporate practice in Brisbane and Melbourne, Annie has gained considerable experience and knowledge in government law, representing departments and agencies of the Queensland State Government during her employment with Crown Law.
Megan Webb has been promoted to Senior Associate within the Cooper Grace Ward Family Law group. Megan, who joined Cooper Grace Ward in 2006, has a background in litigation, and now practises exclusively in the area of family law.
Megan's role in the Family Law group encompasses matrimonial and de facto property settlement disputes taking into account taxation, superannuation and risk management issues.
She also facilitates financial agreements for married and de facto couples, including pre nuptial agreements, agreements during marriage and post-separation agreements, children’s issues including living arrangements for children and also Child Support including Child Support Agreements.
Megan has for a number of years volunteered at Nundah Community Legal Clinic and undertakes other work outside the law with several community organisations, including an overseas micro-finance project operating in Africa.
Cooper Grace Ward’s Commercial team has recently promoted Carly Mann to Associate. She specialises in estate and business succession planning and advice, superannuation, trusts and structuring advice and general commercial advice and transactions.
Carly regularly advises accountants, financial planners and other advisors on these issues for their clients.
Michael May has been promoted to Associate within the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team. He has significant experience acting for commercial clients from a broad range of industries in general contractual disputes.
He also frequently conducts building and construction litigation, including claims for unpaid variations, disputes about defects and delays, and making and responding to claims under the Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004 (Qld).
Michael has acted in a variety of disputes in the property sector, including proceedings to remove tenants, claims for trade disruption, disputed option exercise, and failure to complete contracts for the sale of land.
He also specialises in conducting high-volume debt recovery work for large corporate clients.
