2nd Ed book launch

BCLQ 2nd Ed. book launch keynote speakers

Clare Kent

Senior Content Specialist Wolters Kluwer CCH

Topic:

Welcome to guests, attendees and a special thank you to the guest speakers
The rationale for BCLQ and the market gap in this area of the law
Update on what’s happening the in the legal information market

About Clare:
Clare Kent is a senior content specialist at Wolters Kluwer, a leading legal content publisher. She has over 15 years’ experience writing and editing legal content to help Australian lawyers understand the practical implications of the law and the latest legal developments.
Clare leads Wolters Kluwer’s Property Law portfolio, which covers commercial leasing, property and body corporate law. Working with the other team members in her portfolio, she provides property lawyers and strata professionals with legal information that is useful, accurate, timely and relevant.
She has also previously written and edited Wolters Kluwer’s intellectual property law reporter. Before Wolters Kluwer, she worked as a property lawyer for Woolworths Limited.

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Laws, University of Technology Sydney
Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice
Admitted to Supreme Court of NSW

Summary:
Clare will explain the leading role of Wolters Kluwer CCH in producing quality and authoritative legal publications to practitioners. Clare will outline a brief history of CCH and the identified gap in the property law market that BCLQ fulfils.

Marc J. Mercier

BCLQ 2nd Ed. Author
Barrister-at-law | Mediator

Topic:

Introduction to the event and speakers
Discussion about BCLQ 2nd Edition and how strata law reform is continuing to shape our industry.

About Marc:
Marc Mercier has a diverse background in law and alternative dispute resolution in Queensland. Admitted as a Barrister-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Queensland and of the High Court of Australia, Marc is a mediator, Cth FDR Practitioner and specialises in Body Corporate law, commercial law, criminal and family law. Read more about Marc

John Mahoney

Founding partner of Mahoneys Lawyers &
ARAMA Board Representative

Topic:
"Management rights - righting the wrongs"

About John:
John Mahoney is the founding partner, and head of property, at Mahoneys – one of Australia's largest body corporate and management rights focused law firms. Specifically, John has supported the management rights industry for over 30 years. He is a life member, and longstanding board member, of the Australian Resident Managers Association (ARAMA) – the peak body for the management rights industry. John has work closely with ARAMA and the broader industry in shaping the body corporate and management rights legislation at State and Federal level – and is directly responsible for large parts of the legislation in place today.
He was admitted as a lawyer in Queensland in 1978, and in New South Wales in 1990. Since 1991, John has practiced extensively in body corporate law and predominantly in the area of management rights. John was heavily involved in the formulation of the 1997 legislation and subsequent reviews and amendments to the legislation.
Mahoneys has a significant litigation team with particular expertise in body corporate law. Significant disputes they have handled include the High Court Viridian Noosa Residences case.
John has also lectured in body corporate law at UQ.

Juliette Nairn

Partner, OMB Solicitors
(Body Corporate)

Topic:
"New Meeting Processes Explained"

Juliette discusses the new meeting processes and implications for Bodies Corporate. The discussion also examines the new strata regulations that commenced in QLD from 1 March 2021, as outlined in BCLQ 2nd Edition . These new regulations change committee and general meeting processes ranging from voting rights to nomination entitlements.

About Juliette:
Juliette was admitted as a Solicitor in 1993 after obtaining an Honours Degree in Law from Bond University. After establishing herself in the area of strata title law in Queensland, Juliette moved to Sydney in 2000 to work with Andreones Lawyers, a corporate law firm that specialises in strata and community title. Since 1997 Juliette has worked almost exclusively for bodies corporate in a range of litigation, dispute resolution and transactional matters. Juliette has been an active member of SCA (QLD) often in a training/education capacity.

Lynda Kypriadakis

Founding director of Diverse Group of Companies, and Head of the ABMA and key writer of the ABMA Building Management Code.

Topic:
"Property Developer responsibilities at handover"
Discussion centers around the new legislative requirements for document handover upon establishment of a new scheme at the first AGM, and the potential adverse effects on the structural maintenance/defect management for the scheme ongoing when this information is not complete and on file.

About Lynda:
Lynda Kypriadakis has a background in construction, building design and trade contractor work with a Bachelor Degree in Architecture, an unrestricted builders license in Queensland, trade qualifications as a Sheetmetal Worker and is the key writer of the ABMA Building Management Code© published in all states of Australia plus New Zealand and heads the ABMA (Australian Building Management Accreditation).

As the founding Director of the Diverse Group of Companies, as well as the ABMA, Lynda’s primary focus is on supporting building owners to deliver compliant building maintenance outcomes on common property for the full life of the building, thus optimising the return on investment while maintaining the health, safety and amenity of occupants. Including managing complex defective building work claims under the statutory builders warranty on behalf of new building owners, Lynda and her work with the ABMA Building Management Code© actively informs and educates the sector.

Lynda holds the view that Australian legislation is the best in the world, and that the strata sector provides an underutilized resource as the “eyes and ears” of the regulator (e.g. fire, WHS/OHS, building). Through empowering owner’s corporations with knowledge of standards, Lynda believes that building defects and maintenance non-compliances can be more effectively managed to the benefit of all concerned.

Ian D'Arcy

National Board member and Honorary Fellow Strata Community Manager for Strata Community Association (SCA)

Topic:
"Navigating the complex and technical legislation"

About Ian:
Ian is a National Board member and Honorary Fellow Strata Community Manager
Strata Community Association, and has been a member of the SCA for 22 years, serving on the Qld Board since November 2004. Ian is one of the longest serving board members with 16 years of service.

He was the SCA Secretary from 2010 to 2021 and was awarded a life membership in 2018, an acknowledgement of the contribution he has made to the industry and the recognition of this by his peers is something to cherish.

Ian is a current national board member since 2017 and holds the Chair position for the Professional Standards & Membership Board Advisory Group.

Mike Murray

Executive committee member of the Unit Owners Association of Queensland (UOAQ)

Topic:
"Unit Owners, the ultimate underwriters of the industry, see change as inevitable as we learn from the past. How BCLQ provides an accessible guide for all stakeholders and assists them to learn from those who have already walked the walk".

About Mike:
Mike is currently an executive committee member of the Unit Owners Association of Queensland (UOAQ).
He has held executive roles on numerous corporate bodies since 1997. Following a 30 year career in secondary and tertiary education, Mike more recently founded an owner centric strata management firm upon realising that education of unit owners was at the core of many body corporate issues within Queensland.

Frank Higginson

Partner / Director, Hynes Legal

Topic:
"Discussion on key aspects of strata law reforms"

About Frank:
Frank joined Hynes Legal in 2001. He became a partner/director in 2004 and since then has whittled his practice down to the two keys areas for strata law in Queensland ‐ body corporate law and management rights.

He and his team are the only experts in Queensland that truly specialise in both of these areas of law.

Frank is a fellow of the Australian College of Community Lawyers, is admitted in Queensland, New South Wales, the High Court of Australia as well as England and Wales.

Frank is also one of the few panel lawyers to ARAMA, the peak management rights body.

Mike O'Farrell

Managing Director of MLR Services

Topic:
"How to get ‘bang for your buck’ from your caretaker/manager".

About Mike:
Business Highlights:
• 1991- 1999: Owner and Managing Director Sumik Qld Pty Ltd, operator of the Management and Letting Rights (MLR) at Biarritz Apartments, Gold Coast, Australia;
• 1999-2005: Owner and Managing Director various MLR’s, Gold Coast Australia;
• 2005-current: Major Shareholder and Executive Chairman of the Australian Holiday Resorts (AHR) Group of Companies;
• 2007-current: Shareholder and Chairman of Australian Offshore Investments (AOI) Group of Companies;
• 2018-current: Executive Chairman and owner of MLR Services;
• 2021– current: Director of Stayco P3 Pty Ltd – 660 lots under management.

Corporate Highlights:
• Past President of Lakelands Golf Club, GC, Australia.
• Graduate of Australian Institute of Directors.
• Previous Rotarian.
• Board member of various sporting and Bodies Corporate Committees.
• Purchased Riverside Hotel, 2005. Lifted occupancy from 62% to 82%, Yield from $69 night to $133 night and number of room nights sold to 30,000 pa.
• AHR Group since establishment holds interests in MLR (Riverside Hotel), and large property portfolio (CBD Brisbane).
• AOI Group established in 2007 holds interests in property in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Australia. AOI has established investment and management links in the UAE.
• Immediate Past President of ARAMA (Australian Resident Accommodation Managers Association) Brisbane and inaugural National Board Member.
• Accredited industry Practitioner and Member of the ABMA (Australian Building Management Accreditation).
• Director of the Stayco Group which has purchased NLR’s in SE Qld.