PARALEGAL

Matthew graduated from Southern Cross University in Music and Law. This slightly unusual mix of disciplines demonstrates Matthew’s ability to be both creative and focused, and also rational and pragmatic.

Matthew is the go-to person for legal research, drafting documents and keeping the facts in order. He’s also a bit of a geek- what he can’t find probably doesn’t exist!

Matthew’s skills and experience in customer service coupled with his attention to detail and professionalism make him a valuable contributor to the team effort.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Melissa Kirby is a lawyer and strategist with a bent for problems. She’s worked with engineering and technical professionals through difficult times during the Asian Financial Crisis, the Global Financial Crisis, the Covid-19 crisis and all the times between.

Prior to founding Sharpe & Abel, Melissa was counsel at Honeywell, advising its Automation and Control Solutions business group in the Asia Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East regions, and a director of its local subsidiary. Melissa has also headed up the legal, regulatory and compliance department of a major Australian utility company and worked internationally in both disputes and transactions. She is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and holds an LL.B from the Australian National University. Melissa is qualified in England and Wales as well as in Australia.

LEGAL EXECUTIVE

Steve Long makes numbers dance. He works closely with our lawyers to create robust and creative knowledge solutions that solve our clients’ problems. The insights that he has developed range from understanding the relationship between deliberate fire setting and environmental factors to the most strategic way for a client to turn an insolvency situation into a profitable long-term sales pipeline.

Steve is one of a small number of Chartered Mathematicians in the world, and holds a first-class degree and Masters in Mathematics from the University of Warwick. Steve is in the process of becoming a qualified lawyer.

TEAM ADMINISTRATOR

Some teams work and some don’t. The secret to making our team work? Samantha!

There isn’t a document that Samantha can’t whip into shape, a client she can’t charm or a problem she can’t solve. Accomplished document specialist and administrator, Samantha has a magic wand to make sure we are all on track.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

There are times in a transaction when everyone is tired, confused and unfocussed. This is when they need Lei-Hing. Lei-Hing is the person who gets knots untied and disagreements sorted. Having worked in house at listed companies and in private practice, she’s seen firsthand how deals are made and implemented.

Lei-Hing is a skilled hand in corporate matters whether it’s buying a company, managing board members or getting shareholders to commit in writing. With an LL.B from the University of London and an LL.M from the University of Melbourne and competence in Chinese, Lei-Hing is well placed to help companies get the deal done.

MANAGING ASSOCIATE

Sometimes things go wrong. Horribly wrong. Some will tell you “You need a bulldog”. Others will say “You need a greybeard”. But are those the only choices?

Beating and biting rarely works as well as advertised and beards sometimes get in the way. But resolving disputes between companies always involves humans. Humans whose tempers fray, egos bruise- and whose companies are endangered.

Meet Richard Southall, senior associate. For more than 20 years, Richard’s resolved the trickiest troubles with understated deftness and skill. All without bulldogs or beards.

Richard holds an LL.B from the University of Waikato and is qualified in New Zealand as well as Australia.