UNRIVALLED EXPERIENCE
Meet Our Team
Principals & Partners
David Sekel
Principal
David has practised corporate law for nearly 25 years specialising in advisory, planning and structural solutions for enterprises and the individuals behind them.
With substantial experience in listed and un-listed transactions he brings a wealth of experience having worked on matters in the US, Europe and Asia. David comes from a management accounting background with a global FMCG company. He has held several executive roles in listed and unlisted corporations and has developed a unique skill set that advantages him when advising on structuring, capital raising and cross border issues relating to distribution and sales.
David is particularly skilled at advising on and structuring complex succession plans for companies, families and individuals. He is a preferred service provider in this area by several top tier accounting firms.
Kathie Grinberg
Principal
Kathie has been in practice since being admitted in 1979.
She has specialised in commercial and property law and for many years was in-house legal counsel for a major listed property trust involving work on property acquisition, development and leasing of commercial buildings and shopping centres prior to commencing her own practice in 1990. Kathie has provided personal attention to her clients over many years particularly in the areas of commercial law, property and estate planning.
Her interests also lie in her passion for the arts and she is currently a director of Musica Viva Australia. She has worked with a number of non-profit organisations both in promoting music and support for emerging musicians and performers and also legal advice in the property field for these organisations. She has also provided support and expert legal advice to various community organisations throughout her career.
Kathie has been a pro bono panel solicitor with the Law Society.
Christopher Hamilton
Partner
Chris is a commercial litigation lawyer with a broad range of experience in advertising standards, building and construction, competition and consumer law, corporations law, equity, employment and industrial law, insurance, property, therapeutic goods, torts, wills and probate.
Since joining the Sekel Grinberg team in 2010, Chris has represented clients in both the Federal and State jurisdictions. Chris works predominantly with small to medium size privately-owned businesses acting as an advocate before various Courts, Tribunals and statutory authorities as well as in relation to commercial negotiations and disputes.
Employing alternative dispute resolution methods to find commercial solutions for clients where possible, Chris adopts a global approach to advocacy incorporating the intricacies of each matter with a practical working knowledge of the various forums to work with clients to achieve their specific goals and outcomes.
Chris was admitted as a solicitor in 2008 and commenced his legal career in a not for profit focusing on youth in business.
Greg Judd
Special Counsel
LLB, MA
Greg has practiced as a Solicitor for 47 years. Greg commenced practice with Parish Patience and McIntyre (“PPM”) in 1971. PPM was one of the most prominent commercial firms in Australia at that time and acted for many of the large corporate institutions in Australia. Greg was appointed a Partner in 1974 and was the youngest Partner ever appointed since the firm was founded in 1888.
Greg has drafted and prepared the management and ongoing compliance, risk management protocols from a legal perspective for a range of joint ventures and corporate structures. Greg regularly gives continuing legal education lectures on commercial matters for the College of Law in New South Wales and LexisNexis.
Professional Qualifications and Memberships:
Bachelor of Laws (University of Sydney)
Masters of Arts (Macquarie University)
Law Society of New South Wales’ Litigation Committee for approximately 5 years
Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1971)
Greg’s major areas of practice are:
Legal compliance, legal and corporate governance, due diligence and pre-merger corporate compliance reviews;
Risk management and mitigation of legal risks;
Commercial law and commercial legal advice;
Complex contractual drafting and negotiation;
Asset protection strategies and corporate structures;
Commercial/corporate litigation.
These are all areas of law where David Sekel has also focused his legal practice. In addition to his law degree, Greg holds a Master of Arts in Ancient History. Greg has joined us as special counsel to provide our firm with greater depth in the above areas.
Special Counsel
Ellen Sefton
Special Counsel
BA, MA, LLB
Ellen was admitted as a solicitor in 2004 and has over thirteen years’ experience in acting for clients with respect to complex commercial and corporate litigation matters, in a broad range of disputes relating to contracts, corporations law, consumer law, equity, negligence, financial services and intellectual property issues.
Ellen also acts for clients on a range of commercial matters including the legal aspects of corporate governance, relating to the merger of corporations, legal compliance and contracts relating to manufacturers, distributors and corporate restructuring. Ellen assists in the drafting of commercial contracts, employment contracts, intellectual property contracts, trust deeds and structures.
Ellen’s major areas of practice are:
Legal compliance, legal and corporate governance, due diligence and pre-merger corporate compliance reviews;
Risk management and mitigation of legal risks;
Commercial law and commercial legal advice;
Complex contractual drafting and negotiation;
Asset protection strategies and corporate structures;
Commercial/corporate litigation.
These are all areas of law where David Sekel has also focussed his legal practice. In addition to her law degree, Ellen holds a Master of Arts in Egyptology. Ellen has joined us as special counsel to provide our firm with greater depth in the above areas.
David Barnett
Special Counsel
David has been a practising lawyer for more than 40 years. He has held numerous executive positions and written and spoken on various legal subjects.
He began his career with a mid-tier commercial law firm however, for the major part of it, was legal counsel for major Australian companies. His speciality is general corporate advisory (including M&A, contract, financial services, employment and commercial litigation.
He also has considerable experience in mining and energy, native title, gaming and administrative and taxation law.
Peter Surgeon
Special Counsel
Peter has been in practice since being admitted in 1976.
He has specialised in commercial and corporate law for over 30 years, joining DibbsBarker Lawyers in 1979 and becoming a partner in 1981.
Peter has provided commercial advice to public overseas and local clients on establishing business and expansion of those entities in Australia. Peter was supervising partner of the firm’s International Desk.
He also advises on restructuring, corporate and M&A transactions.
Peter has written the Australia sections on corporate governance and director’s duties for editions of the Global Counsel Handbook and has memberships with the Law Council of Australia – International Law Section and the NSW Society for Computers and the Law.
Allan Arnott
Special Counsel
BSc(Computing), LLB
Alan is the trusted legal advisor to top senior technology executives who want to improve the commercial, legal and financial success of their organisations.
For the past 2 decades he has been representing both tech suppliers and customers in deal negotiations, consistently providing a new level of successful outcomes for his valued clients.
Alan has extensive experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of legal agreements, advising on legal issues, and assisting clients resolve disputes. With university qualifications in both law and computer science, he understands the legal and tech issues that matter most to his clients and can quickly pinpoint the critical issues in any commercial contract negotiation.
Solicitors & Associates
Venice Leung
Associate
Venice is a property lawyer specialising in commercial, industrial and retail leasing and complex acquisitions and disposals of commercial, industrial and residential properties. She also has a commercial law background mainly focusing on acquisitions and disposals of businesses.
Venice has extensive experience dealing with various off the plan development projects ranging from duplexes to over 200 lots.
Harchit Kaur
Associate
LLB BCom
Harchit practices in the Commercial Litigation and Disputes team assisting individual clients and businesses to navigate disputes over a broad range of areas from breach of contract, commercial disputes, breakdown of business relationships, insolvency, intellectual property, employment, negligence, building and construction, property and leasing, wills and probate, claims in equity and defending clients from actions brought by Australian regulators including ASIC, ATO and ACMA.
Harchit is highly regarded by her peers as a professional and formidable opponent who offers strategic, and where possible, commercial solutions. She is respected for her comprehension of complex legal principles and her ‘can do, will do’ attitude. Her clients often describe her as knowledgeable, responsive, and compassionate and someone who helps bring them certainty in an otherwise uncertain situation.
Ita Cunningham
Estate Lawyer
Samantha Davies
Solicitor
DipLaw LPAB/USYD, GDLP College of Law, BNurse UOW
Samantha commenced working in the Corporate and Commercial team at Sekel Grinberg Judd in October 2022. Her first degree was a Bachelor of Nursing and she was employed as a Registered Nurse at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
Following her passion for the legal field, Samantha commenced a new career as a Paralegal, taking night classes to achieve a Diploma in Law at the LPAB (USYD). She was awarded the Stuart Spencer Prize for Academic Excellence, graduating as dux of her cohort. Samantha is passionate about using all her knowledge and life experience, combined with her legal acumen to assist clients achieve the best possible outcome.
Hayley Lee
Commercial Lawyer
Nicole Vander Reyden
Licensed Conveyancer
Nicole is a licensed conveyancer specialising in residential property sales and acquisitions.
She has substantial experience in dealing with both high and low net worth properties and provides timely and sensible advice and balances both commercial and legal considerations for her clients.
Administration
