The Law Society is governed by a Council chaired by the President and is assisted in the management of the Law Society by the Chief Executive Officer and Law Society staff. There are more than 30 substantive committees comprised of members, covering policy, statutory and administrative issues.
The Council of the Law Society of Western Australia consists of a President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President & Treasurer, Immediate Past President, 9 Ordinary members, one Country member and three Junior members.
The Executive includes the President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President & Treasurer and Immediate Past President. The Council operates in accordance with the Council Standing Orders and its Constitution.
PAULA WILKINSON
President Founding Director, Kim Wilson & Co Council Term Expires: 12/2024
GARY MACK
Senior Vice President Lawyer, Abacus Legal and Mediation Council Term Expires: 12/2024
JUDY MCLEAN
Junior Vice President & Treasurer Principal Solicitor, Fremantle Community Legal Centre Council Term Expires: 12/2024
ANTE GOLEM
Immediate Past President Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Council Term Expires: 12/2024
BEN BULLOCK
Ordinary Member Legal Counsel, Nexus Airlines Council Term Expires: 12/2024
THOMAS CAMP
Ordinary Member Senior Associate, Butcher, Paull & Calder Council Term Expires: 12/2024
ANGIE GIMISIS
Ordinary Member Special Counsel, Hall & Wilcox Council Term Expires: 12/2025
DR JESSICA HENDERSON
Ordinary Member Barrister, Murray Chambers Council Term Expires: 12/2025
MARK HEMERY
Ordinary Member Special Counsel, Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers Council Term Expires: 12/2024
JUNE KENNY
Ordinary Member Lawyer, JDKLS Council Term Expires: 12/202
ALEKS MILLER
Ordinary Member Lawyer, State Soliticor’s Office Council Term Expires: 12/2025
KIM MORRISON
Ordinary Member Consultant, O’Sullivan Davies Lawyers Council Term Expires: 12/2024
KELLIE WOODS
Ordinary Member Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers Council Term Expires: 12/2025
MICHAEL RYAN
Country Member Principal, Mortlock Ryan & Co Council Term Expires: 12/2025
BEC REES
Junior Member Lawyer, Moray & Agnew Council Term Expires: 12/2024
SOUZI CLIFFORD
Junior Member Director, Resolve Right Mediation Council Term Expires: 12/2024
ASHTON HARDSTAFF
Junior Member Subcontracts Manager, L3Harris Integrated Mission Systems Australia Pty Ltd Council Term Expires: 12/2024
Paula was a founding member of Kim Wilson & Co in 1998 and has acted, and continues to act, in many of Western Australia’s most complex cases.
Paula was accredited as a Family Law Specialist (NSW) in 2012 and became an adjunct lecturer for the NSW College of Law (LLM) for the following five years. In 2021, she was accredited as an AIFLAM mediator.
Paula is recognised by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading West Australian Family & Divorce Lawyer and also a Leading West Australian Family Lawyer (High-Value & Complex Property Matters) – Western Australia, 2022.
She has presented papers at numerous family law conferences in Australia, in Indonesia (Bali) and at the University of Western Australia Law School and Murdoch University Law School.
Paula is a board member of Law Access WA, a committee member of the Professional Indemnity Insurance Management Committee and the Accreditation Committee, both of which are committees of the Law Society of Western Australia.
Gary Mack, Senior Vice President
Gary Mack is an experienced lawyer, independent children’s lawyer and family dispute resolution practitioner with expertise in family law, not-for-profit law and neighbourhood disputes. He is the convenor of the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee and a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Access to Justice Committee. He is a member of the Legal Practice Board and Deputy Convenor of the Professional Affairs Committee as well as a member of the Legal Services and Complaints Committee. He is also a councillor in the Town of Cambridge.
Judy McLean, Junior Vice President & Treasurer
Judy McLean graduated from the University of WA in 2002 and was admitted to practise in February 2004 after completing her Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Australian National University in 2003. Judy also holds a Master of Law from the University of WA. She has practised solely in Perth across diverse areas of law, in various sectors, including, private, state and local government, and the community legal sector.
Judy has been a council member of the Law Society since 2021, she is the Junior Vice President and Treasurer for 2024 and is looking forward to all that this year brings.
Ante Golem, Immediate Past President
Ante is a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and is section head of their Perth Disputes team.
His practice focuses on dispute resolution and he provides strategic advice to clients involving complex commercial disputes, inquiries and investigations.
He has extensive experience in international arbitration and commercial dispute resolution, particularly in complex construction and infrastructure disputes. Ante is also a specialist in class action litigation and has acted in some of Australia’s largest shareholder class actions.