The Law Society of Western Australia has confirmed Angie Gimisis as its 2027 President, with members now preparing to cast their votes in a hotly contested Council election that will help shape the Society’s future.
With the Law Society set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, the election marks an important moment for the profession — and an opportunity for members to have their say on its leadership and direction.
Currently Senior Vice President, Hall & Wilcox Partner Angie Gimisis (above) was elected unopposed and will take the helm during the Society’s landmark centenary year.
Bernadette Terry, Principal Lawyer at Great Southern Wills in Albany (left), has also been elected unopposed as Country Member.
The spotlight now turns to the Vice President, Ordinary Member and Junior Member elections, with voting opening on 21 October.
Nine Council positions are up for grabs. The candidates bring a diverse range of experience, perspectives and ideas about the future of the legal profession in Western Australia. From the challenges facing practitioners today to the opportunities ahead, the incoming Council will play an important role in shaping the Society’s priorities, advocacy and support for members.
Every vote is an opportunity to influence the direction of the Law Society and ensure the profession’s voice is represented.
Take a few minutes to explore the candidates (listed by category and alphabetical order), find out what matters to them and make your vote count. Voting opens 21 October 2026 and eligible members will receive an email from CorpVote with their voting instructions. Voting closes 4 November 2026 at 3pm AWST.
Vice President nominees
Thomas Camp, Partner, Butcher Paull & Calder
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
I am running for the position of Senior Vice President so I can help continue and expand on the excellent work of the Society, be a strong voice for its members and ensure the Society advocates for sensible reforms to benefit the profession, judiciary and vulnerable people involved in the legal system. I believe in promoting the good work of the profession and its members, encouraging pro bono work and helping members to enjoy a fulfilling and long career in the law.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
Apart from my 10 years of practice, I have important broader life experience, such as being a failed actor. It is crucial to have someone at the table who can answer the age-old question, “Is it a good idea to be in that chlamydia awareness advert?”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
The Honourable Rene Le Miere AM KC gave me a mug with a seemingly paradoxical David Hockney quote that transcends painting. It said, “You must plan to be spontaneous”. Everyone wants to be the kind of lawyer who will have brilliant and sudden insights, or who can win a case on their feet with the perfect question for a witness or a brilliant response to a Judge’s question.
The point is that only when you have properly prepared and put in the necessary planning and work will you be in a position to have those moments. Conversely, being spontaneous can be a dangerous thing for a lawyer who has not fully prepared a matter.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
I would love to see an increase in pro bono and volunteering from lawyers. We have always been a profession that prides itself on giving back to society. While we do it well, there are many out there who could give more. Pro bono is essential for access to justice. Reducing the number of self-represented litigants would help remove some of the strain on the courts and parties before them, and improve efficiency.
Pro bono work and volunteer work is also great for your mental health and self-worth, because you are giving back to the community. It can also advance your career development. Another important benefit is that when lawyers give back it improves the standing of the legal profession in the eyes of the general public. Everyone’s a winner!
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Dream on Dreamer by Perth artist David West. I think the Law Society has achieved a lot of great things, and it helps to be a bit of a dreamer when thinking forward for new ways to help the profession and those involved in the justice system.
If anyone is brave enough, they should write a Brief article about entrance music for various members of the judiciary (or maybe save it as a topic for the Golden Gavel so you have the relative safety of Chatham House rules).
Dr Michael Douglas, Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
I’m currently a member of the Council at the end of a two-year term, now seeking your support to be Vice President.
I want to continue to serve to influence the direction of the Law Society towards advocacy that advances the interests of members as the Society’s top priority. I have drunk the kool-aid that officers of the court ought to serve and this is a way I propose to do that.
The regulation of WA lawyers is a particular frustration of mine. You may have read my rants about the Legal Practice Board in Brief: I’ve been editor for the last couple of years. As VP, I would continue agitating for improvement.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I could tell you about my experiences growing up down south or in public school or yada yada. In my assessment, my current perspective is more important: I have strong views on various things, and I am willing to take a public position on those things when other members of the profession may rationally refrain.
I have a moderately bleeding heart but not in a militant or CLC-for-life (no hate) kinda way. I want to help make the world better but I don’t judge practitioners out there to get that bag.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
‘It is all just numbers on a page to normal people’ – Dad, Bunbury, early 2000s, discussing the finance report on whatever TV news. It still makes me pause to consider how the majority of Australians are experiencing things, including the law, in a way that may be far removed from how the toffs I interact with see the world.
‘I took it personal’: meme (maymay, if you will) attributed to Michael Jordan, whose irrational perception of a sleight provoked an intense commitment to greatness.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
A smallish one: Law Society membership is made free, as the Legal Practice Board is abolished. The Law Society co-regulates the profession (with oversight of a body comprised primarily by elected practitioners) together with a government regulator; the fees for practising certificates make it happen and fund the society.
Essentially, we adopt the NSW model of regulating the profession. If such things were to ever happen, it would be through the support of people like me willing to tolerate the prospect of reprisal.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Pushing through fatigue. Or finding obscure authorities, which is far less cool and not very ‘super’ since AI has been integrated into legal research databases. The former helps me help the team in trial and helps me show up for the Law Society when my body craves sleep. Finding obscure authorities assists no one; certainly not the Court (according to their Honours, to whom I apologise and cannot take the point any further than that).
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Stone Cold Steve Austin’s WWF entrance music, as I enter any room.
Joy Horwood, Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers (also nominated as an Ordinary Member)
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
Besides being a great way to give back to the profession that has been so good to me, it’s also a great way for me to broaden my horizons and learn a little about areas of law in which I don’t practise, to understand the challenges those practitioners and their clients face when dealing with the legal system.
Also, the LSWA Council and staff are a really dedicated, lovely bunch of people!
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I was born overseas, in a non-English-speaking country, and have encountered both the glass ceiling and the bamboo ceiling. I’m also the first person in my immediate family to have attended university.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Document everything! Closely related to: if there’s no corresponding paper trail, do not bill for it.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Courtesy. To other practitioners, to our clients, our colleagues and everyone else involved in the administration of justice. We’re all just trying our best to represent our clients, or assist in the resolution of disputes or transactions, in often stressful circumstances.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
I’m a fixer – I’ve never met a problem I didn’t want to try to (re)solve, and luckily I’m also successful from time to time! I approach problems with a view to trying to simplify issues and smooth a path rather than creating unnecessary complications or road blocks.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
[Forget about the] Price tag by Jessie J.
Michael Stork, Managing Principal, Stork Davies Legal Advisors
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I’m the first lawyer in my family. I’ve had a number of different roles over the years and eventually ended up running my own law firm. But I haven’t forgotten what it was like trying to find my way in the legal profession, including my time as an employed solicitor.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
My Dad told me 20 years ago I needed to find a hobby. It was great advice. I didn’t get around to it. Then I had kids. I will get around to it one day.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
For a while now I’ve said I’d like to see more positive messaging about legal practitioners, and the legal profession, generally. I feel that the commentary (both within and from the outside) can be a bit too negative at times.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
I genuinely enjoy what I do. It helps when things get hard.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Don’t You Know Who I Am by Happyland.
Ordinary Member nominees
Ariel Bastian, Special Counsel, Corporate Commercial, Jackson McDonald
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
As a corporate and commercial lawyer with a privacy specialisation, I spend a lot of time thinking about what is around the corner.
Whether it’s new technology, changing regulation or shifting stakeholder expectations, I am fascinated by the challenges and opportunities those changes create for our profession.
That is primarily why I would like to serve on the Council: to help ensure our profession has a voice in those conversations, access to practical support, and confidence in navigating whatever comes next.
I also see serving on the Council as an opportunity to give back to a profession that has given me far more than a career. Through its opportunities, challenges and relationships, it has shaped not only the lawyer I have become, but also the person I am. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the profession that has given me so much; bringing curiosity, comfort with uncertainty, and a habit of asking what the next challenge might be before it arrives.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I would bring a future-focused perspective on how our profession can continue to evolve while maintaining the qualities that underpin public trust. Through my work at the intersection of human data and technology, I regularly see how changing technologies, client expectations and ways of working are reshaping legal practice. While there are undeniable challenges ahead, I believe we can embrace those changes while preserving the values that define our profession: integrity, sound judgement, professional responsibility and service to the community.
I also bring a combination of private practice and in-house experience, which has given me an appreciation of the different pressures, priorities and realities faced across the profession. Having worked on both sides of the client relationship, I understand the constant balancing act between legal risk, commercial objectives and practical outcomes. This perspective would assist the Council in considering issues through both private practice and in-house lenses, helping to ensure its work resonates with lawyers in a variety of roles and settings.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous.
AND
Always book annual leave for 1 July.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
More opportunities for informal mentoring, sharing practical insights and having honest conversations about the realities of legal practice.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
My professional superpower is being comfortable (excited even) in the grey. I’ve always been naturally curious, creative and genuinely energised by change. So rather than being unsettled by ambiguity, I tend to lean into it. I think that helps me stay optimistic and adaptable while giving others confidence to navigate change alongside me.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk – because I can go from intensely focused to maximum extroversion in 0.4 seconds.
Gad Coffie, Assistant Parliamentary Counsel, Parliamentary Counsel’s Office
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
Even from the outside, I am acutely aware of the pivotal role Council plays in championing the interests of the profession. I want to contribute my perspective to that function.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I have been a member of the Law Society all through my career. Over that time, I have volunteered in one way or another. I currently serve on two Law Society Committees – Ethics and In-House/Government Lawyers (of which I am deputy chair). In addition to my work on these committees, I also volunteer as a judge of the Law Society’s Mock Trial Competition.
If successful, I pledge to contribute to the work of Council by engaging collaboratively with the profession through effective participation and advocacy. With the benefit of my own lived experience, I intend to influence more participation in the activities of the Law Society by in-house counsel, government lawyers and anyone, who like me, came to the law a bit later in life.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Growing up, my late mum always reminded me never to underestimate the power of a loud silence.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
I think we should support each other more.
What’s your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
My life is guided by a simple philosophy – an instinctive dedication to excellence even in the face of scant recognition. Built on this foundation, I focus on meaningful service delivery and a strong attention to client satisfaction. As a result, I am passionate about providing the best legal service possible – each day, in every matter and, indeed, to every client.
My clients acknowledge this by expressing their appreciation; which to me, means a lot.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
This is a hard one. I think I will opt for Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs’ Backup Plan.
Anthony Dique, Family Lawyer, Encompass Legal
& Community Services
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
To fill the void left by still waiting for that Fremantle premiership.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
Community legal and not-for-profit experience.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Come in early or stay back late, but always take a full lunch break.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Profession-wide shutdown of emails after 6pm each day.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
I try not to take myself too seriously.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
What Dreams Are Made Of by Hilary Duff
Dr Jessica Henderson, Barrister, Murray Chambers
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
Independence, intellectual rigour and commitment to the administration of justice matter enormously.
I’d like to contribute to the discussion about how we preserve those qualities while preparing the profession for what comes next.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I value intellectual humility. Never confuse certainty with correctness. The ability to change your mind is a strength, not a weakness. Being confident in your reasoning is not the same as stubbornly refusing to listen to another perspective.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
“All lawyers make mistakes. Your measure as an advocate is how you recover from them.”
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Strengthening the connections between junior practitioners and the independent Bar. Good mentoring is one of the most valuable things the profession can offer its next generation and offers significant benefits for mentors as well as mentees.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Finding the real issue hiding inside a complicated problem. Sometimes the hardest part is realising that everyone is asking the wrong question.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Hmmm. Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone immediately springs to mind (fighter jets), or perhaps Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. But I’m going with Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra (aka the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey) – a delightfully disproportionate entrance.
Alex Illich, Legal Practice Director, Eureka Lawyers
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
The Society is the profession speaking with one voice. I’d like to help make sure that voice includes the practitioners who appear in the courts and commissions every day – as well as those who don’t.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
A broad one. Employment, injury, family, estates and defamation, in jurisdictions from WorkCover to the Court of Appeal, and nine years running a firm as well as appearing for it. That range means I’ve met most of the issues the Society deals with somewhere in my own practice — and I’d like to put that to use.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Write every email and text as if it will one day be read aloud in court. Some of them will be.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Tell the client the bad news the day you get it. A client who hears it from you first will usually forgive the news; one who hears it late rarely forgives the silence.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Listening. Most of the profession is too busy practising to tell the Society what it needs. I spend every day alongside those practitioners, and I’ve learned to hear what’s making their week harder than it should be. I’d bring that into the room.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. “I get knocked down, but I get up again” is the most accurate description of civil litigation ever set to music.
Ross McDougall, Associate, Lewis Kitson Lawyers
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
To be an advocate for my mature peers in the profession, and to help make the sausage, not just see how it is made.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I was a mature age student at uni and worked across a few different industries before joining my esteemed colleagues.
For most of my clients, I am the first lawyer they’ve met or worked with. The work is personal – a privilege – and provides me with insight into how we can better serve our clients and society.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Life is far too important to be taken seriously.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
The small change is that we should be more comfortable and practised at changing and improving continuously. Change is the only constant.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
I generally try to get a laugh or chuckle out of colleagues and clients (when appropriate). It makes everyone more comfortable and can take the edge off the work.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
It would change often. I’m a huge fan of Yussef Dayes and his song Tidal Wave, with Tom Misch always on repeat.
Thomas Moorhead, Clerk Assistant (Procedure) and Sergeant-at-Arms, Parliament of Western Australia
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
The profession has given me opportunities to work in private practice, at the Law Society itself, and now in Parliament. I’d like to give something back by helping ensure the Society remains a strong, practical and trusted voice for lawyers across Western Australia.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I’ve seen the profession from several angles: as a country lawyer, a Law Society staff member, and now as a parliamentary officer. That experience has taught me that good outcomes come from bringing different perspectives together and finding common ground.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Life: From my Dad – Work hard and be kind to your mother!
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
We need to be far less tolerant of bullying. Most lawyers can handle hard work and high expectations, but nobody does their best work in a culture of intimidation. Small shifts in leadership and workplace culture could make a very big difference and keep talented people in the profession.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Connecting ideas and people. I enjoy bringing together different viewpoints, finding practical solutions and helping people navigate complex problems without losing sight of the bigger picture.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Peg by Steely Dan. Partly because it’s a great song, and partly because every good meeting could use a little more optimism.
Kim Morrison, Principal, Morrison Family Law
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
This will be my third term on council. In that time, I have seen a lot of positive change – a new CEO, inclusion of wills and estates to the accreditation program, the new Brief Online, and some excellent advocacy on behalf of our profession. I am excited to continue to be a part of the new direction for LSWA.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
Small firms and micro firms represent a large proportion of LSWA membership. What works for a large firm is not always best for a small or medium firm.
As the principal of a small firm, my voice represents our membership.
Further, as an accredited family law specialist, I represent the families in Western Australia, and our family law members.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
“It’s important that they know you’re in the trenches with them.”
I was not clear if my supervisor was talking about the client experience or our work mates. I thought it applied to both, and I still do.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Respect.
Our clients and our colleagues are all people doing their best. Respectful communication costs nothing, but can make the world of difference.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
I quickly cut through the noise, and get to the heart of the matter. This means we can focus on what is important and make a plan, rather than going around in circles.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
If I am voted in again, I will post a reel of me walking in with my walk-on song. You’ll have to wait and see.
Lesssssssgo!
Junior Member nominees
Shanay Fairbairn, In-house Counsel, Local Government
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
As someone early in my career, I want to ensure junior lawyers continue to have a genuine seat at the table. I am passionate about supporting professional development and wellbeing, while ensuring the profession remains accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the changes shaping legal practice.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I’m a first-generation lawyer, which has shaped my experience in the profession. I have had to navigate much of it without the benefit of established professional networks, giving me a practical understanding of some of the barriers lawyers can face when entering the profession.
I also work in the public sector, focusing on privacy, information governance and emerging technologies.
Through this work, I have seen how AI and other technological developments are beginning to reshape legal practice and the regulatory environment. Together these experiences give me a perspective on improving access to the profession and preparing for the changes that will shape its future.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re probably in the wrong room.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Making mentorship more accessible and less intimidating. One conversation with someone who’s been there before can save months of uncertainty and self-doubt.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Asking the question everyone else is thinking but doesn’t want to ask. It sometimes makes me look brave and sometimes makes me look foolish, but it usually gets us where we need to go.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Vogue by Madonna.
Ryan Garvey, Associate, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
I want members of the Law Society to feel genuinely supported, particularly newer members who are grappling with challenges for the first time (such as new tech advancements, or however networking is supposed to work)!
Notwithstanding only being a couple of years into it, I have honestly and thoroughly enjoyed becoming a part of the profession, and learning about all its peculiarities. I would love the opportunity to help share that experience, and contribute however I can to the Law Society.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I think it’s particularly important for newer voices to be part of the discussion on how the profession can adapt and grow.
Although I practice within a commercial firm, it is certainly not where I expected to end up! However, that background has provided me with a strong appreciation for the various avenues the profession contains, and the importance for all practitioners to be considered.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Always be courteous, respectful and professional in correspondence. You never know what discovery or affidavit it will wind up in …
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
Harmonised guidance and obligations for AI use across the jurisdictions.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
A deep appreciation for the WA-specific requirements for affidavits (and the art of politely rebuffing interstate colleagues who ask why it can’t just be signed electronically).
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Prototheme by Hot Mulligan (#1 Hot New Band)
Liam O’Connor, Solicitor, Panetta McGrath Lawyers
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
I would like to continue to serve on the Law Society Council because of the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the legal profession and to represent the interests and perspectives of all legal practitioners.
I am passionate about supporting the development of the profession, in particular, the promotion of the high standards of professionalism and integrity.
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I bring a combination of curiosity, practicality and a willingness to challenge the status quo. I’ve spent a decade in varying board and director roles and enjoy questioning not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it and who it’s benefiting. I bring an open mind, a willingness to hear perspectives different from my own and a focus on making sure that the ideas of our members and Council translate into something valuable for our profession.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
What we do in life echoes in eternity.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
A complete ban on our judicial system accepting anything more than two pages of artificial intelligence-generated text within motions or applications.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Keeping complex or confusing topics simple – ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough’.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Anything metal.
Mitchell Shearing, Graduate, Butcher Paull & Calder
Why would you like to serve on the Law Society Council?
I want to be at the heart of our community, hear from people, and be an approachable advocate for those with great ideas for positive evolution!
What’s a perspective or particular experience that you’ll bring to the table?
I am young, creative, a people person, and always willing to put in the effort where it truly matters. I have a deep love of music, film, opera, and the arts which has given me a broad network outside the legal profession and a different perspective on how we connect with the wider community. I love talking to people in the arts about the law and talking to people in law about the arts.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about practising law (or life)?
Everyone deserves access to justice.
What’s one small change that could make a big difference to the profession?
I believe the legal profession should be more accessible to everyone. Our collective work affects everyone and the barrier of understanding should not be impossible to break for those who haven’t chosen to study law. There should be open environments where any person from any walk of life can step in for a moment and learn about the law and our justice system.
What is your professional superpower – and how does it help you and others?
Coming from a mixed family, I love learning about the world, cultures, and languages and I have a deep passion for listening and getting to know people on a personal basis. Connecting with people would be my ‘superpower’ and I believe connecting with a range of people is the best way to enhance empathy and expose yourself to different ways of thinking.
What song would be your walk-on music for a Council meeting?
Dhoom Machale. If you know you know, and if you don’t know, get to know.
