Our Team

Michelle has over 15 years’ experience as a property, litigation, commercial and estate planning lawyer, gaining valuable experience having worked in suburban and top-tier law firms, and State Government. Michelle has advised a broad range of clients in the areas of:

• Domestic building disputes
• Town planning applications
• Owners corporation matters
• Retail and commercial leasing
• Sales and purchases of land
• Adverse possession and fencing matters
• Commercial agreements and mortgages
• Business sales and purchases
• Business and trust structuring
• Estate planning
• Litigation and dispute resolution.

Michelle is a member of the HIA Industrial Relations and Legal Committee, and the South Eastern Metropolitan Branch for the HIA Victorian Chapter, and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria.

Rowland has over 40 years’ experience as a lawyer and extensive experience in the areas of building disputes and construction law, family law, debt recovery, commercial and general litigation. His main strength is problem solving. Some of Rowland’s key reform contributions to building law over the years include:

• Appointment in 1988 to Chairperson of the Appeals Committee of the Housing Guarantee Fund Limited (HGFL) until 1995. With the other two members of the Appeals Committee- over this time he sat and determined over 400 domestic building dispute cases.
• As Chairperson, Rowland was responsible for preparing and delivering the reasons for every decision at the conclusion of each case. These cases were complaints by owners regarding builders, appeals by builders for warranty insurance, and registration as builders. The Appeals Committee of HGFL was later replaced by VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal).
• The involvement with the Appeals Committee of the HGFL and debt recovery for tradesmen led to an involvement with the Housing Industry Association (HIA). Rowland believes that to effect change in any institution, it is necessary to be a part of the institution. He joined the HIA as a member in 1996, became the Chairperson of the Legal Subcommittee of HIA (Victoria) between August 1999 and April 2001, and remains a member of HIA today.
• Since 1 July 2023, Rowland has been a part-time Consultant to Hassall’s Litigation Services providing expertise in domestic building matters, litigation and strategy.