MEET THE DFG

Damian Gordon was admitted to practice on 10 June 1986 as a Barrister in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Damian is also admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in the High Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. He has lectured in both family law and employment law at Charles Darwin University where his students were both Australia wide and from overseas.

Damian was a former Mediator and Case Appraiser for the Supreme Court of Queensland and a former Dispute Resolution Practitioner of the Family Court of Australia. He has given numerous seminars to colleagues on behalf of LegalWise, the Law Society of Queensland and the Law Society of the Northern Territory. Damian has been Counsel in cases which set the precedent for de facto relationships under the Family Law Act 1975 and has extensive experience in acting with children, particularly indigenous familial relationships and child protection. Damian has acted for both public and private sector insurers in respect to both commercial insurance matters and personal injury.

Damian has always had a strong interest in employer and employee relationships and the interaction of that relationship. Damian began his career in the Public Defender’s Office in Queensland in 1983. Now he predominantly practices in family law, commercial litigation and employment law.

Damian has a keen interest in AFL, rugby, netball and lunch on the weekend.

By its very nature, a law firm deals with some very emotive circumstances. Chris is our Office Manager or as we like to say, our go to person. Chris’ attributes make her the ideal person to attend to the logistical needs of our firm. These include assisting with clients’ procedural enquiries and to ensure that our professional staff are delivering the standard of service that is expected in a professional organisation.

Chris’ background has involved managing the expectations of not only a significant number of employees but liaising and negotiating multi-million dollar contracts within both the public and private sectors.

Chris brings all of her experience to our firm to assist our clients and our staff to ensure that all expectations are met regardless of whether you are a staff member or one of our valued clients. In her spare time, Chris loves spending time with her beautiful grandchildren and lunching with family and friends.

Rachel obtained a Bachelor of Law with Honours from Edith Cowan University in December 2015.

In 2016, Rachel commenced work as a law graduate with a Perth based Community Legal Centre and completed her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from Australian National University in October 2016.

Rachel was admitted as a solicitor to the legal profession in December 2016. On entering the legal profession, Rachel commenced working with a large specialist Defendant Insurance Law Practice, specialising in workers compensation.

Following her work as a Defendant Lawyer, Rachel is acutely interested in Plaintiff work in personal injuries and employment law. Rachel is also keenly interested in wills and estates and criminal law.

During her spare time, Rachel enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking her dog, reading, practising yoga and playing chess.

Menike obtained a Bachelor of Law from Sri Lanka and passed with Honours for Attorneys-at-Law in her final examination. Menike was admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of Sri-Lanka and practiced in the Corporate and Company Secretarial area for over 4 years working for one of the most prestigious firms in Sri Lanka.

Menike also gained her Diploma in Commercial Arbitration from the Institute for the Development of Commercial & Commercial Arbitration Centre in Sri Lanka.

When Menike relocated to Perth with her family, she studied at Murdoch University and became qualified to practice in Australia.

Menike specialises in Family Law matters and has a broad range of experience dealing with both financial and children’s issues.

She also has extensive experience in Wills and Estate matters.

Menike is focussed on the best resolution for all of her clients and understands that often complex situations can arise which need to be addressed with compassion and understanding.

Before joining the team at DFG Legal, Menike worked for boutique law firms in the South East Metropolitan region and Perth.

In her spare time, Menike enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Menike is fluent in Sinhala

Justin obtained a Bachelor of Laws from The University of Notre Dame Australia in July 2017.

In late 2017, Justin commenced work as a Law Clerk with a law firm based in West Perth and completed his Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from The College of Law in May 2018.

Justin was admitted to the legal profession in July 2018. On entering the legal profession, Justin gained experience in civil litigation, with a focus on debt recovery. Apart from litigation and dispute resolution, Justin is also particularly interested in employment law and administrative law.

In his spare time, Justin enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the gym, reading, and watching the latest English Premier League matches online.

Sue qualified as a Management Accountant in 2000 and has over 20 years of experience in various industries and countries.

Sue has worked in multimillion organisations in the United Kingdom and various charities in Africa, before relocating to Australia in the search of sunshine in 2008!

Since being in Australia, Sue worked in the Government Sector before running her own Management Accountancy business in Perth. Sue has four years of experience with law firms.

When not being attached to her calculator, Sue enjoys motorbike riding, swimming, cycling and dining out with friends.

Shae’s ability to organise and maintain our administrative “heart” makes her an invaluable member of the DFG Legal team.

Her computing, administration and typing skills ensure that our clients have an added safety net in relation to the quality of the work that we produce.

Shae is currently undertaking study to further her skill set and to allow her to become more prepared in terms of the practical aspects of the Law.

In her spare time, Shae enjoys spending time with her beautiful family and her friends.