Our Team
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Lisa is the founder and principal of Blaxland Law. After graduating with 1st Class Honours, Lisa commenced her graduate career at Norton Rose in 2004 and later joined the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office. There, she represented the NSW Police in some of the state’s most significant civil matters involving wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. This experience underpins the firm’s civil litigation practice, where we successfully represent clients who have been wrongfully arrested, assaulted or maliciously prosecuted by the NSW Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Following her time with the Crown Solicitor’s Office, Lisa transitioned to criminal practice at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In this role, she handled criminal prosecutions in the District and Supreme Courts involving a broad range of serious offences, including drug supply, complex child sexual assault matters and murder.
Lisa brings unrivalled experience from both sides of criminal prosecution and police-related civil litigation. Her deep understanding and insight fuel passion for her clients’ causes and instils a strong sense of pragmatism with realistic expectations. She prides herself on being honest with her clients about the best achievable outcome and doing everything in her power to obtain it.
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After graduating with 1st Class Honours in 2004, David commenced his legal career at an inner-city commercial firm in Sydney in 2005. While there, he developed a keen interest in family law, particularly during his work on complex property matters involving significant interests held in Japan.
David later transitioned to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, initially focusing on white-collar crime cases before shifting to the prosecution of significant drug importation cases.
In 2019 David returned to private practice, bringing his expertise to Blaxland Law. Specialising in the federal jurisdiction, he leads our Commonwealth criminal and family law practices. With a commercial mindset, David is able to simplify complex property disputes and find viable solutions for his clients. He prides himself on skilfully navigating his clients and their families through challenging phases of their lives, approaching each situation with compassion and respect.
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Ryan is an exceptional and dedicated senior solicitor with a passion for advocacy. His talent was first recognised in the international arbitration moot in Vienna during his university years. Since the commencement of his legal career, Ryan has steadily built an enviable record, expertly representing clients in the Local and District Courts where he has achieved outstanding results in hearings, appeals, sentences and release applications. He has instructed counsel in lengthy and complicated District and Supreme Court trials for a range of serious offences.
Beyond criminal law, Ryan plays an integral role in Blaxland Law’s civil practice. He represents clients who have been wrongfully arrested, assaulted or maliciously prosecuted by the NSW Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
His meticulous attention to detail and depth of knowledge of this area of law are pivotal to the firm's success in these matters. Ryan has overseen numerous settlements with the State of New South Wales achieving life-changing outcomes for our clients who have been seriously wronged by NSW Police.
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Hannah joined Blaxland Law in 2020 following the successful completion of a double degree in Arts and Law, majoring in Politics.
Prior to commencing work with Blaxland Law Hannah volunteered with the Aboriginal Legal Service in its Dubbo office. It was during this period, assisting vulnerable and disadvantaged clients in regional NSW, that she solidified her commitment to specialise in criminal defence law. Hannah brings a profound sense of social justice to her role at Blaxland Law, advocating for the rights of all clients.
Hannah is actively involved in representing clients in Local Courts across Sydney, Wollongong, and Newcastle, where she passionately fights for their legal rights. Her practice covers a wide spectrum of criminal matters, ranging from traffic infringements to serious assault charges. Regularly appearing in person at Local Court hearings, Hannah consistently achieves exceptional results and is dedicated to ensuring that all clients receive the highest quality representation.
Her approach is characterized by directness, frankness, and compassion, providing crucial support to Blaxland Law's clients navigating the challenging terrain of criminal law.
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Despina commenced her professional journey with Blaxland Law with an internship in 2020 and transitioned into a full-time role as the firm's Head Paralegal in July 2022.
Despina plays a crucial role in coordinating the firm’s team of paralegals, who provide essential support to Blaxland Law's solicitors. With their comprehensive understanding of the criminal law processes, Despina and her team triage client inquiries efficiently and effectively.
They maintain up-to-date information on all client files and can provide prompt responses to procedural questions from clients and their families. This streamlined process allows information to be readily available to our clients without the need to wait for a solicitor's availability or schedule a formal conference. They are adept at providing rapid responses when clients call from custody and oversee the daily administration of all client matters.
While managing her responsibilities at Blaxland Law, Despina is pursuing a double degree; a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws at Macquarie University. She is on track to complete her law degree in 2024.