Michael Pagsanjan

Listed as a Federal Court approved native title mediator, Michael Pagsanjan is the Principal at MPS Law.

Michael’s extensive experience includes in-house roles in the not-for-profit sector, acting for various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and corporations in relation to native title and cultural heritage. Michael also has experience in an international commercial law firm, working in their administrative law and judicial review team.

Michael is a nationally accredited mediator with extensive mediation experience. Michael is also a trained strategic partnering expert, a skilled negotiator and a governance and risk specialist.

Michael has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results. This includes the negotiation of complex agreements between traditional owners and various stakeholders, the resolution of several native title claims, and the finalisation of Australia’s first successful native title compensation determination. More recently, Michael advised on and negotiated the landmark Yamatji Nation settlement, worth over $400 million.

Michael was listed in the 2016 Doyles Guide to leading native title lawyers and was recognised as the 2018 Young Lawyer of the Year by the Law Society of South Australia. In 2019, Michael was recognised as one of South Australia’s top business leaders and entrepreneurs in the InDaily 40 under 40 awards. In 2020, Michael was also awarded as a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards. Michael is also ranked in the 2021 Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific Guide and Doyle’s Guide.

Michael is a director of Nexus Arts; a company specialising in contemporary intercultural visual and performing arts. Michael was previously a director of the Australian Refugee Association; an organisation that supports newly arrived communities and individuals, empowering them to participate actively in all aspects of life in Australia.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice (Honours) and a Bachelor of International Studies. He also has certificates in leadership (RMIT University), cross-sector partnering (CQ University) and management (Harvard Business School). In addition, Michael is a graduate and member of the Australian Mediation Association, Australian Institute of Company Directors and Scotwork Negotiation.

Contact Michael at michael@mpslaw.com.au or on 0456 111 944.

 

Michael Pagsanjan

Michael Pagsanjan is a Senior Lawyer at MPS Law.

Kai is a legal practitioner specialising in compliance and corporations law. Kai brings over 10 years of experience working across a variety of social justice and regulatory issues, within and outside of Australia. 

Kai has a unique understanding of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 which combines insights developed as a legal advisor to Registered Native Title Body Corporates as a lawyer at South Australian Native Title Services, with experience as a Legal Officer at the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.

Kai has also managed enforcement activities for the UK’s Competition & Markets Authority, and supported cross-border enforcement activities between regulators in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.  During his time in the UK, Kai also led the investigation of deaths in custody at prisons in England in Wales. Before moving to the UK, Kai worked with the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Australian Agency for International Development, managing projects to strengthen the capacity of public sector governance agencies in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga.

Kai was most recently the Assistant Director at the NDIS Commission.

 

Loise Wells

Loise has extensive experience as lawyer in a number of jurisdictions, with a strong focus on native title, mining negotiations and prescribed body corporate work. She has practised as a lawyer with the Central Land Council, Kimberley Land Council, and as a senior legal and policy officer at the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations. Most recently, Loise was the Operations Manager at Bundjalong of Byron Bay Aboriginal Corporation (Arakwal) RNTBC. Loise previously interned at the Office of the Co-Prosecutor in the United Nations Khemer Rouge Trials, and, the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. She also has a long history of community contributions, including as a voluntary director of the Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights.

Loise holds bachelor degrees in Law (Adelaide University and University of Oslo) and in Arts (Griffiths University), and was the recipient of several awards and scholarships.

 

Matt is a Noongar man, with a comprehensive understanding of native title and Aboriginal heritage matters, whilst also experienced in commercial and corporate matters. Matt has gained extensive experience working for both indigenous and resource sector clients, including working at the South West Land & Sea Council as well as the manager of a legal and Indigenous affairs departments at an onshore petroleum explorer and producer, gaining a broad generalist experience in project related advice work. Matt is currently engaged to provide legal advice to both indigenous corporations and resource clients. 

Matt prides himself on working closely with clients to develop an effective relationship and an improved understanding of the client’s needs to deliver innovative solutions to complex land access problems. 

 

Ross Mackay

Ross Mackay is a legal consultant, based in New South Wales.

With almost a decade of experience as a legal practitioner, Ross is experienced in conducting negotiations between traditional owners and resource companies, collecting evidence for native title claims, conducting litigation to protect sites of cultural significance and advising communities seeking to protect their local environment. Ross has worked in the native title representative body system, for commercial law firms and in the not-for-profit sector. Ross is a former Chair and Secretary of the NSW Young Lawyers Environment and Planning Law Committee, and was the Young Lawyers representative to the NSW Law Society Indigenous Issues Committee.

Ross holds a Master of Laws (Mineral Law and Policy) awarded with Distinction, a Master of Philosophy (Law), a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (Chemistry).

 

Reade Allison

Reade Allison is a Lawyer at MPS Law.

Reade is admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia and has a triple degree in Bachelor of Law (LLB), Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Language, at the University of Adelaide. Reade is also a nationally accredited mediator.

Reade completed an exchange at Peking University in Beijing and has completed internships through the Aurora Program with the Northern Land Council and with MPS Law.

Reade has also volunteered at the Roma Mitchell Community Legal Centre.

Reade is fluent in Mandarin and German and is the recipient of several university awards for his study.

 

Barbara Kekes

Barbara Kekes is a Legal Secretary at MPS Law.

Barbara Kekes is a highly qualified legal secretary with a wealth of wide ranging experience.

Barbara has previously worked with the Australian Electoral Commission working within their Industrial & Commercial Elections Team managing elections. She has extensive experience as a legal secretary, including roles with Mellor Olsson, the Residential Tenancies Tribunal and the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Barbara has experience in the preparation and filing of legal documentation in various jurisdictions including the District and Supreme Courts, Federal Circuit Court, the Family Court and the Environment, Resources and Development Court. She has formal paralegal certification through TAFE and is in the final stages of completing her Bachelor of Laws at Charles Darwin University. Barbara also speaks Hungarian as a second language.

 

Matthew Del Corso

Matthew is a Legal Intern with MPS Law.

Matthew is currently studying a Bachelor of Law (LLB) with the University of Adelaide. He will be graduating in mid 2021 and will then commence his Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Matthew’s first experience with MPS Law was as an intern with the Aurora Internship Program.

Matthew attended a University led study tour to the Northern Flinders Ranges where he witnessed the cultural connection the Adnyamathanha people have with the land and the current complexities the region faces with accessing legal advice and justice. Witnessing these difficulties, Matthew is working on a project through his studies to improve access to legal advice in regional areas.

Matthew is currently an advisor with the Magistrates Court Legal Advice Service. He also volunteers with a local charity, reviewing internal policies and providing assistance in understanding legislative requirements. Matthew has previously worked in personal injury law.

 

Brianna Neumann

Brianna Neumann is an Administration Specialist at MPS Law.

Brianna is a highly experienced paralegal/legal assistant particularly in the area of Federal and High Court immigration and administrative law with a focus on maintaining a refined standard of work. 

Brianna has over seventeen years of experience in international law firms including DLA Piper and Sparke Helmore. This included co-ordinating administrative teams and managing a high volume production of work. For the past nine years, Brianna managed her own successful business partnership providing outsourced Federal Law cost negotiations and interpretations for the Government sector of DLA Piper Australia.