President: Michael Stubbins

Michael joined the Bayside Community Legal Service more than 20 years ago, first as a Volunteer Solicitor and then as a President for 15 years. After a break away, Michael has returned as our President.

Michael was employed in the Queensland Public Service for fifty years, including periods working for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Queensland Corrective Services and has a particular interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) issues.

Vice President: Kate Fuller

Kate Fuller is a practising barrister based in Brisbane in Win Paten Chambers.  She appears in criminal, family, child protection, youth justice and domestic violence proceedings. 

Prior to being called to the bar, Kate was a founding partner at Fuller & White Solicitors.  She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Masters of Laws (Applied Criminal Practice).  She completed her research masters thesis on the introduction of Strangulation offences under the Criminal Code in response to domestic violence reform.  She is an adjunct lecturer at the College of Law.

Treasurer: Paul Coves

Paul Coves is the principal and director of Coves & Co. He has over 25 years’ experience as a solicitor and advocate practising primarily in litigation and alternative dispute resolution in state, interstate and federal jurisdictions. He holds a Masters’ degree in law, specialising in dispute resolution management.

Paul is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. He is also a panel mediator with the Department of Justice and Attorney General’s Dispute Resolution Centre. He has undertaken hundreds of mediations in a large variety of commercial, property, succession, family, peace and good behaviour, high conflict, neighbourhood and contractual disputes.

Prior to his legal career, Paul gained valuable commercial experience in a large multinational corporation in Australia and the UK. It has enabled him to understand the commerciality and strategy of many business decisions and gives him insight into the realities of commercial dispute.

Relevant Memberships and committees:

Queensland Law Society

Chair, Queensland Law Society, ADR Practice Committee.

Bayside Community Legal Centre – Treasurer, executive committee member 2019 and volunteer solicitor since 2013

Coastal Communities Protection Alliance – Wooli Inc. – Committee member and legal adviser since 2009.

QLS representative in its working group with cross jurisdictional representatives for the ADR Hub.

Secretary: Eve Rowell

Eve is currently the Secretary of Bayside Community Legal Service. She is currently in her third year of her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at QUT and is a Law Clerk at Fuller and White Solicitors. Eve has a keen interest in criminal law and child protection matters.

Having previously volunteered at Bayside Community Legal Service, she has a thorough understanding of the significant contribution BCLS makes to improving access to justice within the community. She looks forward to assisting Bayside Community Legal Service in contributing to a more just and inclusive community, particularly through supporting those who are most vulnerable.

General Member: David Boca

Meet David Boca. David operates a boutique accountancy and tax practice in Manly. David has also worked in privately-held and ASX listed enterprises in senior finance positions so his commercial understanding of how business operates from a financial perspective underpins his recommendations and advice on all matters of business and tax. 

David started working with BCLS in December 2019 as the accountant and joined the management team in 2021. David decided to dedicate his time and volunteer his services as the accountant for BCLS and also joined the management committee as he values the work BCLS carries out in the general public. If he can make even a small difference to the local community by contributing to the work performed by the team at BCLS. His mission is to add value to the business and is driven by positive results and outcomes.

General Member: Peter Goodwin

Peter is a Solicitor and Principal of his own legal consulting firm where he specialises in Estate Administration and Disputes as well as complex property disputes. Peter has over 40 years experience as a legal practitioner both as a Solicitor and for 35 years as a Barrister. Peter is also a qualified mediator and holds both a Masters Degree in Law as well as a Graduate Certificate in Applied Law from the University of Queensland with a major in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Peter also holds a Certificate in Mediation from The Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia (IAMA) and has extensive experience over many years in mediations. Peter has been a Board Member and Volunteer with Bayside Community Legal Service for the past 3 years.

General Member: Vanessa Hernandez

Vanessa has been a legal practitioner for more than 15 years, specialising in Family Law.  Vanessa is the Queensland Head of Legal for Australian Family Lawyers, overseeing the national firm’s Queensland offices based in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Bayside. 

Vanessa has also been involved as a Steering Committee Member for the Gold Coast Family Law Pathways Network which aims to provide collaboration and coordination between organisations and professionals operating within the broader family law system.  Vanessa is also the Founder and President of VENN, a networking group for professionals with a view to providing mentoring opportunities and the development of professional relationships across all levels of experience, and all industries. 

Vanessa joined Bayside Community Legal Service (BCLS) in December 2021 as a committee member and has continued in this role with BCLS since this time.  Vanessa is passionate about the role that BCLS plays in benefiting the Bayside and wider community by providing volunteer legal and mediation services.

General Member: Kristen Hodge

Kristen Hodge is a Wiradjuri woman from NSW born and raised on the Galare (Lachlan) River in Forbes. Kristen moved to Queensland to commence university at Griffith University and found work specialising in native title and cultural heritage issues over the last 15 years working in the Queensland space. Kristen has represented the State Government, Local Governments, mining and development land users and Traditional Owners from all different angles and has unique perspectives as a result. Kristen currently works at the Native Title Representative Body, Queensland South Native Title Services and her passion is focused around cultural heritage and economic independence for groups. Kristen also advocates for the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals and has been a member of the Indigenous Lawyer’s Association of Queensland since 2017 and was appointed President in March 2022. Kristen is also the co-chair of the Queensland Law Society First Nation’s Policy Committee and volunteers her time advocating for changes to laws. Kristen became a general member of the Management Committee for the Bayside Community Legal Centre in October 2022. Kristen is committed to ensuring local community members have access to free, informed legal advice.

Margo is an experienced mediator ensuring unbiased and intentional mediation. Margo runs Olive Branch Mediation specialising in family and property disputes as well as conflict coaching for co-parents and separating clients.

Margo brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and resources to the mediation space. She has both professional and lived experience in a Family Relationship Centre as an FDRP, in Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, in legal negotiations and as a socio-legal academic. Margo also holds a Juris Doctor, Master of Justice (Intelligence), BA (Politics), Grad. Dip Theology and is a community Justice of the Peace (Qual).

Margo uses a facilitative process to help place both parties in control over their expectations and decisions. She is a Family Dispute Resolution Accredited Mediator (FDRP), a Child Inclusive Consultant (Children Beyond Dispute), an Elder mediator and a National Accredited Mediator (NMAS). Margo has been part of the BCLS volunteer family since 2019.

General Member: Danielle Dick

Danielle Dick has practised as a lawyer exclusively in family law over the past 10 years. Danielle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in all family law matters including complex property and parenting matters, divorce, domestic violence and Binding Financial Agreements.

Danielle completed a dual degree in Law and Justice at the Queensland University of Technology in 2012 and was admitted to practice as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia in 2013. In 2015, Danielle obtained her Masters Degree in Law from the College of Law where she majored in Family Law.

Danielle is engaging and results oriented, always ensuring that she provides a high quality and tailored service for her clients. She is a confident solicitor who will make your matter her priority with an empathetic approach.

Danielle is passionate about helping others and is always volunteering in some capacity. In the past she has volunteered with the Women’s Legal Service, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service and Rosies. Danielle is currently volunteering at the Bayside Community Legal Centre providing free legal advice to her local community and has recently joined BCLS as a committee member.

Principal Solicitor: Jean-Remi Campion

Jean-Remi Campion is Principal Solicitor at BCLS and is steadfast in his belief that every individual has the basic human right to legal representation and that every individual benefits from the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by an open and independent impartial judiciary as the critical principles of the rule of law and an undeniable basic human right.

Focusing on predominantly Criminal Law, Domestic Violence and Family Law throughout his legal career, he has also volunteered as a Solicitor in Community Legal Centres both in the Northern Territory and in Queensland, as well as working in private practice as a criminal defence lawyer, domestic violence and family law, appearing in Courts Australia-wide.

Jean-Remi strives to promote and ensure that the four principles of social justice (human rights, access, participation, and equity) are respected to provide for an equal and democratic society in which we should all live harmoniously.

Equally, he is committed to the recognition of First nations people’s sovereignty, their inherent right as the original peoples of Australia and their distinct right to spiritual and cultural beliefs and practices.

Jean-Remi is passionate about the role that BCLS plays in benefiting the Bayside and wider community by providing volunteer legal and mediation services.

Solicitor: Gemma Adams

Gemma completed a Bachelor Laws/Bachelor of IT from QUT in 2007, and was admitted as a Solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2008.   From 2008 – 2023 Gemma has been engaged in private practice in the areas of dispute resolution, wills and estates, employment law, family law and criminal law.

Since being admitted to practice in 2007, Gemma has completed a Master of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner accreditation.  Additionally, Gemma completed the Practice Management Course through the Queensland Law Society in 2015. 

Gemma is able to provide advice in the areas of family law and criminal law.

Coordinator: Kerryn Mitchell

Kerryn has in excess of 20 years administrative experience across a range of industries including legal, accounting, real estate, sales and manufacturing.  Kerryn is BCLS’s Coordinator and is the administrative assistant linking our volunteer and employed solicitors, mediators and students with our clients.