Joanna Oakey

Managing Director

Joanna is Aspect Legal’s ‘fearless leader’ with close to 2 decades of experience behind her. She has wide experience working with a large and diverse portfolio of organisations in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, contract law, procurement, commercial law, and branding. She is the proud host of two of the top business law podcasts in Australia: Talking Law (providing smart legal tips for business), and The Deal Room (Australia’s first mergers and acquisitions podcast).

Joanna spends her spare time dreaming about ways to create the perfect business, one that breaks the traditional lawyer mould, delivers deep value to its clients, and has a positive impact on the community and the world. When she isn’t protecting her clients from the unexpected storms of business, Joanna enjoys quality time with her 2 beautiful children and husband.

Grace Yi

Senior Solicitor

Grace heads up the trademark division of Aspect Legal, and has a strong passion and drive for assisting all her clients in protecting and enforcing their trademark rights nationally and internationally. She takes a proactive and client-centered approach and will go the extra mile in ensuring her clients are more than thrilled.

Grace has been working with Aspect Legal since 2010 and has worked in a wide variety of commercial matters, including business acquisition, employee, and dispute matters. When she’s not in the office, Grace enjoys cooking (she considers herself a foodie but would never go on a TV cooking competition), tending to her plants (or talking to her ‘green babies’ as her biological children would say), pretending to exercise, and listening to anyone that needs a shoulder to cry on.

Robert Pacella

Solicitor

Robert joined Aspect Legal following the pursuit of business ventures throughout Australia and overseas. Robert is qualified in the laws of Australia, England and Wales and also holds a Bachelor in Computer Science. Robert brings a wealth of experience in corporate law and business matters including mergers & acquisitions, structuring, compliance, governance, employment, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. Additionally, Roberts’ many years of global commercial experience provides an unusual level of insight into even the most complex of matters which brings a wealth of experience in commercial law and business matters. Rob is a family man and also currently studying a Masters of Intellectual Property.

Robyn Purdy

Special Counsel

Robyn is our Victorian based Special Counsel with 15 years experience who heads up Aspect Legal’s operations in Melbourne.  Prior to joining Aspect Legal she was a Senior Associate working in the Corporate & Commercial group of a large national mid-tier law firm. Robyn has extensive experience in commercial law, with a particular focus on drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts, as well as comprehensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property law and general contract law disputes.

When she is not in the office, Robyn spends her time volunteering as a Director of Ethiopiaid Australia Foundation, contributing to her childrens’ primary school through the Parents in Partnership Committee and enjoying precious family time with her husband and two young children.

Jo Wright

Special Counsel

Jo Wright has extensive experience in commercial law, contract drafting, and negotiation, foreign investment, venture capital, corporate governance, leasing and property matters along with government grant programs.  

Jo worked for over 6 years with a top tier law firm working predominantly in mergers and acquisitions and foreign investment.  Drawing on a wealth of MA experience, Jo has recently worked with small to medium businesses on a range of commercial legal matters. With a flair for the theatrics, when not being a top-notch lawyer Jo spends her time singing and dancing with her two kids.

Marc de Carne

Special Counsel

Marc brings to the team experience in the areas of employment law, litigation, industrial relations, restraints, breach of confidence and discrimination. Marc enjoys problem solving for clients on complicated workplace issues. In his spare time, Marc enjoys ocean sports and cooking.

Brigid Keary

Executive Counsel

Brigid is an experienced senior commercial lawyer, leader and manager with over 28 years’ experience in strategy and operations, contract management and commercial law. Brigid has expertise in financial services and privacy and data protection and loves drafting bespoke agreements for tricky commercial arrangements. Brigid has astute commercial acumen and a proven track record of working independently to deliver insights, results and value. Brigid is committed to excellence in customer service with a focus on a pragmatic and collaborative approach. When she isn’t working as a lawyer Brigid helps people free themselves from whatever is holding them back as a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Intuitive Healer.

Nicole Segal

Executive Counsel

Nicole has over 20 years of experience in providing commercial advice across a diverse range of businesses from startups, privately-owned companies and listed public companies. Nicole is your one-stop shop for commercial law issues. She handles her clients’ cases from inception to resolution, providing advice and applying her keen negotiation skills and legal and industry knowledge to ensure that clients achieve excellent commercial outcomes. Nicole’s areas of expertise include franchising, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and drafting of commercial leases.

Claire Bibby

Executive Counsel

Claire is our award winning Executive Counsel who can’t sit still. She has been practicising law for almost 30 years, and has been awarded the Excellence Award for Women in Law, General Counsel of the Year, Female Executive of the Year in Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Mentor of the Year and most recently she was featured in SmartCompany’s 2018 International Women’s Day Showcase.

Her legal experience spans local and international corporate, commercial, property, insurance, financial services, funds management, finance, intellectual property, employment and general business law. In addition, Claire is an honorary member of the NSW executive of the Australian Association of Corporate Counsel, an Entrepreneur Ambassador for Opportunity International, and a committee member of the New South Wales Law Society Futures Committee and the Resolution Institute. She is is also a mentor for 7 x World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley AO’s “Aim for the Stars” Foundation.

When she isn’t looking after our clients, Claire spends her spare time with her husband, 2 teenage stepsons and her 2 Labradoodles and enjoys pilates and cooking (not at the same time).

Terri Eves

General Manager

Terri is the glue that sticks everything together at Aspect Legal and ensures the business is running smoothly. Terri works across multiple functions including Marketing, Accounting, and Business Administration. When she is not in the office she likes to be out and about with her daughter, and loves spending time with family and friends or checking out design inspiration for a big house renovation starting this year. 

Alexandra Arenas

Finance Manager

Alex is our resident numbers expert! Alex manages our Accounts and Finances and helps Aspect Legal to keep its ducks in a row. Given she is in charge of paying the staff at Aspect Legal, Alex is not surprisingly one of the most popular team members! 

She loves to take on diverse and challenging roles – being a project assistant, legal researcher/writer, book-keeper, and finance manager. If that’s not enough to keep her busy, she’s a single mum of three adorable kids. Alex knows how to chill in front of the TV watching sports leagues and dancing competitions. 

JB

Systems Manager

Having 3 Jo’s in the office could be tricky so we refer to our Marketing Manager as JB who is our technical expert here at Aspect Legal. JB is the go-to person when technology disrupts operations and she is always looking at ways to improve systems and processes. JB also has Account management and Social Media experience and is a graduate of BS Information Technology. JB is a mother of 3 and loves to watch anime and play games during her free time.

Marie Bonganciso

Podcast Manager

Marie is the superwoman behind Aspect Legal’s fabulous podcasts. She does audio editing, artwork, publishing — and everything in between! On top of that, she is the Beyoncé of content marketing and enjoys any task that gets her creative juices flowing!

Marie has also worked in customer service support for over seven years, with multi-tasking and resourcefulness being her particular strengths. Marie is a quick learner and she is always keen to acquire new skills to meet evolving client needs. She has become a gun at podcast production! 

When she is not working she enjoys watching anime, going on long motorbike rides, and fun walkies with her pit bull Migō.

Chloe

Security Officer

Chloe is our in-house security officer (aka furbaby, company mascot). She does a stellar job promptly greeting clients and delivery people as they enter the office. Chloe is a real people person – always greeting our visitors with enormous excitement. She loves the great outdoors but also quite enjoys sitting on the comfy lounge in the office when there is no one to welcome. When not at work, Chloe loves playing with her human siblings and running on the beach each morning with Aspect Legals Managing Director.