1. Director

Deborah Milton

Deborah was appointed Director in April 2004, having commenced as Deputy Director in January 2003. She gained her law degree from UWA and completed her articles with Muir Williams Nicholson (now Freehills). Following her admission she worked in litigation and developed a practice specialising in mining, engineering and construction litigation, project management advice, and contract preparation. Deborah was a partner of Freehills from 1992 - 1998. She worked as a consultant to the firm in the period 2001 - 2002.

Deborah is presently Deputy Chair of the Building Disputes Tribunal, a position she has held since 1997.

In addition to her paid work, Deborah is a mother to three young children and the wife of a busy barrister.

2. Senior Lecturers

Catherine Stokes (Full time)

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia. She completed her Articles at Dwyer Durack and later worked at the Crown Solicitor’s Office (now State Solicitor’s Office). Following this, she moved to London. While in the UK, she worked for the government legal service, providing advice and representation to the Home Office and other government departments and agencies. She is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales. Catherine joined ATP in March 2007.

Paula Conway (Part time)

Paula obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, graduating in 1992. After completing her articles, Paula worked at a large commercial law firm in Johannesburg until 1998, specialising in financial services and stock exchange law. Thereafter taking a position at Deutsche Bank in South Africa until March 2001, holding the position of Head of Legal and Compliance. During her time at Deutsche Bank, she completed a Diploma in Advanced Banking Law. Paula then took maternity leave for 18 months after the birth of her daughter. During this time, she and her family emigrated to Australia and she commenced working for SEALCORP Holdings Limited (the parent company of ASGARD Limited), a large superannuation service provider, but decided to go back into practice in July 2003 when she started working in the Finance Department of Minter Ellison on a job sharing basis. During her time at Minter Ellison, Paula converted her South African law degree. After taking off a year, Paula joined ATP at the beginning of May 2007.

He worked from July 2000 until 2006 as a prosecutor with the Department of Employment and Consumer Protection’s Consumer Protection Legal Unit. During that time he appeared as counsel in over a dozen prosecutions, instructed counsel on many others, and provided numerous legal opinions regarding nearly all of the 50 or so Acts and subsidiary Regulations administered by this Division of the Department.

David joined ATP in July 2007 and is also a Senior Lawyer at Department of Community Development.

Kerry Somerville-Brown (Full time)

Kerry has 17 years in legal practice and procedure working in private practice, for government and non-profit organisations. Initially she qualified as a mathematics teacher with a Bachelor of Science and Education from UWA and taught in a number of high schools before returning to study law at UWA. She completed her articles at Downing and Downing and later established her own legal practice in 1993.

Her practice has been mainly in the area of criminal law but she has also worked on a contract basis for Legal Aid WA, the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Women’s Refuge Multicultural Service Inc, the Western Australian Electoral Commission and Edith Cowan University.

More recently Kerry was employed by the Legal Practitioner Complaint’s Committee and for the past three years has been responsible for training Justices of the Peace in Perth and throughout Western Australia on behalf of the Attorney General’s office.

Kerry joined ATP in May 2008.

Gail Sutherland (Part time)

Gail holds a law degree from UWA. She completed Articles with Jackson McDonald in 1982. Since 1984, Gail has worked in the Family Law field, primarily with Ilbery Barblett, Kim Wilson & Co and Robert Parkinson & Associates. In addition to her family law practice, Gail was also the Managing Partner of Kim Wilson & Co from 1998 – 2003.

Gail is currently the Treasurer of the Family Law Practitioner’s Association.

Gail joined ATP in April 2008.

4. Administrative Assistant

Margaret Evans

Margaret comes to us with many years experience in various Government Departments. Margaret has also completed a BA in Psychology at Notre Dame University. Margaret mainly assists Linda with general office duties but is also office support for all other staff members.

Margaret joined ATP in May 2008.