Presenters
Andrew McKenzie
Andrew McKenzie is a passionate fighter for what is fair. He is a Principal at Maurice Blackburn and head of one of our Queensland departments. Andrew has been listed by the prestigious Doyle's Guide as a lawyer of note. He has spent 29 years working in plaintiff law firms, including 23 years as a qualified lawyer. He practices exclusively in civil law and has appeared on behalf of his clients in just about every court and tribunal in Queensland.'My Grandfather was State President and Secretary of the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen's Association of Australia (FEDFA), which has since merged with the CFMMEU. I was proud of the work he did fighting for the rights of workers, and I became a lawyer so I could continue that tradition of helping Queenslanders,' says Andrew.'It's so rewarding to be able to assist a client in one of the most difficult and challenging periods of their life. I'm inspired by the manner in which clients overcome such incredible adversity and I'm driven by the incredibly intelligent, hard-working, passionate and – most importantly – empathetic people at Maurice Blackburn.'One of Andrew's recent notable cases was when he represented Lindsey Beven in her ground-breaking case against Brisbane Youth Service that proceeded all the way to the High Court.Andrew represented the family of Mitchell Sweeney following his unfortunate death linked with the Pink Batts scheme.He has also represented whistleblowers and settled numerous multi-million dollar claims for injured people in work and motor vehicle accidents. Andrew is dedicated to social justice and serving the Queensland community. His advocacy for vulnerable road users resulted in him appearing on their behalf before the Queensland Parliamentary Enquiry into Cycling in 2013. In May 2018, he authored submissions to the National Quadbike Taskforce with the ACCC. He is the Queensland face of Maurice Blackburn's Sorry Mate I Didn't See You (SMIDSY) campaign for motorcycle safety.Andrew has also been instrumental in improving the safety of surf lifesavers in Queensland. In 2003, he helped implement policy changes regarding the correct protocol for using inflatable rescue boats.Andrew is also an expert in the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS) which was launched in Queensland on 1 July 2016.Andrew has volunteered at the Sunshine Coast Community Legal Service for more than a decade. In his spare time he appreciates all forms of sport and barracks for Liverpool, Brisbane Roar, Brisbane Lions, Parramatta Eels and Queensland Reds.
David Kerstjens
Head of Forensic Data - Law In Order. David has over 15 years' experience working in Investigations across the Financial, Education and Computer Crime sector. He has strong technical knowledge in the fields of Fraud, Investigations & Digital Forensics and significant leadership experience having managed diverse teams across multiple jurisdictions.
Michelle Carlin
Michelle is a passionate leader with 17 years sales management experience. In her current role, Michelle heads a team of five experienced business development professionals. She brings the innovative thinking from her previous sales experience to deliver a strong end to end solution for clients.
Shamus Breen
Shamus is the Managing Director of the Australian Affinity office for BMS. Shamus has more than 20 years of industry experience, having served senior roles at two of the major international brokers in the affinity and healthcare sectors. His passion for creating meaningful member value for associations and its members has seen him focus on this industry throughout his career as an insurance broker.