OUR TEAM

Tim Osborn

Solicitor Director Commercial & Corporate

Tim Osborn holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business from the University of Newcastle and has been qualified as a solicitor since 2004.

Tim was previously employed as Associate in charge of the business and corporate team at a large Newcastle law firm where he concentrated on commercial transaction work and commercial litigation before founding Osborn Law in January 2011.

Tim regularly advises clients and their financial and accounting advisors on:

  • All manner of supply/procurement contracts in the building, mining and hospitality sectors
  • Software and other Intellectual Property and asset licensing
  • mergers, acquisitions and disposals
  • Corporations Act issues
  • Business and asset structuring (including asset protection)
  • Distribution and agency arrangements
  • Franchising
  • Commercial property
  • Commercial and residential lending (and security)

He further assists clients in making certain they have adequate tools in place to ensure their dealings with customers and suppliers do not expose them to undue business risk. This includes advising on and preparing credit application forms, general terms of trade, director’s guarantees and providing advice on general commercial debt recovery methods.

Tim prides himself on providing accurate, relevant, timely, and above all, practical advice to his clients.

Tim is an Honorary Commander in the Hunter Defence Support Network (HDSN) which was formed in 2015 as a single-purpose community support and advocacy group focused on improving the lifestyle of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families whilst posted to the Hunter Region.

He is a member of the Camp Quality Newcastle MotoCyc committee responsible for organising the annual fundraiser motorbike ride through country NSW combining his passion for motorbike riding and supporting great local charities.

Tim is also a former Director on the Board of NUSport (2008-2018), an incorporated body of the University of Newcastle which is responsible for the development of sport and fitness through services, facilities and activities, along with being a member of their Finance and Infrastructure Committees.

When not in the office, Tim loves spending time with his family, being outside and being active. Tim is a keen dirt bike rider and four wheel driver, and enjoys the bush and camping.

Christie Howson​

Solicitor Director Employment & Litigation

Tim Osborn holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business from the University of Newcastle and has been qualified as a solicitor since 2004.

Tim was previously employed as Associate in charge of the business and corporate team at a large Newcastle law firm where he concentrated on commercial transaction work and commercial litigation before founding Osborn Law in January 2011.

Tim regularly advises clients and their financial and accounting advisors on:

  • All manner of supply/procurement contracts in the building, mining and hospitality sectors
  • Software and other Intellectual Property and asset licensing
  • mergers, acquisitions and disposals
  • Corporations Act issues
  • Business and asset structuring (including asset protection)
  • Distribution and agency arrangements
  • Franchising
  • Commercial property
  • Commercial and residential lending (and security)

He further assists clients in making certain they have adequate tools in place to ensure their dealings with customers and suppliers do not expose them to undue business risk. This includes advising on and preparing credit application forms, general terms of trade, director’s guarantees and providing advice on general commercial debt recovery methods.

Tim prides himself on providing accurate, relevant, timely, and above all, practical advice to his clients.

Tim is an Honorary Commander in the Hunter Defence Support Network (HDSN) which was formed in 2015 as a single-purpose community support and advocacy group focused on improving the lifestyle of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families whilst posted to the Hunter Region.

He is a member of the Camp Quality Newcastle MotoCyc committee responsible for organising the annual fundraiser motorbike ride through country NSW combining his passion for motorbike riding and supporting great local charities.

Tim is also a former Director on the Board of NUSport (2008-2018), an incorporated body of the University of Newcastle which is responsible for the development of sport and fitness through services, facilities and activities, along with being a member of their Finance and Infrastructure Committees.

When not in the office, Tim loves spending time with his family, being outside and being active. Tim is a keen dirt bike rider and four wheel driver, and enjoys the bush and camping.

Laura Bennett​

Partner

Laura Bennett has more than 14 years of experience in the legal profession. Following her completion of a Bachelor of Laws at Newcastle University she took up a full time paralegal position before being admitted as a solicitor in 2008.

She has particular expertise in commercial contract negotiations and drafting. She has an exceptional set of drafting skills and a “can do” approach to client service.

Laura’s experience in commercial and property law includes:

  •  Drafting and advising on supply agreements and other service contracts
  •  Drafting trading terms
  •  Negotiating and drafting commercial and retail leases and licence agreements
  •  Drafting and advising on shareholder and unitholder agreements, share transactions and business sale and purchase agreements
  • Corporate structuring and mergers and acquisitions
  • Regularly running large commercial and residential land sale and purchase transactions
  • Residential and strata subdivisions and consolidations
  • Drafting and advising on loan, mortgage and other security and guarantee documents
  • Advising on limited recourse borrowing arrangements and bare trust acquisitions and roll overs
Lana Black

Senior Associate Commercial & Estate Planning

Lana Black is a Senior Associate at Osborn Law.

With a Masters in Wills and Estates and over a decade’s experience specialising in this area, Lana heads up our Wills and Estates team.

Lana’s practice is primarily focused on estate planning and commercial structuring arrangements, along with deceased estates.

Lana is passionate about providing practical advice to clients and looks to ensure her clients’ affairs are appropriately structured both in their lifetimes and after their death.

Lana believes effective estate planning is as much about preserving relationships among family members, as it is about transitioning wealth. Lana enjoys getting to know her clients on a personal level – understanding their family, their asset structure, business needs and their priorities. There is no onesizefitsall approach to this area and the strategies we use very much depend on the priorities of clients and the risks they are comfortable/uncomfortable with.

Lana also has extensive experience in the administration of deceased estates, including advising both executors and beneficiaries in a wide variety of estate matters such as family provision claims; questions of capacity; questions of informal wills; taxation; duties and responsibilities of executors/administrators; and general administration of estates.

Stemming from her background in wills and estates, Lana is responsible for dealing with the establishment, amendment and vesting of trusts for Osborn Law clients. Lana is also experienced in advising clients in relation to associated asset protection and structuring and works closely with Osborn Law’s commercial team when looking at clients’ commercial structuring arrangements and business succession planning.

Lana is a Committee Member for the Bean Counters Ball, an annual fundraiser held to support underprivileged youth and their education pathways. Lana is also regularly involved in other charity initiatives including managing Osborn Law’s involvement with Westpac Rescue Helicopter’s Wills Week and coordinating our Red Nose Day fundraising.

Lana is a member of Newcastle Law Society, Hunter Young Professionals and Hunter Business Women’s Network.

Yvonne Reynolds

Senior Licensed Conveyancer

Yvonne has a proven track record of almost 30 years’ experience in the legal industry in both an administration and professional capacity.

Working her way up from receptionist as a 16 year old she has progressed to legal secretary, paralegal and then recently completed the Conveyancing Law and Practice course through Macquarie University to become a qualified Licensed Conveyancer.

She has worked in both large and small legal practices in Newcastle working with staff at all levels, which has equipped her with the skills and values required to carry out her role.  She has a high level of attention to detail and accuracy and prides herself on her commitment, self-discipline, confidentiality, teamwork, multi-tasking, planning and prioritising.

Yvonne’s experience in property law includes both residential and commercial transactions such as:

  • Preparing contracts for sale including drafting of matter appropriate additional special conditions;
  • Preparing Leases and Licence Agreements;
  • Preparing Option Deeds, Deeds of Variation and Deeds of Rescission;
  • Assisting in preparation of subdivision contracts for small and large developments and managing sale transactions to completion;
  • Providing advice in relation to existing Torrens and Strata Title contracts and negotiating terms;
  • Providing advice in relation to “off the plan” contracts;
  • First home buyer, non-Australian resident and Verification of Identity requirements;
  • Acting for incoming lenders and mortgagee power of sale transactions;
  • Obtaining and review of purchase enquires;
  • Preparing Replies to Requisitions on Title;
  • Liaising with lenders, both incoming and outgoing;
  • Preparing LRS Forms including Transfers and Caveats;
  • EDR stamping requirements;
  • Preparing and reviewing financial settlement statements;
  • Co-ordinating simultaneous settlements;
  • Electronic settlement process on the PEXA platform, having recently become a PEXA Certified Member.

Yvonne is a member of the NSW Australian Institute of Conveyancers and strives to identify and satisfy client needs with quality service, confidence and commitment in all aspects of her work.

Tasha Wolodko-Kouril

Senior Associate – Employment & Litigation Accredited Specialist (Commercial Litigation)

Tasha has more than 9 years’ experience in the legal profession. Tasha has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New England and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 2016.

Tasha began her career working as a paralegal for a mid-sized firm in Sydney. Once admitted, she accepted a role at the same firm as a Solicitor, advising the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation in relation to insolvency matters (both personal and corporate) and the Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer in relation to debt recovery.

After making the move back to Newcastle following the birth of her first child, Tasha has continued to develop her practice in the areas of debt recovery, home building disputes, insolvency litigation, and the effective use of security of payment legislation.

In 2023, Tasha became an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation – a structured peer to peer assessment process enabling legal practitioners to be recognised for their expertise. To be accredited, specialists must pass a series of meticulous assessments on both legal knowledge and its application in practice. To retain their accreditation specialists must undertake significant additional professional development in their area of expertise each year.

Tasha’s expertise includes:

  • debt recovery in the Local and District Courts;
  • acting for both builders and homeowners in relation to residential building disputes;
  • acting for liquidators in relation to unreasonable director-related transactions;
  • providing advice in relation to, and where necessary litigating, unfair preference claims,
  • providing advice on the effective implementation of the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1989 (NSW)
  • drafting and advising on terms of engagement, terms and conditions of trade, distributor agreements and supply agreements;
  • drafting and advising on general security agreements, loan agreements and other security documents; and
  • drafting and advising on contractor agreements.

Tasha aims to assist her clients in avoiding expensive litigation where possible by providing accurate and timely advice to assist in managing commercial risks, and by engaging other parties at an early stage to explore amicable resolutions to disputes. Tasha places great importance on keeping her clients informed of the costs and likely costs of assisting with their legal issues.

When not in the office, Tasha enjoys spending time with her young family and enjoying a nice glass of red wine – not always in that order.

Zoe Butler

Senior Associate - Commercial & Corporate

Zoe graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) in 2019. Since being admitted as a solicitor, Zoe has gained a range of experience in corporate and commercial law acting for not-for-profit organisations and private, public and ASX listed companies.

Zoe has a keen interest in corporate and commercial law and has experience advising clients on:

  • Mergers and acquisitions including business and asset sales and sales of securities
  • Capital raising and corporate governance
  • Drafting and advising on structuring and ownership documents such as shareholder and unitholder agreements and business succession deeds
  • Drafting and advising on commercial contracts and loan and security documents
  • Commercial property including conveyancing, leasing and land development

Zoe further leads our Company Secretary service, overseeing and meticulously managing all aspects to guarantee that the company adheres to its regulatory and statutory obligations. Her responsibilities encompass a wide range of duties aimed at maintaining legal compliance and upholding the integrity of the organisation.

Zoe always endeavours to assist clients in achieving a commercial outcome. She prides herself on her professional yet personable nature and values developing long-lasting relationships with her clients.

Zoe serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of HYP (Hunter Young Professionals), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting young professionals in the Newcastle area and its surrounding regions.

On her days off, Zoe enjoys keeping fit, spending time outdoors and hanging out with family and friends – nothing will keep her inside on a nice day!

Sam Bartlett

Solicitor

Sam completed his Diploma of Legal Practice at the University of Newcastle and was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2023. With a major in News and Digital Media, Sam is experienced in interviewing and empathising when a client brings a problem.

Sam is part of the employment and litigation team and is often tasked with undertaking a range of problems which don’t fit under a specific category of law. This has grown him as a versatile thinker, taking on tough questions which are rarely asked, but which can be all important to the client.

Sam is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of HYP (Hunter Young Professionals), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting young professionals in the Newcastle area and its surrounding regions.

In his spare time, Sam is a keen surfer and enjoys exploring new surf spots. He also regularly volunteers at his local church, playing guitar and helping the youth group.

Callie Worthington

Licensed Conveyancer

Callie is a Licensed Conveyancer with over 10 years’ experience in the legal industry. She commenced her career straight out of school as a legal assistant concentrating on conveyancing matters before completing the Conveyancing Law and Practice course at Macquarie University in 2023.

Callie Joined the Osborn Law property team in 2020 and since this time has gained experience in a wide range of conveyancing matters and is a valued member of the Osborn Law Team.

Callie’s experience in property includes:

  • Drafting contract for sale both residential and commercial properties.
  • Carrying out all transactional processes to complete conveyancing matters, including:
    • Considering purchase enquiries and advise;
    • Preparing replies to requisitions on title;
    • Liaising with lenders, both incoming and outgoing;
    • Electronic duties returns together with preparation of Revenue NSW Declarations;
    • Preparing and review settlement figures;
    • Calculating distribution of moneys for simultaneous settlements; and
    • Electronic settlement process on PEXA including preparing LRS Documents

When out of office Callie enjoys playing league tag, spending time with friends and family & catching up on a good TV show.

Terence Li

Solicitor – Property & Commercial

Terence holds a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of New South Wales and was admitted as a solicitor in 2020.

Since admission, he has worked in property law. He continues to build his skills and experience in this field, working within the Commercial and Property Team at Osborn Law.

Terence has a range of experience in:

  • Drafting contract for sale of both residential and commercial properties;
  • Carrying out all aspects involved to complete conveyancing matters, from pre-exchange negotiations of contract terms throughout to settlement;
  • Acting for and providing advice to developers in relation to “off the plan” transactions;
  • Drafting contract for sale of business and providing advice on sales and purchases of business;
  • Preparing and providing advice on leases and licence agreements;
  • Preparing and providing advice on option deeds, deeds of rescission and deeds of assignment of lease.
  • Providing advice in relation to loan and guarantee documents; and
  • Drafting and providing advice on other land dealings, such as caveats and easements.

In his spare time, Terence enjoys watching a good movie, a nice coffee or board games with friends.

Terence is fluent in Mandarin and English.

Erin Cowen

Legal Secretary Wills & Estate Planning

Erin has more than 20 years’ experience in the legal industry having started her career as a young trainee completing Certificate III then Certificate IV in Business Administration. Since this time, she supported teams in a variety of firms of different sizes before finding her niche within Estate Planning.

Erin is compassionate and understands the importance of assisting clients at what can be a difficult time in their lives.

She is an absolute pocket rocket – a real doer committed to ensuring our clients and team are supported – and all done with a smile.

When not in the office you will find Erin spending time with her family including enjoying a nice meal and bottle of wine with partner Ryan along with exploring our local beautiful bush trails.

Therese Nebauer

Front Office Executive

Therese has more than 40 years’ experience in all aspects of client services and customer support roles over a wide variety of sectors.

Therese (affectionately known as Aunty Therese by her OL family) is half of our wonderful front office team that welcomes clients and friends of Osborn Law.

A definite people person, Therese enjoys meeting and getting to know people and listening to their interesting stories. She loves supporting clients which is evident through her management of processes and procedures at Osborn Law to ensure the best service is delivered.

Therese is also a real jack of all trades committed to assisting our entire team – not afraid to roll up the sleeves to make sure jobs gets done.

When not in the office, Therese loves to go camping with her family to see what our wonderful country has to offer; breakfast on the beach after a 4WD on the sand dunes along with catching a live show/musical with family and friends.

Meg Ottmann

Legal Secretary

Meg is an experienced Legal Secretary that has been working in the industry for over 9 years’ predominantly in the areas of Commercial and Property law. She started her career in legal undertaking her Certificate III in Business Administration, a move that made her love working in the legal industry.

Mainly assisting the commercial team, Meg is the point of call for the rest of the OL team when needed and is also well known to our commercial clients.

During her time as a Legal Secretary, Meg has worked in boutique and national law firms and has developed a broad range of experience and skills in the following areas:

  • Commercial Leasing
  • Retail Leasing
  • Receiving, reviewing, compiling and submitting of Tenders for provision of legal services
  • Drafting commercial documents
    • Shareholders Agreements;
    • Business Acquisition documents;
    • Commercial and retail leases;
  • File and diary management
  • Client services
  • Event co-ordination
  • Support Team co-ordination

Meg strives to assist the team and clients to ensure that the experience is a positive one.

She enjoys that no two matters are the same and the constant learning through each new challenge thrown her way.

As an outdoors person (with a green thumb), Meg loves to spend time in the garden when away from the office as well as camping and going to the beach with family and friends.

Kylie Feeney

Accounts Manager

Kylie has more than 20 years’ experience in business bookkeeping and accounting roles. She has been part of the OL family for 9 years during which time she has been responsible for all accounting and IT functions across the firm.

She enjoys working with the team and supporting where necessary. As an avid lover of spreadsheets (she will tell you!) and our practice management system, LawMaster, guru she is extremely handy to us all and we would be lost without her!

Kylie likes spending her time with family and friends when not in the office – whether this be travelling or trying new restaurants and cocktails. She also enjoys relaxing with a good book for some chill time.

Did we mention she also has THE best laugh?

Jacqui Osborn

Marketing Manager

Jacqui is a born and bred Novocastrian, completing her studies at the University of Newcastle where she attained a Bachelor of Business majoring in Marketing and HR/IR.  

Following 3 years at the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, she then joined Lawler Partners (now known as PKF Newcastle and Sydney) as head of marketing for 6 years before moving to her current role as Marketing Manager of Osborn Law.

Jacqui loves working with the OL team to assist in ensuring they are (and feel) supported in their career journey. 

Jacqui is passionate about giving back to the community and treasures her role with Camp Quality over the past 7 years as a committee member organising and running the Giggle Ball and now the By Invitation dinner. Her desire for assisting others comes from close to home, having been raised in a family heavily involved with the not for profit sector. She knows first-hand the difference these wonderful organisations can make to the lives of those who most need their support.

When out of the office, and not raising her 3 kids, she enjoys walking, catching up for a coffee or a good bubbles with family and friends, or listening to the odd John Farnham song… 

Ashleigh Tesluk

Solicitor - Commercial, Property & Estate Planning

Ashleigh holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Western Sydney University. She has been qualified as a solicitor since 2010 and was admitted to the High Court of Australia in 2012.

Following her admission as a Solicitor, Ashleigh gained experience with an international property management firm specialising in lease management. She then worked with a large law firm in their litigation team and with a ‘Big 4’ bank in their contract management team before joining a boutique Sydney- based firm specialising in litigation and debt recovery matters.

After taking some time out from the legal practice to work with an organisation that develops educational programs and events for lawyers, Ashleigh returned to legal practice as a sole practitioner, providing commercial and contract advice to small to medium size businesses and private clients.

Ashleigh joined the Osborn Law Team in 2024.

Ashleigh’s expertise includes:

  • Appearing in debt recovery matters in the Local and District Courts
  • Providing advice and drafting commercial and retail leases and licence agreements
  • Assisting clients with property and conveyancing transactions
  • Drafting and advising on terms of engagement, distributor agreements
  • Advising and drafting contractor and supply agreements
  • Preparing trading and promotional terms
  • Drafting loan, mortgage and other security and guarantee documents
  • Drafting wills and estate planning documents

In her spare time, Ashleigh enjoys spending time outdoors, watching Korean Dramas and spending time with friends and family.

Suzannah O’Toole

Solicitor - Employment & Litigation

Suzannah received a Juris Doctor (Distinction) and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Newcastle in 2021. She was admitted in the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a Solicitor in August 2021. Prior to studying law, Suzannah received a Bachelor of Arts (Distinction) in Politics & International Relations and History from the University of Newcastle.

 

Suzannah has practiced employment law in commercial and specialist employment law firms and has assisted in some of Australia’s landmark employment law litigation.

 

Suzannah has experience advising employers in the following areas:

 

  • Employment contracts
  • Restraint of trade
  • Enterprise agreements
  • Employee misconduct and disciplinary action
  • Subcontractor agreements
  • Risk management
  • Workplace policies
  • Industrial relations
  • Dispute resolution

 

She has also represented employees in the following areas:

 

  • Unfair dismissal and general protections
  • Harassment, bullying and discrimination

 

Suzannah is passionate about staying on the cutting edge of employment law and keeping clients up to date with this ever-changing legal landscape. She brings a wealth of experience to her practice and combines her legal knowledge with a pragmatic and commercial outlook. Above all, Suzannah believes in good risk management through high-quality workplace policies and practices.

Julie Lange

Administration Assistant – Wills & Estates

Julie brings a wealth of experience and a dedication to excellence in her role as an Administrative Assistant for the Wills and Estates Team. Her career journey spans diverse industries, showcasing her adaptability, professionalism, and commitment to supporting high-performing teams.

Julie began her career as a receptionist for a property developer, where she honed her administrative skills while attending night school. She then joined Centurion Park Cricket Stadium, quickly advancing to Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, a role she excelled in for three years. Julie later supported senior executives at Afribrand, a listed entity, for four years, managing complex schedules and correspondence with professionalism and efficiency.

Julie paused her full-time work to focus on her family before embracing her passion for customer service and joined the Wills and Estates Team at OL. In her role, she provides essential administrative support, managing client engagement, diary coordination, document preparation, file management, and team support. She takes pride in ensuring seamless operations and contributing to the team’s success.

Outside of work, Julie leads an active lifestyle and enjoys group fitness classes, walking along Newcastle’s scenic Foreshore with her Cavoodle, Lenny, and exploring the region’s café culture and culinary scene. She also gives back to the community as a volunteer at the Got Your Back Sista charity shop in Darby Street, where she loves connecting with people and discovering hidden treasures.

Hayley Watts

Solicitor - Commercial & Corporate

Hayley graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Newcastle in December 2024. She has begun her legal career at Osborn Law, and is excited to continue her journey with the firm as a solicitor.

Specialising in the Commercial and Corporate practice at Osborn Law, Hayley assists with matters such as commercial leasing, business sales, and share sales.

Outside of work, Hayley values maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. She enjoys staying active and cherishing time with her friends, family, and beloved pets.