Wollongong
Suite 5, Level 2, 221-229 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Lancaster Law & Mediation People
Graham Lancaster
Director/Lawyer/Mediator
Christopher Deckers
Lawyer
Gerardo De Liseo
Lawyer/Mediator/Trainer
Graham Lancaster
Director/Lawyer/Mediator
Graham started his legal career in 1984 as a law clerk. Graham was admitted to the Law Society of NSW in 1990, and has since practiced in most areas of law and has appeared in Federal Courts and State Courts both instructing Barristers and as a Solicitor Advocate, without a Barrister. Since 1997, Graham’s practice has focused more particularly on Commercial Law and Insolvency, of which he is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation (Insolvency), and he has developed specialised knowledge and experience in Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Graham has since attained National Mediation Accreditation.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Diploma Law (SAB) Diploma PLT (UTS) 1990
- Bachelor of Commerce with Merit 1999
- Advanced Insolvency Law and Practice Certificate 2001
- Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation (Insolvency) 2004
- Level One Collaborative Practice Certificate 2007
- Commercial Mediation Certificate 2010
- National Mediation Accreditation 2017
ADMISSION TO PRACTICE
June 1990, Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia.
Experience
Graham seeks and achieves the resolution of conflicts through a variety of methods including litigation and alternative dispute resolution procedures such as:
- Negotiation;
- Arbitration; and
- Mediation.
Examples of matters in which Graham has acted are:
- Commercial litigation relating to debt recovery, insurance, shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, contract disputes and failed businesses.
- Legal advice and dispute resolution in receiverships, administrations and liquidation of companies in many industry and commercial sectors.
- Advising company directors and shareholders concerning their rights and obligations.
In addition, Graham has extensive experience and formal training in insolvency related litigation and has acted for many companies and liquidators to recover funds and to defend claims by creditors.
Graham has also undertaken courses in Negotiation, Collaborative Law and Mediation.
Professional Background
Graham has been involved in law since he started as a clerk in 1984 performing general legal work. From 1999 he has specialised in commercial litigation and insolvency related work, before becoming a director of Access Law Group in 2002.
He is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation, specialising in insolvency, and attained National Mediation Accreditation in 2017.
Professional Affiliations
Graham was a Director and founding member of the Leadership Development Forum. He is a Solicitor member of the Law Society of NSW.
He is a Life Member of the Association of Apex Clubs, was a former Board Member of the Specialist Accreditation Board of the Law Society of New South Wales for 12 years and is now President of The Illawarra Connection.
Graham was made on Honorary Member of the Golden Key Society in 2011, has been a director of the Wollongong Hawks and is a current director, and Company Secretary of Basketball Illawarra.
Presentations
Graham has presented seminars on Director’s Duties and Liabilities in Wollongong and Parramatta as well as seminars on Leadership, Procrastination and Delegation for the Leadership Development Forum.
Graham has also presented papers on:
- Asset Protection in an Insolvency Framework;
- Director Penalty Notices;
- Public Examinations under the Corporations Act;
- Social Media Policies; and
- The Golden Rule.
In addition, Graham has presented a workshop on Negotiation for high school students involved in the Young Achievers Program.
Christopher Deckers
Lawyer
Christopher started with Lancaster Law & Mediation in November 2017 having spent the previous two years working in a Southern Sydney law firm.
Christopher was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in December 2015 and since that time has gained significant experience in all areas of litigation, with a particular focus on Contested Wills and Estate Matters.
Prior to being admitted to the Law Society of New South Wales, Christopher worked as a Legal Clerk in a Barristers’ Chambers in Sydney.
Christopher regularly appears in Courts in most jurisdictions and has experience instructing Barristers in Defended Hearings in Federal and State Courts.
As well as having significant experience and achieving positive outcomes for clients before the Courts, Christopher has also achieved good outcomes for clients through negotiation and formal mediation processes.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor of Laws (UOW) 2015
- Bachelor of Commerce (accounting major) (UOW) 2015
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (ANU) 2015
ADMISSION TO PRACTICE
December 2015, Supreme Court of NSW.
Gerardo De Liseo
Lawyer/Mediator/Trainer
Gerardo started with Lancaster Law and Mediation in November 2018, after a public service career of more than 30 years as a senior conciliator with the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW.
Gerardo is a qualified solicitor and has worked as an employee relations consultant and industrial advocate. His main area of work has been in the fields of employment law and anti-discrimination law. This extensive experience enables Gerardo to bring an exceptional level of expertise to all types of employment discrimination matters, including workplace bullying and sexual harassment. Gerardo has successfully investigated and resolved many complex and contentious disputes across a variety of industries in the private and public sectors, as well as the not-for-profit sector. Many of these workplace disputes have involved issues related to race, gender, disability and sexuality. Gerardo is able to provide, both to employers and employees, practical and effective advice on a wide range of human resource and employee relations issues, from recruitment to termination of employment, as well as performance management, disciplinary procedures, organisational policies and other workplace rights and responsibilities.
As an accredited mediator, Gerardo is experienced in advising parties in a wide variety of disputes, especially in employment, educational and commercial contexts. Gerardo appreciates that many disputants want to avoid the stress and costs associated with formal legal proceedings and is able to offer constructive advice and practical guidance to persons who are involved in a dispute but are unsure as to how to achieve a reasonable and effective resolution.
Gerardo is also an experienced educator and trainer; and he is available to deliver tailor-made training programs to organizations which seek to adopt a proactive approach to addressing issues of workplace culture.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor of Arts (University of Sydney)
- Diploma in Education (University of Sydney)
- Diploma in TESOL (Trinity College, London)
- Diploma in Law (NSW Legal Practitioners Admission Board)
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (University of Wollongong)
- Accredited Mediator (NSW Attorney-General’s Department)
- Accredited Mediator (Australian Commercial Disputes Centre)
- Accredited Mediator (L.E.A.D.R.)
- Accredited Conciliator (NSW Health Care Complaints Commission)
ADMISSION TO PRACTICE
Gerardo was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in August 2000.
Presentations
Gerardo has presented seminars and training sessions to the following types of organisations:
- Universities (students, academics and administrators)
- Secondary schools (students, teachers and administrators)
- Local government authorities (employees and senior managers)
- Medical services providers (employees and managers)
- Regulatory agencies (employees and managers)
- Mining and manufacturing corporations (employees and managers)
- Law firms and community legal centres (employees and managers)
- SMEs across a range of industries, including agricultural, manufacturing, financial, media