Special Counsel & Consultant Lawyers

Brooke Reardon

Brooke leads the Wills and Estates team at McKean Park. She advises clients on all aspects of estate planning, estate administration and estate disputes. Brooke and her team will work with you to ensure that the most practical and favourable outcome is achieved.

Brooke tailors solutions that meet her clients’ individual needs. She has a strong focus on identifying risks and preventing problems before they arise. Expert legal advice and quality estate planning strategy are critical to protect assets and preserve family relationships. When conflict does arise, Brooke prides herself in resolving disputes in an efficient, respectful and timely manner.

Brooke is able to draw on her previous broad-based legal knowledge and experience to ensure that clients are provided with holistic and sound legal advice. Brookes’ experience includes probate, succession planning, wills, blended families, litigation and general advice relating to succession law.

Prior to commencing at McKean Park, Brooke developed her legal expertise across a number of Australian legal jurisdictions including Victoria, Queensland and most recently, South Australia.

Brooke is passionate about utilising her skills, knowledge and experience to make a positive difference for those she represents Brooke was admitted to practice law in 2008 and joined Mckean Park in March 2024.

Expertise

• Wills & estate planning, including discretionary trusts.
• Powers of Attorney & Appointments of Medical Treatment Decision Makers.
• Probate, Letters of Administration upon Intestacy & estate administration.
• Binding death benefit nominations & claims for superannuation entitlements
• Reseal of interstate & international Grants of Probate.
• Deeds of family arrangement.
• Special disability trusts and protective trusts.
• Private ancillary funds and charitable gifts.
• Not-for-profits and incorporated associations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws, Queensland University of Technology

Melissa Muir

Melissa has practiced almost exclusively in Family Law since 2006 and has been an Accredited Family Law Specialist since 2013.  Having worked in Victoria and NSW, as well as in city, country and regional areas, she has a sound understanding of the many issues facing her family law clients.

Melissa understands that relationship breakdowns can be a very stressful and emotional time for most people.  She therefore works with her clients to resolve their matters in a way that not only seeks to obtain an outcome that is in their best interests and that of their children, but which is also aimed at helping her clients to move on with their lives with dignity.  With this in mind, Melissa is therefore a strong supporter of forms of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation.

Understandably not all matters can be resolved by consent, and as such, where matters do need to be litigated, Melissa has the necessary skills and experience to provide effective legal representation and guidance to her clients through the Family Court process.

Expertise

• Property matters, including taxation issues and complex legal structures
• Cases with farming businesses and family businesses
• Financial Agreements (“pre-nups” and agreements entered into during and after a relationship)
• Spousal maintenance
• Parenting matters
• Relocation matters
• Acting for grandparents and other family members in parenting disputes
• Cases involving child abuse, neglect and family violence
• Child Support
• Same-sex and De-facto relationships
• Divorce
• Intervention Orders

Qualifications

• Masters of Applied Law (Family Law) – College of Law
• Bachelor of Laws – University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Arts – University of Newcastle
• Diploma of Legal Practice – University of Newcastle
• Graduate Diploma of Law – University of Sydney
• Advanced Mediation Skills & Theory – Monash University
• Collaboratively Trained – MELCA

Memberships

• Law Institute of Victoria
• Maintenance & Property Committee – Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria
• Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia

David Brett

David joined our Commercial Litigation and Insolvency Team in 2008 as a Special Counsel. David has over 35 years of experience in litigation and insolvency. He is an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation. He is also a Nationally Accredited Mediator with the Mediator Standards Board....Read More