Peter Jolly
President of the Queensland Law Society commencing 1 January 2026
I was admitted in 1985. I was a partner of Biggs & Biggs from 1989 and, when that firm merged with Thynne + Macartney in 2008, I became a partner in Thynne + Macartney's Business Advisory group. I am a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Business Law. I have an interest in corporate governance and am an experienced company director. I was the Chairman of Partners at Thynne + Macartney from July 2017 to June 2021. I have been the Chairman of an unlisted public company and a director of not for profit corporations. I was a member of the inaugural Business Law Specialist Accreditation Committee and am the current Chair of the Queensland Law Society Specialist Accreditation Board. I was elected to Council in 2021.
Sarah-Jane MacDonald
Deputy President of the Queensland Law Society commencing 1 January 2026
Sarah-Jane is a family lawyer based on the Darling Downs, passionate about ensuring regional practitioners have a strong voice in our profession. She has proudly served as an Ordinary Council Member and now seeks to continue that service while nominating for Deputy President. With over a decade of experience, Sarah-Jane understands the realities of practice across Queensland. She contributes to the QLS Domestic & Family Violence Policy Committee and the Practice Management Committee, bringing a regional perspective to important policy discussions. Sarah-Jane is also a Director of Lifeline Darling Downs & South West Queensland and values connection and community, both within the profession and beyond. She is committed to supporting people (and solicitors) at every stage of their careers. Away from work, she is often hanging out with her dog, an English Cocker Spaniel named Alfred.
Craig Chapman
Vice President of the Queensland Law Society commencing 1 January 2026
Serving in a leadership role with QLS is a privilege, and an opportunity to give back to the legal profession. I’ve always been among the first to volunteer within community organisations or within our profession. I was appointed to Council in 2024 and would be honoured to be elected as Vice President for 2026. I am currently a member of the Committee of Management and importantly, am Council representative on the Early Career Skills Working Group; a Group tasked with strengthening the competencies of early career lawyers. I was an active participant in Bond University’s research project into job readiness of law graduates. As the father of three law students, I am passionate about improving the skills, training and pathways for early career lawyers. I would welcome the opportunity to continue my focus on early career lawyers and help them have long and fulfilling careers in law, as Vice President.
Genevieve Dee
Immediate Past President of the Queensland Law Society commencing 1 January 2026
Queensland Law Society President Genevieve Dee is a partner with Lander & Rogers and an Accredited Family Law Specialist who has practiced exclusively in family and relationship law for 20 years. Highly sought after for her expertise in complex property matters - including those involving taxation issues, trusts, manufacturing companies, rural issues, intergenerational wealth and family businesses, and complex corporate structures – Genevieve has been recognised through various awards including WLAQ's 'Emergent Lawyer of the Year' Award and a finalist for WLAQ's 'Ford Woman Lawyer of the Year' Award. Recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia for her expertise in family law and family mediation, she was named a Lawyer of the Year for family law mediation in the publication's 2022 edition.
Having served three terms as Councillor of the Queensland Law Society her experience as a member and Chair of the Committee of Management, Professional Conduct Committee, and the Specialist Accreditation Board, including a term as Chair, highlights her engagement and commitment to the legal profession. Genevieve is also Chair of the Board for Women's Legal Service Qld (WLAQ).
Ordinary members of Council
Rebecca Anderson
Rebecca has been an active member of the Queensland Law Society (QLS) since 2018 and serves as the Chair of the QLS Elder Law Committee since 2020. In this role, she leads state and federal advocacy efforts in elder law matters, policy submissions, and inter-jurisdictional collaboration. Additionally, Rebecca has contributed to various symposiums, and conferences sharing her expertise and insights on legal education, policy development, and stakeholder engagement. Rebecca practices in the areas of disability, elder law, mental health, and supported decision-making and actively participates in state and federal policy engagement. She is an accredited Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) Practitioner for the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT). Outside the legal profession, Rebecca is deeply involved in her community. She has served as a board member and president of her local football club, and children’s schools. Rebecca is also a mental health first aid accredited professional.
William Barsby
Will Barsby is the Principal Lawyer and Director of Barsby Law, where he specialises in Employment, Statutory Insurance, and Compensation Law. He also serves as a volunteer Director for Steering Healthy Minds, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing for workers in the transport sector. With more than 20 years of experience across the legal profession and private commercial sector, Will brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of what good law looks like and the pivotal role it plays in supporting both community and business.
Jim Conomos
Jim is the Managing Director and Founder of JCL Law Partners (previously James Conomos Lawyers) in Brisbane and has served as a QLS Councillor since April 2023. With almost 40 years of experience in the legal profession, Jim specialises in commercial litigation, dispute resolution, commercial advice, personal and corporate insolvency and contract law. Since 2012 Jim has been recognised in Doyles Guide. He was most recently recognised in the 2025 Doyles Guide as a Preeminent Lawyer in Insolvency and Reconstruction and a Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution. He is also recognised in Insolvency and Reorganisation Law by Best Lawyers. Jim has published on numerous topics including insolvency, negotiation, liability and reform in IR Global and Corporate LiveWire. Jim is a member of the LCA Insolvency and Reconstruction Law Committee and has been the previous Queensland State and National Chair of the LCA Insolvency and Reconstruction Committee.
Sarah Grace
I’ve dedicated my career to serving both the legal profession and the community, with a strong focus on fairness, access to justice, and sustainable policy reform. As past President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (QLD), I’ve worked with government, industry, and community stakeholders to protect the rights of injured people and strengthen our compensation schemes. Practising in personal injury law allows me to walk alongside people during some of their toughest times—and that’s shaped my passion for advocacy, innovation, and reform. I’m also a proud mum of two amazing kids, which fuels my drive to mentor junior lawyers and help build a profession that’s ready for the future.
Ashleigh Harrison
I am a Cairns based lawyer and QLS Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law. I was recently recommended in the 2025 Queensland Doyle's Guide for Motor Vehicle Compensation Lawyers. I have over a decade of experience and I currently practise locally in a boutique firm, FNQ Legal. I enjoy being able to offer quality representation and personalised service to my clients. I have previously worked in a large national firm and over my career have represented people from across Far North Queensland and beyond. I am passionate about representing the profession in North Queensland and was part of the NQLA committee for almost 10 years, serving as President in 2022.In my spare time, I try and get out to the reef and stock the freezer with fish.
Chloe Parsons-Pope
I work in Commercial Litigation as a fierce litigator, and I stand for good governance, next-generation advocacy, and the betterment of lawyers in Queensland. I hold the GAICD accreditation from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and am a Master of Laws Candidate (LLM) at the University of Melbourne. My unwavering commitment to the profession includes serving as a Member of the QLS Ethics and Diversity Committee, QLS Liaison for the BAQ Equal Opportunity & Diversity Committee, Assistant Treasurer of Women Lawyers Association Queensland (WLAQ), Treasurer of Queensland Young Lawyers (QYL) and Committee Member of Women in Finance Queensland. As QLS Councillor, I will create opportunities for, and build, a future-ready legal profession, champion and be a strong voice for practitioners at every stage in their legal career, and help shape an inclusive, future-facing and supportive profession.
Phil Ware
Phil Ware LLB (Hons), LLM, MBA, GAICD is a highly experienced lawyer and governance executive with notable contributions to the QLS. Phil commenced in private practice at Feez Ruthning, now Allens, in 1988.
He has been the General Counsel at a government owned energy entity for the last 25 years, and is a second term QLS Councillor serving on numerous QLS committees.
Phil has been a member of the QUT Alumni Board and is currently on the Board of the Camerata Chamber Orchestra. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Resolution Institute member, and an accredited probity adviser/auditor.
He is currently learning the double bass and is the father of a delightful 4yo.
Jon Wiedman
I am one of five directors of Hede Byrne and Hall a regional practice in Toowoomba, Warwick and Roma, employing about 40 staff in Toowoomba, Warwick and Roma. I joined the firm as an article clerk in 1992, becoming a director in 2000. I now practice almost exclusively in succession law and related areas including drafting wills and powers of attorney, estate administration, trusts and related litigation. I am the Secretary of the Downs and South West Queensland Law Association and sit on the QLS Succession Law Committee. Outside of law, I have qualifications in sports medicine and sports massage, and I am active as a trainer with the Coolaroo Australian Football Club in Toowoomba.
Adam Dwyer (Attorney-General's Appointee)
With over twenty years’ experience in the criminal justice system, Adam is recognised as a leader in the legal profession, with a demonstrated track record of resolving criminal matters for his clients. Adam is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist (Criminal Law) and is actively involved in the legal community through the Queensland Law Society Criminal Law Committee and the Criminal Law Accreditation Committee. Adam believes in sharing his experience and learnings through teaching and mentoring. He is a sessional academic with the Griffith University School of Criminology & Criminal Justice and a teacher and assessor for Practical Legal Training at the Leo Cussen Centre for Law. Adam is consistently ranked by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Criminal Defence Lawyer, has three national awards for public service and received the Griffith University award for academic excellence in 2003. He has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and is a board director of the Queensland Cricketers’ Club and The Gap Junior Australian Football (JAF) Club.