Why did you become a lawyer?  

I kind of fell into it. I had been working for 13 years in the Australian Taxation Office, mostly in the “Inspections” area, which audited PAYE records and essentially involved surprise doorknocking of unsuspecting businesses, flashing a badge, and asking to see their wages records and bank accounts.

I met and worked with Mark Malley (Partner, Insurance) there – who’d’ve thought that many years later we would both be partners at Moray & Agnew?

Soon, I moved into the “Defaults” area, which contained the Tax Office prosecutors – and just a week later I’m a lay prosecutor on a small circuit representing the Commissioner of Taxation before Mr Kevin Webb SM at St James Court of Petty Sessions, Mr Clarrie Briese DCSM at Castlereagh Street Court of Petty Sessions and (best of all) Mr Lenny Nash at North Sydney Court of Petty Sessions.

Lenny had a philosophy of getting through the 2pm list in 15 minutes and meeting him at a local licensed establishment – and God help you the following week if you didn’t turn up! So this chance encounter with the law led me to the lofty heights of Chief Prosecutor in the Newcastle Taxation Office where over five years I conducted about 5,000 prosecutions for the Commissioner. One of those resulted in the first gaol time for a tax offence in Australia and as I left the Court, I noted my opponent get into a Porsche and drive off – while I caught the bus. I then decided I was sitting at the wrong end of the Bar table, started getting properly qualified and it went from there.

Why Moray & Agnew?

Like the rest of my career, I just got swept along into it! I came across to Moray & Agnew with the rest of Hunt & Hunt Newcastle in 2006 and have been here ever since.

What do you enjoy outside work? 

I have sailed competitively for most of my life in all shapes and sizes of boats – Sabots, F11’s, NS14’s, 12 Foot Skiffs, Australian Sharpies, 505’s, Hobie 18’s, Lasers and J24’s.

Around 2003 I decided to try something else and took up archery, and surprisingly ended up representing NSW for two consecutive years in gold medal winning team events.

I still shoot from time to time but have gone back to sailing where I just potter around these days in a small boat cruising coastal waters with my dog, Georgie. I record those trips on a YouTube channel and, amazingly, 35,000 followers from all corners of the planet have watched them so far.

I also play a few instruments – guitar, bass and Appalachian dulcimer (and keyboard, if pressed) and do a bit of home recording. Increasingly, grandchildren are taking up a disproportionate amount of my time; – two already and two more on the way before the end of the year.

Three words that sum you up 

Positive, Humorous, Sceptical.