Meet our team
Our team is a mix of employees and volunteers united by a vision of a world where everyone can access justice.
Our team is a mix of employees and volunteers united by a vision of a world where everyone can access justice.
Denis Nelthorpe AM
Chair
Denis joined the Board of Anika Legal in June 2021 and is the organisation’s Chair. He brings a wealth of experience from over 40 years in the legal assistance sector including as the CEO of WEstjustice and other leadership roles. He is currently also the Chair of Southside Justice and the Deputy Chair of the National Consumer Advisory Committee at the Insurance Council of Australia.
Kim Shaw
Board Member
Kim is an experienced Board Director and Committee member who brings strong governance, legal, risk and strategic capabilities to these environments. She is an Executive Director and the Division Head of Personal Legal Services at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, as well as a member of the RMIT Law Advisory Board. She is also a Director of an NGO that supports sustained economic development in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in the Asia Pacific including through financial literacy in schools and supporting micro enterprises particularly for women.
David Mandel
Board Member
David is a non-executive director for both ASX listed and not-for-profit organisations with a portfolio across the healthcare, technology, e-commerce and sport sectors. With a total of 15 years NED experience, David makes valuable contributions to Anika both in terms of commercial acumen, vision and to the cultural aspirations of the organisation.
Jacinta Lewin
Board Member
Jacinta brings experience in governance, business, human rights and administrative law. She is a Principal Lawyer in Maurice Blackburn Lawyers' Social Justice Practice, a board member of the Victoria Legal Services Board + Commissioner, and has Board director and Committee member experience in Social Security Rights Victoria and the Law Institute of Victoria respectively.
Michael Choong
Board Member
Michael has over seven years of experience across the technology, retail, and not-for-profit sectors. He is currently a Senior Strategy Manager at SEEK, responsible for supporting their Latin American businesses. He joined Anika Legal’s leadership team in January 2020.
Maggie Hill
Board Member
Maggie has fifteen years of specialist communications, marketing, and media experience, across varied sectors and issue complexity. She has led the corporate affairs function at a national not-for-profit organisation, worked as an executive within the Victorian Government, and as a ministerial media advisor.
Noel Lim
Board Member & CEO
Noel is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Anika Legal, and has led the founding team to become an organisation of 62 volunteers, and to receive successive AFR Client Choice Awards for Startup of the Year (2019, 2020). Noel was a finalist for the Victorian Young Australian of the Year (2023) and NFP Emerging Leader award (2023).
Noel Lim
Chief Executive Officer
Noel drives the direction of our organisation and ensures that each portfolio is successfully managed.
Noel is the full-time CEO and co-founder of Anika Legal.
Zoe Chan
Principal Lawyer
Zoe is our Principal lawyer, and is responsible for developing and delivering the legal service we provide.
Zoe was previously a lawyer at Justice Connect, where she gained experience in civil litigation, pro bono projects, and designing user centred service improvements.
Jacqui Siebel
Head of Operations
Jacqui leads Anika’s operations portfolio, keeping the engine of our legal practice running.
Jacqui was previously a Project, Data & Engagement Lead at Justice Connect and has considerable community legal sector experience in project management, innovation, monitoring and evaluation.
Dale Walker
Head of Partnerships & Fundraising
Dale leads our Partnerships & Fundraising function, ensuring that Anika can continue to grow sustainably.
Dale has over eight years of experience in leading large, highly engaged teams and managing strategic partnerships across the private and not-for-profit sectors. Dale has a Masters of Business Administration, and a strong understanding of the donor development cycle and solicitation process, as well as how to use data to increase fundraising effectiveness.
Kawshalya Manisegaran
Lawyer and Clinical Programs Lead
Kawshalya is a lawyer, supporting our paralegals to deliver much needed legal services to Victorian renters.
Kawshalya has considerable experience as a lawyer, specialising in transport infrastructure projects. She previously worked at PwC in their Infrastructure team, and at MinterEllison in their Projects, Infrastructure and Construction team.
Luca Vari
Lead Software Developer
Luca leads the development and implementation of our tech strategy with responsibility for our tech portfolio, including websites, cloud infrastructure, data storage and security posture.
Luca is a software developer with extensive experience working with large national institutions in the cultural and heritage sector.
Madeleine Dupuche
Director of Education Strategy and Design at Leo Cussen Centre for Law
Madeleine is an experienced strategy and education leader whose purpose and career have centred on supporting the creation of a legal profession that accurately reflects the community it serves.
Madeleine practised as a solicitor in Melbourne and London before teaching across the continuum of legal education for over 20 years, including at law school, in practical legal training and in continuing professional development.
Gary Adler
Chief Digital Officer at MinterEllison
Gary is an experienced Chief Information and Digital Officer skilled in digital transformation, leveraging generative AI and automation platforms to create new operational efficiencies inside various business structures, IT strategy, and cyber risk strategy. He was named 10th in Australia's top digital & tech chiefs in the leading CIO50 Index.
Gary has sat on the advisory panel for software companies, start-ups, and editorials. Gary is also a Non-executive Director at AccessEAP, where he is a member of the Board and the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Helga Svendsen FAICD
Host of Take on Board podcast, Leadership & Executive Coach & Non Executive Director
Helga specialises in strategy and planning, governance and stakeholder engagement. Building on her extensive leadership roles in government, not-for-profit and membership organisations, Helga is a dynamic facilitator, coach, trainer and speaker.
Helga has held a number of chair and board roles, including the Royal Women's Hospital and Social Housing Australia. Initially trained and practising as a lawyer, her previous roles include Chief Executive Officer of Hotham Mission Asylum Seeker Project, Assistant Secretary of the Australian Services Union and Facilitator at Sustainability Victoria. She has also founded two group coaching programs for women - Board KickStarter and Board Accelerator to encourage women into, and on, Boards.
Brendan Lacota
Lead Social Impact Programs at ANZ and Independent Consultant
Brendan is a leader in designing innovative ways to provide community services. With over a decade's experience in both the community and private sectors, Brendan advises on the intersection of service design, evaluation, project governance, stakeholder engagement, and technology.
Brendan currently leads ANZ's flagship social impact programs throughout Australia, Pacific, and New Zealand as well as providing independent consulting services for not-for-profit and for-purpose entities.
Alan Peckham
Head of Legal at Australian Institute of Company Directors and former Chief Administrative Officer at Herbert Smith Freehills
Alan has spent over 25 years working in the legal sector as a practitioner and in a range of executive roles, most recently as Chief Administrative Officer at Herbert Smith Freehills. Alan has been sharing his operations experience and expertise with our team.
Alan is also a senior advisor to TILT Legal, a legal tech consultancy that helps legal teams reinvent themselves by using cutting edge technology / AI, and sits on the Advisory Board of Pickering Pearce, a strategy consulting firm that provides innovative and independent advice to law firms around the world.
