If you’re lucky, you’ll come into our office on a day that Matthew is greeting clients in reception and assisting our hard working administration staff.  Seeking legal assistance in a time of stress can be confronting and our clients appreciate seeing Matthew with a reassuring smile and a quick quip. When Matthew was 19, he survived a crash that nearly took his life.  He now shares his story with high school through the Rotary driver education program, RYDA, turning a terrible event into a positive outcome. In 2012, Matthew was awarded a prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award by the Rotary Club of Devonport North.  Paul Harris Fellowships are rare and especially for non- Rotarians like Matthew. Matthew is a member of the Apex Club of Ulverstone and participates in the Variety Tash Bash raising money to help children with disability, serious illness or disadvantage. Anna is one of the friendly faces clients meet in our reception.  She joined our practice in December 2014 and has since completed her Certificate II in Business. 

Outside of work, Anna is studying to become a massage therapist, and enjoys playing Polocrosse. Sarah joined our practice in 2007 as a Junior and left to pursue her sporting ambitions. Sarah has since obtained Certificates in Business Administration, and worked in administrative positions with the State Government and recommenced working with Walsh Day in 2015. Sarah assists Rafael Szumer in the family law and civil area of our practice, and as a clerk handling Estates. Outside of work Sarah enjoys touring our beautiful State with her husband and also staying active with her animals. Terri Baran has a background in conveyancing and general administration, and joined our practice in June 2015 as a conveyancing clerk. Understanding that selling or buying a property can be overwhelming, she works together with Eleanor James and Kerrie-anne Graham to provide a relaxed and positive experience for our clients. Terri currently also assists Alexander Tate in the commercial area. Outside of work, Terri enjoys spending time with her young family, and web design.

Kerrie-anne Graham has been working in the legal field since 1991 and joined our practice in August 2012.  Kerrie-anne is employed as a conveyancing clerk and works closely with Eleanor James and Terri Baran to provide an excellent service for our clients buying and selling properties. Kristi began working in the legal field in 2000 and has since completed Certificate III in Business Administration.  Kristi joined our practice in 2006 and works as a clerk handling Estates and as an assistant in the commercial area of practice to Eleanor James and Alexander Tate Melissa began working with our practice in 1997 and has since completed certificates in Business Administration and gained vast experience in a number of areas of law.  Melissa currently works as an assistant to Anthony Mihal.  Outside of work, Melissa enjoys travelling and spending time with family and friends. Alison is our Office Manager, handling the business management side of the practice.  Alison holds a Diploma in Management and has an extensive background in administration covering areas such as legal, insurance, accounting, veterinary and primary and high schools. 

Alison considers the legal field her favourite to work in and after starting work with Walsh Day in 1988 and having stints in other work around raising her family, recommenced in 2005.  Outside of work, Alison enjoys spending time with her family which includes her beloved horses and dogs.curtains sarojini nagar Alexander was admitted to practice in 2014 and commenced at Walsh Day James Mihal in June 2015 as an associate lawyer.  swish curtain track clipsAlexander works with Eleanor James in commercial matters, property law, and wills and estates.hanging rod pocket curtains traverse rod Alexander is very interested in the operation of the law and working with his clients to come to positive legal outcomes tailored to their needs.blackout curtain liner lowes

When not in the office Alexander has a strong passion for the Australian outdoors and enjoys camping and fishing. Rafael joined our practice in January 2015 and primarily practices in family law and civil litigation. He provides advice and representation in children’s, property and child protection matters and a wide variety of civil disputes.blinds and curtains dereham Rafael is a member of the Council of the Law Society of Tasmania and is the current Chairperson of the North-West Community Legal Centre. sailcloth curtains with grommetsHis previous board experiences includes Environment Tasmania, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Australian Earth Laws Alliance.curtains and blinds tanunda

Rafael has previously worked as a nationally accredited mediator and his mediation experience includes family conflict, workplace, neighbourhood and land-use disputes, minor civil claims and restorative justice conferences between victims of crime and offenders. Rafael is the deputy manager of the highly trained North West State Emergency Service Search and Rescue Team. The law practice releases Rafael to participate in rescue operations in remote wilderness areas. Outside work his passions include bushwalking, rock climbing, permaculture, fermentation, travelling off the beaten track and afrobeat music. Eleanor commenced practice in 2001 and she has been a director of Walsh Day James Mihal since 2004.  She is leader of the non-litigious section and enjoys a variety of work in the areas of conveyancing, sale and purchase of businesses and franchises, leases, subdivisions, succession planning, wills and estates.  She is experienced in property development, possessory title applications, contested will proceedings, and complex farm transfers. 

Eleanor has an excellent relationship with other local professionals, and can promise to work well with your accountant to assist you in planning your transition to retirement or with your surveyor and the town planner to finalise your subdivision in record time. Eleanor is able to assist her clients on the basis of real life experience, as she is a small business owner and operator.  As well as being a member of the law practice, Eleanor is a farmer and Equestrian Centre Manager for her family’s business Junction Farm Equestrian Centre in Carrick, Tasmania.  The Mason family is involved in many Tasmanian primary industries, including sheep and cattle production and abalone fishing. Eleanor is a graduate of the Tasmanian Leaders’ Program and through this connection has a good understanding of Tasmanian issues and how our state works.  She also has boardroom experience, and is currently hold the volunteer role of Vice President of Lifeline Tasmania. Eleanor is the mother of two children, Felix and Mercedes, and she frequently works from her home office in order to be available to her children between work sessions.

Anthony conducts a wide ranging dispute resolution and court/tribunal advocacy practice, and is active in the legal profession and the local community. Since 2004, Anthony has helped our clients avoid and resolve disputes of all kinds.  He has wide experience representing them in the Supreme Court, Magistrates Court and various tribunals. He helps his clients enforce contracts, protect their rights in property transactions, collect debts, appeal decisions of government, defend claims, protect workplace rights, claim compensation when they’re injured at work or because of someone else’s wrong doing, defend wills, make claims against deceased estates and more.  He protects the rights of children in child protection proceedings and also helps parents.  He defends those charged with a criminal offence. Anthony aims to try and help everyone who walks in our door because he believes that access to justice is important and enjoys having a diverse law practice. Anthony became a director of the law practice in 2007. 

He was a member of the Law Society of Tasmania’s governing Council between 2008 and 2015.  He had the privilege to be elected as President in 2013/14 to lead the Society and represent the legal profession in this State.  He raised the profile and influence of the Society by publicly advocating for the Law Society’s position on rule of law issues like access to justice, mandatory sentencing, court resources and proposed legislation that had the potential to criminalise benign conduct.  He made submissions to government and appeared regularly in the media. Anthony is currently a member of the Legal Profession Board of Tasmania.  The Board receives and investigates complaints about the conduct of legal practitioners.  It hears and determines certain matters that arise during its investigations, and refers certain complaints to the Disciplinary Tribunal and Supreme Court. Anthony has served on the boards of several organisations including Royal Guide Dogs Tasmania, Law Foundation of Tasmania, North West Community Legal Centre, North West Environment Centre Public Fund and Roland View Trust Estate.