Joan is a highly regarded migration professional and has practiced, exclusively, in migration law since 2009. She is responsible for leading complex client matters. Joan also has primary responsibility for many of the firm’s corporate clients and for mentoring staff and trainees.

Joan was born in South Africa, qualified and was admitted to the high court of South Africa (WLD) to practice as an attorney in 1995. She has practiced as an Employment lawyer for a tier 1-law firm, later as a lecturer in labour law and more recently (from 1999) as an Aviation law specialist and legal counsel for both British Airways (Comair) and South African Airways. Joan was one, of only three, South African representatives attending the Montreal Convention.

Joan emigrated to Australia in 2007 with her family and she became an Australian citizen in 2010. She is passionate about the law, language, birding, bushwalking and travel, although not necessarily in that order.

Joan’s formal qualifications are:

• 2012: Graduate Certificate in Business, University of Southern Queensland (incorporating Priestley-11 conversion subjects: LAW3201, LAW3206, LAW3205, LAW3211, LAW3204)
• 2009: Year of first registration with MARA
• 2008: Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice, Griffith University (16 Dec)
• 2001: Diploma in Air Law, IATA Switzerland
• 1995: Admission as attorney to the High Court of South Africa, Witwatersrand Local Division
• 1992: B.A. (Hons) Labour Law, University of Johannesburg (20 May)
• 1985: B.Proc, University of Johannesburg