Dante Chen Principal and Senior Legal Consultant

Academic Qualification

* In 1986, Mr Chen completed his bachelor of laws from the National Taiwan University.
* In 1990, shortly after his national service, he pursued postgrad study in business laws in the Curtin University and completed his master of laws in the University of Western Australia in 1993.

Professional Qualification

* In 1997, Mr Chen was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia as a Solicitor and Barrister.
* In mid-1997, Mr Chen was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Solicitor and also admitted to the High Court of Australia as a legal practitioner.

Principal Areas of Practice

Commercial Disputes and Litigation; Criminal Laws; Family Law Matters/Disputes (Parenting/Guardianship Issues; Matrimonial Property Division); Wills/ Probate/Estate Disputes and Litigation

Work experience

(1) Dante Chen graduated from the Department of Law at National Taiwan University. Shortly after completing his national military service, he went to Australia for further studies in early 1991. In 1992 and 1993, he successively completed a research degree in Business Law from the National Curtin University of Australia and a Master"s degree in Law from the National University of Western Australia.

(2) In 1996, Mr Chen accomplished his legal articles with Mr Ernest Devedason, a solicitor and barrister with more than 30 years of extensive legal practice experience and Mr Ian Marshall, a senior counsel with 25 years litigation experience in Federal and High Court of Australia.

(3) In 1997, Mr Chen was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia as a Solicitor and Barrister. In mid-1997, Mr Chen was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Solicitor and also admitted to the High Court of Australia as a legal practitioner.。

(4) Since 1997, Mr Chen has dealt with various types of matters/disputes on behalf of local and overseas clients in Magistrates, District and Supreme Court jurisdiction as well as Federal Circuit Court, Family Court and Court of Appeal when so required.

(5) In early 1998, Lawyer Chen moved to Brisbane and joined the Queensland Guild, becoming a practicing lawyer in the Queensland Supreme Court and the Australian Supreme Court.

(6) As a feedback to the Chinese community, Mr Chen wrote various legal articles periodically published by“World Weekly News”from February 1998 to June 1999.

(7) In early 2012, Lawyer Chen joined the Taipei Bar Association and became Taiwan"s first registered Australian practicing lawyer and practicing lawyer in the Supreme Court of Australia.

(8) In October 2018, Lawyer Chen and Lawyer Wu Jiawei established "Australia China International Law Firm" in Taiwan, becoming the first and currently the only registered Australian law firm in Taiwan.

(9) In 2000, Mr Chen published his first book named“Don’t Let Your Rights Silent” (in Chinese).

Dave S Cheng

Academic Qualification

Bachelor of Laws, Queensland University of Technology

Professional Qualification

* In 2002,Mr Cheng was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Solicitor.
* In 2002,Mr Cheng was admitted to the High Court of Australia as a Solicitor.

Principal Areas of Practice

Trust (tax) planning & asset protection/corporate law & governance/land development & subdivision/business & personal successions/litigation: commercial, insurance, estate & family/contract & (foreign) judgement enforcement/ insolvency & restructuring

Work experience

（1）Mr Cheng is a senior solicitor with 20 years of legal experience with national Australian and specialist law firms, as a solicitor (lawyer). Due to being acute to cultural issues and genuinely concerned about bridging the cultural divide, he is regularly sought after by members of Chinese communities and Australian traditional owner groups for advice on complex and challenging cross-jurisdictional legal matters. Prior to practising law, based in Tokyo, Mr Cheng worked for international business contract negotiation as project management roles.

（2）By such additional commercial and corporate experience, he would deliver superior legal solutions within business objectives, cost-effectively to the clients.

Steven B Watkinson

Academic Qualification

Bachelor of Laws (Hons), Queensland University of Technology.

Professional Qualification

* Mr Watkinson was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a solicitor.
* Mr Watkinson was admitted to the High Court of Australia as a solicitor.

Principal Areas of Practice

Commercial Disputes and Litigation; Business Transactions; Criminal Law in all jurisdiction; Family Matters/Disputes; Wills/ Probate

Work experience

（1）Mr Watkinson is a senior solicitor with 30 years of legal experience in many legal areas of practice.

（2）Due to being acute to cultural issues and genuinely concerned about bridging the cultural divide, Mr Watkinson is constantly sought after by members of Chinese communities and local Australian for advice on complex and challenging cross-jurisdictional legal matters.

Wayne J Tolton

Professional Qualification

* Mr Tolton was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Barrister.
* Mr Tolton was admitted to the High Court of Australia as a Barrister.

Principal Areas of Practice

Criminal Law in all jurisdiction; Commercial Disputes and Litigation; Family Matters and Guardianship

Work experience

（1）Mr Tolton has practised as a Barrister with more than 30 years in experience. He appears predominately in the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Supreme Court of Queensland and in the Family Court of Australia.

（2）Mr Tolton has had extensive experience in both the Trial and to some extent the Appellate jurisdictions of those Courts, in which he has achieved the best interests for the clients due to his profound knowledge of Australian laws and precedents.

Michael James Byrne

Academic Qualification

*Bachelor of Laws (Hons), Queensland University of Technology
*Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland
*Bachelor of Educational Studies, University of Queensland
*Diploma of Teaching, Kelvin Grove Teachers’ College

Professional Qualification

* In 1991,Mr Byrne was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a Barrister.
* In 1991,Mr Byrne was admitted to the High Court of Australia as a Barrister.

Principal Areas of Practice

Corporation Laws/Bankruptcy/Insolvency; Commercial Disputes and Litigation; Criminal Law in all jurisdiction; Family Law Matters/Disputes; Wills/ Probate

Work experience

（1）Mr Michael Byrne has practised as a Barrister since 1991 and appears predominately in the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Supreme Court of Queensland and in the Family Court of Australia and has had extensive experience in both the Trial and to some extent the Appellate jurisdictions of those Courts. Prior to becoming a Barrister, Mr Byrne was a Deputy Principal of a private Secondary School as well as being a teacher of English, History, Mathematics and Religion.

（2）Mr Byrne has been married 36 years, and has four sons, two of whom are lawyers, one a psychologist and one an officer in the Australian Army.

（3）Mr Byrne is a BMW aficionado and an avid scholar of ancient Rome and Greece, he enjoys reading, cinema and music.

Margaret McLennan

Academic Qualification

* Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Queensland.
:: Bachelor of Communication from Griffith University.
* Queensland University of Technology to study performing artists (drama)
* Royal Brisbane Hospital qualified as a registered nurse.

Professional Qualification

* The qualification of mediator is recognized by the state.
:: Solicitor, Supreme Court of Queensland
:: Solicitor, High Court of Australia

Principal Areas of Practice

Criminal cases/family law (children/custody/marital property)/mediation

Work experience

（1）Margaret Barrister mainly appeared in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Family Courts of various courts in Australia, and also provided mediation services to many clients to help resolve disputes.

（2）Barrister Margaret is very concerned about women, domestic violence, child protection and aboriginal cultural protection. Since 2007, he has traveled around Queensland frequently and has conducted many consultations and negotiations on aboriginal cultural heritage, ownership and land use agreements on behalf of many traditional aborigines.

（3）Margaret, a barrister, has a strong interest in art and has professional experience as an actor, radio host and film producer. She is active in the community and volunteers in many organizations, including Women"s Legal Service, Amnesty International, Flying Art Alliance and Actors Charity Fund.

Debbie Young

Principal Areas of Practice

Real estate property right survey/land development and land division conditions survey/information survey on commercial real estate property right/information survey on real estate property right in foreign-related cases/sale, delivery and transfer

Work experience

Debbie Young is a very senior legal assistant with more than 40 years" experience in investigating all kinds of Australian real estate-related non-litigation cases and property rights-related information. Debbie worked as a legal assistant in a well-known international firm as early as 1979, and was responsible for the trial and submission of relevant documents of tax authorities and land authorities and the investigation of real estate property rights.
Debbie is very friendly, helpful and professional. In view of the limited English communication ability and knowledge of Australian laws, immigrant customers always try their best to help them understand what to do, what to pay attention to and what to follow up in the process of handling cases, so that the cases can be successfully completed.

Rayna Chen

Academic Qualification

A. Bachelor of Laws, National Taipei University
B. Institute of Law for Science and Technology, National Tsinghua University

Work experience

Rayna Chen is a very senior legal assistant that she has worked in Auhua Law Firm since 2021

Mina Liu

Academic Qualification

Soochow University

Work experience

Mina Liu is a legal assistant that she has worked in Auhua Law Firm since 2023.

Jennifer Lin

Academic Qualification

Chinese Culture University

Work experience

Jennifer Lin is a legal assistant that she has worked in Auhua Law Firm since 2024.