Our Team

Philip George Scales, AM, Consultant

David Hart, Consultant

Mark Turner, Partner

John (C.J.) Pearce, Partner

Greg Parr, Partner

Susan Davies, Consultant

Darren Foeng, Partner

Philip George Scales, AM - Consultant

Philip was admitted to practice in 1967 and became a partner in the firm in that year. After practising in a wide range of areas, he now practises in the areas of wills and estates, enduring powers of attorney, appointments of medical agents and human rights law.

He is a Notary Public and until was 2005 Vice-Chairman of the Parole Board of South Australia. Philip is an active member of a number of voluntary associations including Amnesty International and the Criminal Lawyers Association of Australia and New Zealand.

He is President of Time for Kids Inc and sits on the Anglican Church Diocese of Adelaide Professional Standards Committee.

Philip was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2000.

Email:     philip.scales@scales.net.au

 

David Hart - Consultant

David Hart has a great depth of experience as a commercial lawyer having been admitted to practice in 1970. After a stint in National Service, David joined the firm in 1972 and was admitted as a partner in 1973.

David has had extensive experience in most areas of commercial and property law and specialises in business structures, reconstructions and transactions, land, business and corporate acquisitions and disposals plus commercial leasing.

David also practises in the area of wills, estates, succession planning, superannuation, stamp duty and taxation and in particular, capital gains tax issues.

David is a member of the Law Society of South Australia and the Taxation Institute of Australia.

Email:     david.hart@scales.net.au

 

Mark Turner - Partner

Mark has had over 28 years experience as a litigation lawyer having commenced Articles in late 1981 and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1983.He joined the firm of Scales & Partners in 1983 and became a partner in 1990.

Mark specialises in litigation, including commercial disputes, injury claims, industrial, family and defacto law disputes. He has extensive experience in conducting actions in all Courts and in alternative dispute resolution.

Mark is a member of the Law Society of South Australia, the Law Council and the Family Law Section of the Law Council.  Mark provides voluntary service to the Legal Advisory Service of the Law Society of South Australia.

Email:     mark.turner@scales.net.au

 

C.J. (John) Pearce - Partner

John was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1980. He joined Scales & Partners as a partner in 2000.

John specialises in a wide range of litigious (or potentially litigious) matters including civil and commercial litigation, personal injury and WorkCover disputes, wills and estates, criminal law, matrimonial and defacto law property law.

He has been involved in a number of notable cases including:

1.The first test case run by the ACCC regarding Section 51 AC of the Trade Practices Act (dealing with unconscionable conduct in the course of trade).

2.A series of decisions of the Family Court which determined that the Family Court had the power to order psychiatric reports of children, who were the subject of a Court dispute, and their parents.

3. A number of significant cases relating to the interpretation of the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

4. The breach of contract claim brought by the former CEO of the South Australian Jockey Club arising from his dismissal for alleged serious and wilful misconduct.

5. The first major Supreme Court decision on the scope and practice of Restraint Orders.

For many years John has also been an important contributor to the ongoing debates relating to the changes and proposed changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

John is a member of the Law Society of South Australia, the Australian Lawyers Alliance and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

Email:       john.pearce@scales.net.au

 

Darren Foeng - Partner

Darren commenced as a Partner with Scales & Partners in February 2011, specialising in corporate and commercial law.

Darren has considerable experience in advising clients across a wide range of industries, including many well known local and national businesses, medical and dental professionals and other high net worth individuals, in relation to:

• Buying and selling businesses, mergers and acquisitions;
• Capital raising and conducting due diligence inquiries;
• Private equity transactions;
• Joint ventures, partnerships and shareholder agreements;
• Business structuring and restructuring, including the incorporation of companies, the establishment of discretionary and other trusts, self-managed superannuation funds and partnerships;
• Property transactions, including joint venture developments, buying and selling properties, conveyancing and leasing;
• Franchising;
• Asset protection planning and risk management;
• Estate planning and the preparation of Wills, including complex Testamentary Trust Wills, and the preparation of Powers of Attorney and Powers of Guardianship;
• Business succession planning, including the implementation of insurance funded buy-outs of business partners or shareholders upon events such as death or disablement, and also the passing-down of the future control of family businesses for the benefit of children and succeeding generations; and
• Other commercial transactions generally, including the preparation or review of contracts and agreements.

In addition to the above, Darren has particular expertise in providing taxation advice, including income tax, capital gains tax, GST, stamp duty and land tax.

Darren is highly regarded in the business and accounting community and enjoys having close working relationships with many prominent accounting and financial planning firms and assisting their clients with their commercial and legal requirements.

Darren holds degrees in Commerce and Law, is a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia and a Member of the Law Society of South Australia.

Email: darren.foeng@scales.net.au

Mobile: 0413 800 555

Greg Parr - Partner

Greg commenced as a Partner of Scales & Partners in July 2009

Greg was admitted to legal practice as a Barrister in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in March 1985 and as a legal practitioner in the Supreme Court of South Australia in June 1986.

Prior to becoming a legal practitioner in private legal practice in 1987, Greg worked for the Australian Government Solicitor's office in Adelaide and for the Australian Taxation Office in Adelaide and Canberra.

He is currently a Director of the Institute of Public Accountants and a member of the Law Society of South Australia.

Greg is also a registered tax agent and has worked as an accountant in a small accounting practice in Adelaide.

During 2007 Greg moved into a management role as General Manager for the Hood Sweeney Group where, after his return to legal practice in 2009, he continues to be retained as in house legal counsel.

Greg has a wealth of commercial knowledge drawn from a wide base of experiences and is an ideal person to consult with business related issues.

His Fields of Practice include :

• complex commercial litigation
• revenue and taxation law
• superannuation law
• Centrelink matters
• Corporations Act and corporate governance
• business planning
• emerging enterprises; and
• fundraising.

Email: greg.parr@scales.net.au

Mobile: 0419 865 418

Susan Davies - Consultant

Susan was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1970 and commenced practice in criminal and matrimonial matters at Cleland Nyland & Haines.

In 1976 Susan commenced her own law firm specialising in family law and defacto relationship breakdowns. She also practised in estate planning law and other legal issues relating to families.

Susan continued in her own practice until 2007 when she joined Scales and Partners as a consultant specialising in the field of Family Law.

Susan maintains a keen interest in developments in family law and related matters and is therefore ideally qualified to assist clients with relationship breakdown and related family matters.

Email:      susan.davies@scales.net.au

Mobile:      0438 795 022

 

John Marchant - Consultant

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