Melanie Heffernan
Director Principal of South East Lawyers
LL.B, BA.
Melanie Heffernan is the level-headed, passionate Director Principal at the helm of South East Lawyers. She brings highly valued experience and a refined skillset to her role.
Originally hailing from country Victoria, Melanie knew from a young age – 11 to be exact – that being a lawyer was in her career trajectory. After volunteering at the Court in her hometown, Melanie attended Melbourne University, where she completed her Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts degrees with a Hebrew language major. She undertook her articled clerkship with Ann Gambetta & Associates and has built an impressive legal career that saw her become a partner at her previous firm at 30 years old before becoming Director Principal of South East Lawyers in 2016.
With a knack for complexity and creative thinking, Melanie works within many different areas of the law, including:
Commercial and Business Law, including sales and purchases of businesses, agreements, terms and conditions, shareholder and unitholder agreements and disputes
Litigation for matters in the Magistrates' Court, County Court, Supreme Court and Federal Court
Conveyancing, commercial property and owners' corporations
Trusts and asset structuring, including asset protection
Retail leasing
Deceased Estates
Succession Planning, intergenerational wealth, Wills and Powers of Attorney
Will challenges, acting on behalf of challenging parties and Executors
Self-Managed Superannuation Funds
Personal Property Securities Register
Employee Ownership Structures
Melanie's law practice and leadership at South East Lawyers is driven by helping people understand the law and their rights within it. Her ability to speak in plain English when explaining challenging legal concepts differentiates Melanie and the SE Lawyers team from others in the law space.
Melanie is a current member of the Law Institute of Victoria's Personal Properties Securities Group and an acknowledged leader in the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth).
She has spoken on several media platforms, including Joy FM and GMTV GotMoney, to educate the public on various legal matters.
She has helped develop "What the actual F*** Karen?" – a women-led radio show dedicated to discussing issues such as ageism and misogyny that women face in society.
Beyond her work for South East Lawyers and participation in creative projects, Melanie has a passion for her community. In 2022, she joined the board of Cire Services Inc., a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing education, training, and support for residents of all ages in the Yarra Ranges, Casey, and Cardinia regions.
Outside of work, her interests include studying Hebrew, teaching herself to complete a 4×4 Rubik's Cube (having well and truly mastered the 3×3!), and any opportunity to make a mean tiramisu.
Something many would not know about Melanie is that Canberra is her favourite holiday destination in Australia!
"I enjoy helping people, and I like problem-solving. Plain English is very important in our practice as it is professional, but it also meets people where they're at."