Sean Kelly is a Director of Kelly Legal and founded the firm as a sole practitioner in 2004. Sean now heads the firm’s Commercial and Property Department.  A leading advisor in the property development area, his expertise covers project planning, development, implementation and disputes.  His broader business law expertise encompasses mining and rural services as well as estate and succession planning, corporate and revenue law.

Sean enjoys adding value to his clients' businesses and projects, and working with them to make a real difference. He takes a long term view, both in advising his clients and in developing relationships with them.  Sean takes particular pleasure in resolving the most complex legal issues and working with clients who challenge themselves by developing their own businesses and expertise.

Sean is a third generation Mackay local and proud of it.  He has been involved in many important projects in the region during his career and is a strong advocate for his hometown throughout Queensland.

Sean is well regarded in the community, with memberships of the Queensland Law Society, UDIA (Urban Development Institute of Australia) and St Vincent de Paul Society.  He is honorary solicitor for the Mackay Branch of the Alzheimer's Association, and has held positions on the Queensland Law Society Revenue Committee and as President of the Mackay Whitsunday UDIA.  He is also a keen supporter and sponsor of various local rugby league teams.

Paul Kelly is a Director at Kelly Legal and heads the firm’s Business Services and Estate Planning Department.  Paul’s depth and breadth of business expertise encompasses business set ups, sales and acquisitions, franchising, commercial property leasing, as well as more general legal advice for business and industry.

Paul has valuable experience providing legal advice, service and solutions to property developers and works in conjunction with Sean Kelly’s Commercial and Property team to provide services to the property development sector. Paul also assists clients in the areas of estate planning and business succession planning.

Paul specifically focuses his practice of law on achieving the best outcome for his clients. He actively works through strategies with clients and where costly legal disputes can be avoided and assists clients to get to the real issues of a problem and to find strategies that will achieve commercially sound outcomes.

Paul is a local, born and bred in Mackay. His clients find him both approachable and accessible – key characteristics in any trusted business advisor.  Paul enjoys attending the Mackay Chamber of Commerce functions and is a member of both the Queensland Law Society and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Stephen Byrne is a Director at Kelly Legal and heads the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department.  Joining the firm as a Director in 2010, Stephen brought with him more than 30 years of both litigation and general practice.  This wealth of experience provides his clients with an insight that appreciates the commercial reality of their business as well as the finer points of the law.

Stephen’s practice covers the full range of disputes and litigation matters with a particular focus on commercial and business clients, estate claims, building and construction disputes.  The personal satisfaction he derives from helping people overcome the challenges of litigation is evident in his long record of successful outcomes.

Stephen’s clients benefit from his exceptional ability to reduce complex legal issues and argument to simple, easy to understand plain English.  They also enjoy his accessibility and the ease with which he gets to know them and their business operations. 

Stephen is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the current president of the Mackay District Law Association.  His personal passion is boating and he takes every opportunity he can to get out on the water around Mackay.

Richard Callaghan is a Director at Kelly Legal and is Department Head of the firm’s Personal Litigation Department which primarily acts for plaintiffs in workplace, injury and family law matters. Richard has more than 20 years experience in private practice and prior to that worked within the Magistrates Court at various locations throughout Queensland. 

Richard advises family law clients on the full range of matters including property division, children’s matters, divorce, de facto relationships and financial agreements. Richard has been a Family Law Accredited Specialist (Mackay office) since 1991 and believes in assisting his clients to achieve a fair solution as quickly as possible. He is approachable, reassuring and understanding of his clients concerns.

Richard has lived in several country towns and cities and now calls Mackay home.  He is a member of the Mackay District Law Association and the Australian Family Law Association.  In his leisure time, he enjoys social golf and attending the gym.

Sean Russell is a Senior Associate at Kelly Legal and advises clients across a range of business and personal legal practice areas.   He has previously worked for KPMG in Sydney in the area of taxation, and as a solicitor in Rockhampton before moving to Mackay.  Sean's diverse practice covers commercial property, including both leasing and sales, as well as corporations, trusts and partnerships.  He also assists individuals with estate planning including wills, enduring powers of attorney and estate administration. 

Sean believes that everyone needs a challenge and is very pleased when he can practice this in his work life.  He enjoys giving his best to every client he is involved with to provide them with the best possible legal result.

Sean is considered reliable, honest and knowledgeable about his practice areas. Sean holds both a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the Mackay Tennis Association.  He would like to enjoy a game or two of tennis more often.

Elspeth Ledwy is a Senior Associate at Kelly Legal who specialises in Personal Litigation.  Her particular expertise is in the Additional Services area of that department.  

Elspeth also practices in employment law including employment and workplace dispute resolution, unfair dismissal, harassment and discrimination claims.

Elspeth has a down to earth approach and enjoys working with everyday people in sorting out the unfortunate cards they may have been dealt. She values the work she does in producing outcomes for her clients that can have such a significant impact on them and their future.

Elspeth is a born and bred Mackay girl.  She returned home so she could spend more time with her family after working and studying away for a number of years. Clients find her both compassionate and easy to get along with while protecting their legal interests.

Before joining Kelly Legal, Elspeth completed her articles in Townsville and worked for four years at another Mackay firm. She holds Bachelor of Economics and Laws degrees in addition to her Master of Laws (QUT, 2007).  Elspeth is a member of the Queensland Law Society, the Mackay District Law Association, the Mackay Regional Communicty Legal Centre, Mackay Women in Business and Zonta.   Her favourite pastime is spending time with her husband and young family.

Paul Watkins is a Senior Associate at Kelly Legal and works in the firm's Brisbane office. Paul is a senior lawyer with 10 years experience in commercial law with a particular focus on property acquisitions and sales (commercial & residential), leasing, property development, banking and finance.

Prior to joining Kelly Legal, Paul was employed as General Counsel for the Australian branch of an international speciality property insurance company. In that role, Paul provided legal and commercial advice in a wide range of areas, including corporate governance, risk management, regulatory compliance, claims management, trade practices and dispute resolution. More recently, Paul worked as a Senior Legal Officer for a Native Title Service Provider in South Queensland.

Paul has a particular interest in risk management and tailoring risk management strategies and solutions for both corporate entities and individuals within the property and financial sectors. Paul has also been a regular presenter of seminars on property and risk management issues to solicitors, real estate agents and finance professionals and has published articles in various legal and financial journals.

Jane Deguara is a Solicitor at Kelly Legal who practises in the Commercial Litigation Department.

Practising in this challenging area, Jane enjoys the process of assessing a client’s legal position, advising on their best course of action and then working with them throughout the entire process to achieve the best possible result.  Jane’s clients appreciate her friendly approach and respect the dedication she shows in delivering successful outcomes.

Jane is a perfect example of the home grown talent that makes Kelly Legal special.  Jane is a Mackay local and even though she attended university in Brisbane she has returned home to work at Kelly Legal during holidays every year since 2005.

Having completed her Bachelor of Arts and Laws (Honours) from the University of Queensland in 2009 Jane returned home permanently to start her fulltime legal career with Kelly Legal.  Jane was admitted in early 2011 and is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the Mackay District Law Association.

Shaun Spada is a Solicitor at Kelly Legal who practises in business services, commercial and property law working closely with Director Paul Kelly.

Shaun has been with Kelly Legal in Mackay for more than 3 years and was admitted to practice in July 2011.  Shaun enjoys the challenge of legal work and particularly the team approach to working with a client to get through their legal issues to find a solution that meets their needs.

Shaun's clients appreciate his genuine, approachable demeanour and the reliable and dedicated way in which he conducts their legal matters.  Having lived in Mackay for much of his life, Shaun looks forward to assisting local clients with the wide range of legal issues that fall within the business services, commercial and property areas in which he practises.

Shaun completed his Bachelor of Laws through James Cook University and is a member of the Mackay District Law Association and the Queensland Law Society.