Our Key People

Matthew is the founder and Managing Director of Rouse Lawyers and a corporate and M&A lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience. He leads the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice, advising founders, business owners, private companies and investors on business sales, acquisitions, strategic investments and shareholder transactions.

Matthew has particular depth in mid-market M&A and also advises on broader corporate and commercial matters, including shareholder arrangements, capital raising, restructures and business succession. His experience spans technology and software, defence, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services and other privately owned and growth businesses.

David oversees our Tax and Litigation and Dispute Resolution teams which focuses on acting for and protecting the interests of private clients.

David has extensive tax and structuring experience combined with an extremely strong litigation background, which provides a unique specialist service to Rouse Lawyers’ private clients.

Johann Spies is an Associate Director at Rouse Lawyers with more than 15 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate, commercial and regulatory law. Having worked across Africa, Asia and Australia, including at leading global and national law firms, Johann brings clients a strong combination of technical expertise and international perspective.

Johann advises on the full spectrum of M&A, corporate and commercial matters, with particular depth in highly regulated sectors including financial services, construction and aviation. He is known for cutting through complexity and delivering advice that is strategic, clear and commercially grounded. Johann works closely with clients to understand their business, risk profile and long-term objectives, making him a trusted adviser on transactions, governance and complex commercial arrangements.

Emily Hughes-Johnson leads the Property team at Rouse Lawyers and has over 20 years’ experience acting for the owners of commercial and industrial property including REITs, institutional landlords, major corporates and private investors.

Emily has acted on the sale and purchase of CBD office buildings, shopping centres, industrial facilities, logistics warehouses and national portfolios. On leasing, she has run the leasing programs of institutional clients, working directly with their asset and property managers, and acted on anchor tenancy negotiations for national retailers and landlords.

With over 20 years of experience, Andrew advises clients ranging from ASX-listed companies to startups and not-for-profits on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, governance, franchising, IP, commercial contracts and property transactions. Having held both private practice and senior in-house roles, he brings a pragmatic, commercially focused approach that smooths the way for deals across sectors including resources, health, agribusiness, technology, education and government.

With over 30 years legal experience, Alex advises organisations on employment and workplace matters, including disputes, investigations, disciplinary processes, termination, unfair dismissal and general protections claims. She also advises on business integrity and compliance issues, including bribery and corruption, privacy, human rights and modern slavery. Having practised in top-tier private practice and held senior in-house roles with global corporations in highly regulated industries, she brings a pragmatic, commercially focused approach to complex and sensitive matters.

Alex combines deep disputes expertise with a strong understanding of governance, regulatory risk and workplace culture. She is known for providing clear, strategic advice that supports practical, legally sound outcomes for corporates, SMEs and not-for-profit organisations.

Nav specialises in mergers and acquisitions and is a dual-qualified solicitor, admitted to practise in both Australia and Scotland. He brings an international perspective, having previously worked at top-tier corporate law firms in Europe where he advised both vendors and purchasers on a range of transactions. Nav is known for his responsive and thorough approach, delivering clear, commercially focused advice to his clients.

Ashleigh Shea is a litigation and dispute resolution solicitor at Rouse Lawyers. She advises clients across all stages of the dispute resolution process, from early risk assessment and pre-litigation strategy through to formal proceedings, alternative dispute resolution and settlement.

Ashleigh acts in a broad range of disputes, including contractual, shareholder and debt recovery matters, and has experience in highly regulated sectors such as health, aged care and hospitality. With previous experience in corporate advisory and as an in-house lawyer, she brings a commercially grounded perspective to every matter. Clients value Ashleigh’s energetic approach and her ability to distil complex issues into practical strategies that protect their broader commercial and reputational interests.

Christian Coulthard is a lawyer at Rouse Lawyers, advising clients across a broad range of commercial matters including commercial contracting, intellectual property strategy and enforcement, privacy and data protection, and competition and consumer law.

Christian has a particular interest in matters that sit at the intersection of law and emerging technology, helping clients navigate complex issues in a practical and commercially focused way. He is known for his responsive and personable approach, and for delivering advice that is technically sound, clear and easy to act on.

Having studied pharmacology and physiology, Charlie commenced his career working across multinational pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare organisations. Charlie subsequently transitioned into private practice in the trade credit space, advising on the Australian Consumer Law, personal property securities law, sale of goods law, and privacy and credit reporting law. Charlie has since advised clients across a range of industries, including agriculture, retail, wholesale, manufacturing, healthcare, recruitment and labour hire, and logistics and transport.

Since joining Rouse Lawyers, Charlie has continued to apply this experience in supporting clients with their commercial and regulatory requirements.

Disa is a commercial litigation lawyer at Rouse Lawyers, acting in commercial, contract, director and shareholder disputes. Disa works with individuals and businesses of all sizes to navigate disputes. Her role spans from providing strategic advice and risk assessment, early negotiations and mediations, through to representing her clients in formal court proceedings.

With previous experience working as an Associate to a District Court Judge and at a top-tier firm, Disa has a strong background in dispute resolution and litigation. Disa is known for her pragmatic, commercially minded approach and her ability to cut through complexity to deliver clear, practical advice.

Tim Hennessy is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategic advisor, currently serving as Chairman of the Board at Rouse Lawyers. With over three decades of leadership experience, Tim has founded, scaled, and sold multiple businesses across various industries.

In 1987, Tim launched Active Apparel Group, growing it from a small textile start-up into a global manufacturing and distribution business with over 2,300 employees and annual revenue exceeding US$100 million. He led a successful exit of the textile division and remained with the manufacturing arm until 2020.

Today, Tim sits on the boards of several companies across the legal, distribution, renewable energy, construction and civil, and health and wellness sectors. He also contributes to various advisory boards, lending his expertise in corporate governance, financial management, sales, marketing, and strategic planning. His leadership centres on building strong, accountable cultures to support growth and change.

With over 40 years of legal experience, Steven Stoddart brings deep expertise in commercial, healthcare, business, and property law to his consultancy role with Rouse Lawyers. His background in taxation supports his practical approach to complex legal and financial matters.

Steven is known for building long-term client relationships and regularly advises on commercial transactions, franchising, and healthcare businesses, including pharmacy agreements and regulatory compliance.

Having spent time on the “client’s side of the desk”, he brings a pragmatic, solutions-focused mindset to his work, backed by extensive experience with State and Federal authorities.