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Senior Lawyer Profiles

The senior lawyers at DBA Lawyers are among Australia’s leading SMSF lawyers. The combined experience of our solid team of lawyers and support staff provide the powerhouse to making DBA Lawyers the most respected SMSF law firm in Australia. A brief snapshot of our senior lawyers follows:

Daniel Butler
Director
DBA Lawyers

LIVSMSFthe tax institute

Daniel Butler

Dan is recognised as one of Australia’s leading SMSF lawyers complemented by his taxation and commercial expertise. He has worked predominantly in the fields of tax and superannuation over the past 36 years, is a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and has an MBA from the University of Melbourne.

Dan is a regular seminar presenter on tax and SMSF topics and has published extensively in these areas. Dan regularly presents for the major professional bodies including the SMSF AssociationThe Tax InstituteChartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and DBA Network.

Dan is a member of the ATO’s Super & Employment Change Committee, The Tax Institute’s National Superannuation Committee, the Law Institute of Victoria’s Tax Committee and is involved with a number of other tax and SMSF committees. Dan presents on the subject of Taxation of Superannuation at the University of Melbourne’s Master of Laws/Tax program. Dan is also a Specialist SMSF Advisor™.

Bryce Figot
Special Counsel
DBA Lawyers

LIVSMSF specialistthe tax institute


Bryce is also recognised as one of Australia’s leading SMSF lawyers. He has worked predominantly in the fields of tax and superannuation over the past 17 years and holds a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne.

Bryce is a regular seminar presenter on tax and SMSF topics and has published extensively in these areas. Bryce regularly presents for the major professional bodies including the SMSF Association, CPA Australia The Tax Institute, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and DBA Network.

Bryce is regularly quoted and published in the Australian Financial Review, the Herald Sun, CCH and LexisNexis publications, and elsewhere in the financial press. Bryce wrote the book Complete Guide to SMSFs: Planning for Loss of Capacity and Death, published by CCH Wolters Kluwer. Bryce is on the editorial panel of LexisNexis’ Australian Superannuation Law Bulletin. He is a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Law School, where he is the subject coordinator of Taxation of Superannuation.
Bryce is a Specialist SMSF Advisor™ as well as being a Chartered Tax Adviser.

 

William Fettes
Senior Associate
DBA Lawyers

LIVSMSF specialist

 

William FettesWilliam is a Senior Associate at DBA Lawyers where his work focuses on superannuation law compliance, family law superannuation splitting, succession planning and taxation in an SMSF context.

William presents regularly on SMSF issues across Australia for major professional bodies including the SMSF Association, CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Leo Cussen Centre for Law and DBA Network.

William is frequently published and quoted in numerous top publications, including CCH, Taxation in Australia, The Australian Financial Review, SMSF Adviser, SelfManagedSuper, and LexisNexis publications.

William holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Master of Laws (First Class Honours) at the University of Melbourne. William is also a Specialist SMSF Advisor™.

 

Shaun Backhaus
Senior Associate
DBA Lawyers

LIV SMSF specialist

 

Shaun BackhausShaun is a Senior Associate at DBA Lawyers where his work focuses on superannuation, trusts, SME and taxation. He regularly advises on complex structures and arrangements involving SMSFs and represents SMSFs and taxpayers in relation to ATO reviews and audits.

Shaun has been published in numerous publications, including the Tax Institute Journal, Law Institute Journal and the SMSF Adviser. Shaun has also presented on SMSF and related topics around Australia and regional Victoria, including for CPA Australia and DBA Network Pty Ltd.

Shaun holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of International Business from Griffith University. Shaun holds a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne and is also a Specialist SMSF Advisor™