Our Team
John de Mestre – Principal
John has practised as a solicitor in Sydney since 1984. John established John de Mestre & Co Pty Ltd in 1992. He has been involved with many and varied areas of general practice including:
- Appearing in most of the various levels of different Australian Courts and jurisdictions.
- Sports law including appearances in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and advising large sporting organisations on corporate governance and sports law issues
- Presenting conference papers and providing legal comments on topical legal issues (see Publications/Cases).
John was also the Chairman of the Tattersalls Club (http://www.tattersallsclub.org) and was a director on the board of the FSHD Global Research Foundation (http://www.fshdglobal.org)
Michael de Mestre – Director
Michael is a solicitor of John de Mestre & Co with over ten years of practising experience, specialising in strata title and property. He has extensive experience with property law, mortgages, leases, mezzanine and bank financing, commercial agreements, by-laws and strata law. Michael has acted on all contractual documentation required for thousands of off-the-plan units in Rhodes, NSW and Wentworth Point Marinas for the developer Billbergia Pty Ltd.
In addition to his commercial practice, Michael has been a Director of the Charity Hope for Cambodia since 2018. Hope is a community-based charity in Cambodia that seeks to assist some of the poorest and unprivileged children. Michael’s proudest achievements for the charity include assisting with surviving COVID shutdowns and opening the first charity baby nursery in Cambodia for working mothers.
Being the father of two young children, the nursery holds a special place in Michael’s heart. Naturally, he provides financial support to the charity, including yearly donations and funding the university scholarships of underprivileged children.
Outside of his professional life, Michael is happily married to his wife Rachel de Mestre and is the father of two young girls. Michael is the eldest son of John de Mestre, the firm’s principal and Michael greatly enjoys being a working father in a happy working family business environment.
Warren Azar – Solicitor
With over 40 years’ experience in the law, Warren has acted on countless options, sales, acquisitions, development agreements and complex loan facilities for major boutique residential, commercial and retail developments. He continues to support substantial developers of medium-high density strata developments. Warren also engages a good deal of his time in pro bono work for diverse charitable and religious organisations.
Michael Tomaras -Associate
Michael joined our firm in 2016. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2022.
During Michael’s time at our firm he has acted on strata developments, residential & commercial conveyancing, commercial & retail leasing, sales & purchases of business and in strata law.
Michael has a keen interest in property and commercial law. He is an enthusiastic member of the team with a strong work ethic and excellent attention to detail.
Georgia Owers – Solicitor
Georgia graduated from the Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Bachelor of Laws. She has since completed her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and was admitted as a solicitor in June 2023.
Since joining John de Mestre & Co as a graduate in March 2023 she has gained valuable experience in a wide variety of fields including real property, litigation, and wills & estates.
Prior to joining the firm Georgia was fortunate to gain experience working as a law clerk and as a member of an inhouse legal team.
Yvonne Zheng – Solicitor
Yvonne holds a Juris Doctor from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Project Management and Business Analytics (Honours, High Distinction) from the University of Sydney.
Since joining John de Mestre & Co as a paralegal in 2022, Yvonne has gained hands-on experience across diverse areas of law, including property law, family law, civil litigation, and wills and estates, contributing to the preparation of complex legal documents, case management, and client advisory support.
Before pursuing a legal career, Yvonne worked as a Management Consultant, developing strong analytical, organisational, and project management skills. This background enhances her ability to deliver legal services efficiently, strategically, and with a focus on client outcomes.
Sasa Savicic – Law Graduate
Since joining John de Mestre & Company in 2023, Sasa has gained valuable experience across a broad range of civil litigation, property, and commercial law matters.
Sasa holds a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Technology Sydney and has recently completed his Practical Legal Training. Sasa is currently awaiting admission as a solicitor.
Outside of the office, Sasa has played soccer all his life and remains passionate about sport. Sasa is fluent in Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian, and conversational in Macedonian, allowing him to assist clients from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Madelyn Attard- Paralegal
Madelyn is currently in her third year, completing a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Professional Accounting at Macquarie University.
Since joining the firm, she has gained invaluable experience within the legal profession as a paralegal in a variety of fields including property law, family law, civil litigation, and wills & estates.
She holds a strong interest in family law and wills & estates.