With 36 years experience, Josephine has helped clients, in her words, convert their dreams into reality by setting out the legal and practical pathway for the establishment of philanthropic organisations.

When working with charities and not-for-profit clients, Josephine sets up structures, designs governance and management systems and advises on Tax issues. She is an expert on the operation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and guides her clients through a risk-free pathway.

Josephine is passionate to ensure that legal issues are seamless and her clients achieve their goals. She has an uncanny memory for personal stories and often receives remarks from her clients regarding her recall.

Her major projects are varied and include work on the first retirement village for a large and aged care provider; the sale of a CBD office tower to the Catholic Church to create the Polding Centre, the head office of the Sydney Archdiocese, acquisition of a significant commercial tower for the Australia University, advice to educational institutions on creating commercial opportunities, green site developments for industrial and retail developers and creation of charitable vehicles for fundraising and service delivery in the, education, welfare and religious environment.

Josephine also assists many of her personal clients with their conveyancing, wills, and powers of attorney, general estate planning and business transactions.

Josephine is also passionate about mentoring young lawyers and the enthusiasm of young professionals is one of the things that inspires her on a daily basis.

Josephine holds a combined Bachelor of Arts (1977) and Bachelor of Laws (1979) degree from University of Sydney and a Master of Laws degree (1994) also from University of Sydney.

Areas of Practice:

  • Conveyancing and property Law
  • Business Lawyers
  • Estate Planning, Wills and Probate
  • Pro bono
  • Not for profit work

Publications:

  • NOT-FOR-PROFIT NEWSLETTER - December 2013
    Published 19 Dec 2013
    Published 19th December 2013
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter - September 2013
    Published 18 Sep 2013
    In this newsletter we report to you on: some recent legislative amendments concerning Australian anti-discrimination law and the impact of those changes on Commonwealth-funded religious aged care providers, the introduction from 1 October 2013 of mandatory prescribed forms for village contracts and supporting disclosure documentation under the Retirement Villages Act 1999, the recent Australian Federal decision concerning the Hunger Project where it was found that a public benevolent institution does not need to provide direct relief for poverty, the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the passing of the revolutionary New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 during NAIDOC Week, and some Good News concerning the charities Give Directly and Connecting Hands and their good works. The Carroll & O’Dea Workplace Solutions Team report in this newsletter on the anti-bullying amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 which will commence on 1 January 2014.
  • ACNC Start up 2013
    Published 09 Sep 2013
    This handbook is a collection of our writings which are sourced from our periodic Not-for-profit Newsletter published over the period May 2012 to June 2013 and concern the new charity and Not-for-profit sector law introduced by the Gillard Government being mainly the Commonwealth Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2013 ("the ACNC Act") and the opening of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
  • NOT-FOR-PROFIT NEWSLETTER
    Published 13 Aug 2013
    In this newsletter we provide you with summaries of some of the submissions made by Charitable Development Funds and other entities with interests in the banking sector in response to ASIC’s May Consultation Paper as well as an outline of changes in the pricing for aged care accommodation applicable to new residence post 1 July 2014.
  • NOT FOR PROFIT NEWSLETTER - CHARITABLE BEQUESTS - JULY 2013
    Published 05 Jul 2013
    CHARITABLE BEQUESTS Issues for a Will maker to consider.
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter - June 2013
    Published 05 Jun 2013
    The June 2013 edition of the Not-For-Profit Newsletter features; Government Inquiries Update; NSW Government Cuts Victims Compensation Payments; Gonski Reform of School Funding; How is ACNC Progressing? and The Good News.
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter - April 2013
    Published 26 Apr 2013
    Welcome to April's Not-For-Profit Newsletter. This month features Helping you navigate the changing not-for-profit regulatory landscape; Charities Bill 2013: a new definition for charities; ACNC update: Annual information statements; Governance standards under the ACNC Act; The Gilstrap Charity; Royal Commission into child sexual abuse begins and Other News
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter - March 2013
    Published 18 Mar 2013
    This month's newsletter is packed with information on School Building Fund New Taxation Ruling; Update on the Federal Government’s proposed Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012; and Good news.
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter - February 2013
    Published 13 Feb 2013
    Welcome to our first N-F-P Newsletter of 2013. February's edition includes topics such as The Royal Commission begins; ACNC Update; Time Deadlines; Financial Reporting Regimes; Governance and Reporting Duplication Impact Assessment; Unrelated Business Income Tax; Definition of Charity and The Good News.
  • Charity Law Event Nov 28- watch clip to find out more
    Published 06 Nov 2012
    Carroll & O'Dea will be running a half day seminar on Charity Law - Wednesday November 28 from 9AM - 1.30PM. Held at the Australian Catholic University, North Sydney campus, a short walk from North Sydney train station.
  • Media Release: Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC) Passes the Senate
    Published 01 Nov 2012
    Please see the joint media release issued 31 October 2012 by Mark Butler and David Bradbury. It seems ACNC will be operational from early December 2012. We remind you that the ACNC and its implications for Religious Congregations will be discussed at our half day seminar at ACU on 28 November, 2012.
  • Not-For-Profit Newsletter September 2012
    Published 05 Sep 2012
    This month's edition of the N-F-P Newsletter featuring; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FIRST & SECOND READING SPEECH - The Commission Bill; Consequential & Transitional Bill & the Tax Laws Amendment Bill.
  • Not for Profit Newsletter July 2012
    Published 17 Jul 2012
    Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission Bill 2012
  • Not-For-Profits Sector Update
    Published 09 May 2012
    A further update on some of the issues currently facing the NFP sector, such as the new ACNC Commission and "In Australia" test 

Key Professional Achievements:

  • Josephine joined Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in 2009.
  • Prior to that Josephine had worked mainly in private practice and had been a member of the in-house legal team at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for nine years.
  • Josephine is a past member of The Catholic Weekly newspaper board and Kincoppal Rose Bay School board. In 2015 she completed 21 years serving as a member of the Sancta Sophia College Council, University of Sydney, 10 of them as its Chair. In 2016 Sancta Sophia College included Josephine among their notable alumni for demonstrating an outstanding contribution in her chosen profession and for service to the community.
  • She was appointed to the inaugural board of the Broken Bay Institute in 2012 and is also a member of the management committee of the OLSH Overseas Aid Fund.