SABINA SCHLINK

Sabina is a qualified lawyer who has worked in the banking and finance industry and the trustee industry for the past 28 years and is the Principal of Thomas Legal specialising in providing general corporate advice on a wide range of issues ranging from marketing law, copyright law, contract law, property and leases, trusts and related taxation advice, joint ventures, strategic alliances, franchises, sale and purchase agreements and general corporate and commercial legal advice. She also provides wide ranging commercial advice to aboriginal corporations that are parties to Native Title Agreements, State government agreements or agreements with industry.

In 1999 Sabina took up the position of In-House Counsel with Bank West providing specialist marketing and commercial legal advice to the retail, marketing and public relations areas of the Bank.

Sabina has worked as General Counsel for Elders Trustees and Executor Company and IOOF Trustees Limited in Adelaide and Melbourne. She has also worked as Legal Counsel for the State Bank of South Australia and was involved in the Royal Commission enquiry into the activities of the Bank and the Auditors General enquiry.

In her role as General Counsel with Elders Trustees and Executor Company Limited she worked with the South Australian Film Commission and the Australian Children's Television Foundation on tax effective film schemes. She has also provided legal advice in relation to retirement village schemes, debenture trusts, unsecured notes trusts and plantation and aquaculture schemes and has drafted and negotiated prospectuses for a wide range of financial products such as Cash Management Accounts and Common Funds. During her time at IOOF she also held the position of Marketing and Product Development Manager for the IOOF group.

Sabina is the Past President of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association here in Western Australia and in South Australia and a former Director of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association (National Board). She is also an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association.

Her other professional positions are:

• Elected member of the Legal Practice Board in Western Australia and sits on the Management Committee and Complaints Committees of the Board and is the Deputy Convener of the Registrations and Admissions Committee of the Board.
• Chairman of the Salvation Army State Development Council and member of the National Advisory Board for the Salvation Army.
• Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
• Member of Australian Women Lawyers Association.
• Member of Women in Mining
• Former Legal Board member of the Settlement Agents Advisory Board (WA)
• Former member of the Attorney General's Working Party on the changes to the Laws of Succession in WA
• Former Chairman of the Law Society Committee convened to submit commentary on the Attorney General's discussion paper on Medical Treatment for the Dying.
• Former member of the Law Society's Aboriginal Peoples and Law Committee commenting on the Law Reform Commission's reports into Aboriginal Customary Law.
• Former member of the Law Society's Inquiry into Older People and the Law on behalf of the Federal Attorney General.
• Member of the Supreme Court Library Committee.
• Former non-executive Board member of the Hawkevale Trust Inc.

Sabina holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from the University of Adelaide, a Diploma in Journalism and in Marketing, a Diploma of Investment Fiduciary from the University of Pittsburgh USA and a Certificate in Negotiation from Harvard Law School. She is admitted as a Legal Practitioner and Commissioner for Taking Affidavits in both the Supreme Court of South Australia and the Supreme Court of Western Australia