Admissions

•High Court of Australia
•Supreme Court of South Australia

Consultant

Maurice Stewart

LL.B.

Maurice is a highly experienced practitioner who continues to support the firm in a consulting capacity, with over 40 years’ experience in legal practice in Nhill. Having worked across a broad range of areas, Maurice brings a depth of knowledge and practical insight that benefits both clients and staff.

Maurice has a strong understanding of the local community. 

Outside of work, Maurice enjoys golf, gardening and catching up with family and friends.,

Admissions

•Supreme Court of Victoria

Admissions

•High Court of Australia
•Supreme Court of Victoria

SOLICITOR

Helen Thomson

LL.B., B.A., GDLP

Helen was born in Zimbabwe and immigrated to the Wimmera in 2003. Helen attended Nhill College from year four until year twelve. In 2013 she moved to Adelaide where she completed her Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice and Bachelor of Arts. From April 2018 to December 2021, Helen worked as a governance manager in local government. Helen commenced at O’Brien & Smith Lawyers in January 2022.

Admissions

•High Court of Australia
•Supreme Court of Victoria

Solicitor

Rachel Meulendyks

LL.B., GDLP

Rachel has recently returned to the Wimmera after moving away at the completion of her schooling. Rachel has been to Europe three times, and it was on her first trip there that she met her husband.Since then, Rachel has lived in Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, and Portland. It was in Portland that Rachel worked as conveyancer in a small local firm.

Prior to starting with O’Brien & Smith Lawyers, Rachel spent four years travelling around Australia in a caravan with her husband and dog. During this time, Rachel completed her Bachelor of Laws degree with Charles Darwin University. More recently, Rachel travelled to Canada on working holiday and completed a grain harvest before returning to the Wimmera to commence work at O’Brien & Smith Lawyers in February 2025.

Admissions

•Supreme Court of Victoria

Solicitor

Kristina Koop

LL.B., GDLP

Kristina is a Nhill local who first worked with the firm when she completed her practical legal placement in our Horsham office in 2025. Prior to commencing her legal career, Kristina worked as a Case Manager and Support at Home Team Leader. Kristina is a friendly and compassionate lawyer who enjoys assisting our clients with their legal needs.

Admissions

•Supreme Court of Victoria

OFFICE MANAGER

Jasmine Kerr

Jasmine ensures the office runs as smoothly as possible. In addition to her role as office manager, Jasmine has long assisted with the drafting of estate planning documents including wills. Jasmine's diligence ensures our clients are always well looked after.

Senior Clerk

Bana Osborne

Bana is an experienced conveyancing and estates clerk who prides her self on working efficiently to progress property transactions as quickly as possible. Bana is an excellent communicator who works hard to ensure clients’ satisfaction.

SENIOR CONVEYANCING CLERK

Lyn Penney

Lyn is an experienced conveyancing clerk with over 11 years’ experience managing property transactions from start to finish. Lyn is highly organised and works closely with clients, agents and financial institutions to ensure matters progress smoothly and efficiently.

Lyn takes pride in her clear communication and practical approach, helping to make the conveyancing process as straightforward as possible for our clients.

LAW Clerk

Kyle Galwey

Kyle works in reception and assists our lawyers as needed. Kyle has a long work history in customer service which he uses to make our clients feel comfortable when explaining the legal help that they need.

Law Clerk

Natasha Exell

Natasha joined the O’Brien & Smith Lawyers team in 2025. Natasha works in reception and assists our lawyers with estate planning documents and family law matters.

Conveyancing Clerk

Mayci McCartney

Mayci joined our conveyancing team in October 2025. She is currently in her fourth year of her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and enjoys increasing her practical knowledge. Mayci is dedicated to making the conveyancing process simple for our clients.

Law clerk

Eliza Marrow

Eliza joined the O’Brien & Smith Lawyers team in January 2026. Eliza is an honest and hardworking team member with a strong work ethic. Eliza enjoys assisting clients in booking appointments, collecting deeds, and answering general questions from our Stawell office.

law clerk

Kristine Flavel

Kristine assists the firm across a range of areas, providing support to solicitors and staff as required. Kristine has several years’ experience and is known for her reliability and attention to detail.

Kristine works diligently to ensure matters are progressed efficiently and enjoys assisting our clients in the Nhill area to ensure they have a positive experience with the firm.

LAW Clerk/Administration Officer

Kathleen Flores

Kathleen assists the firm in a wide range of areas, including financial management, invoicing and clerk work. Kathleen holds a bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Major in Financial Management and came to O’Brien & Smith Lawyers with several years’ experience working within the legal profession. Kathleen is highly motivated and detail-orientated which ensures her high level of efficiency.

ESTATE Clerk

Emma Smith

Emma works part time within our estates’ department assisting in complying with the requirements of banks, share registries and other asset companies to arrange the collection of the deceased’s assets.

Conveyancing Clerk

Kristian Arcelo

Kristian works full time in our conveyancing department. Kristian holds and Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. Prior to starting with O'Brien & Smith Lawyers Kristian had previously worked as a Revenue Collection Officer. With a background in fast-paced work environments, he is committed to delivering efficient support across all stages of the conveyancing process.