Communitas '26 by LexNova Guild

2 days, 9 legal provocateurs, zero bullshit.​

Communitas '26 is a one-day gathering for lawyers who are building practices on their own terms — and want to do it alongside others doing the same.

Hosted by LexNova Guild, Communitas '26 brings together practitioners, founders, and independent thinkers for a day of honest conversation, bold ideas, and genuine connection. This is not a traditional legal conference. There is no pay-to-comment, no passive panel-watching, and no pretending the profession doesn't need to change.

Our speakers for 2026:

Dr Jason Fox — Keynote
Wizard-philosopher, leadership futurist and bestselling author (The Game Changer, How to Lead a Quest). Jason delivers not a keynote but a provocation — expect to leave with more questions than you arrived with. His museletter reaches 11,000+ leaders worldwide.

Catherine Scott — Law as an Instrument of Art and Activism
Barrister at Derwent & Tamar Chambers with 20+ years in commercial litigation, discrimination, and environment/planning law. Brings rare perspective having moved fluidly between private practice, the bar, and in-house.

Justine McKeogh — The Neurodivergent Lawyer
Director of Annara Consulting. Works at the intersection of neurodivergence and the legal profession — coaching lawyers and helping firms harness wired-differently strengths. A manifesto session for a profession reckoning with the full range of its minds.

Talya Faigenbaum & Yule Guttenbeil — Legal Pricing and the End of Time
Talya is MD of Nest Legal, a legal-tech-fluent family law firm built on access to justice. Yule is principal at Attune Legal and 2024 AI Consultant of the Year. Together they take on the future of legal pricing.

Panel: Maiden, Mother & Crone
Kirstie Colls, Rebecca Johnston-Ryan & Megan Puszkar
An honest conversation about the seasons of a legal career — from three practitioners who have lived them. Kirstie is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and co-director of Tosh Colls Family Law (Brisbane); Rebecca is Founding Principal of Johnston Ryan Legal (Melbourne), trained across Victoria Police Family Violence and the Coroners Court; Megan founded Macedon Ranges Family Law in 2013.

Annalise Romer — No Way in Hell: How Female-Led Practices Are Redesigning Legal Service
Co-founder of Romer Maud Family Lawyers, built entirely on her own terms in 2019. A frank account of founding a firm from scratch and why co-opetition is the infrastructure that makes it sustainable.

Mollie Tregillis — Your Permission Slip to Fulfilment
Founder of Mollusc, a facilitation and strategic design agency. Former litigator and legal operations leader at MinterEllison, now an executive coach who creates conversations that push people to confront discomfort and break old thinking.

Workshop Space

Ben Deverson — Workshop for Principals
Founder and MD of Lawganised, with a 30-year executive career helping law firm principals stop being the bottleneck in their own business. A deep-dive into systems, strategy, and financial clarity — not a slide deck.

Greg Barns SC — Jury Reform
Barrister at Republic Chambers (Hobart) and Owen Dixon East Chambers (Melbourne). Author, legal academic, and Chair of the Prisoners Legal Service Tasmania. A session on jury reform challenging how attendees think about the future of trial justice.

Ruth Chowdhury — Mediation & Dispute Resolution
Founder of Abridge Mediation; Nationally Accredited Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, and Court Appointed Costs Assessor for the Queensland Courts. Brings a practice defined by genuine resolution over protracted conflict.

PLEASE CHOOSE ONLY ONE ADVENTURE FOR YOUR SATURDAY; THEY START SIMULTANEOUSLY

Who should attend

Communitas ’26 is designed for:

• Principals and founders of independent and boutique firms

• Senior lawyers in the newlaw space and allied legal businesses

• Specialists and consultants who regularly collaborate with law firms

You are a fit if you want to:

• Grow matter quality and revenue without hiring exponentially

• Share work and IP safely, with aligned peers instead of random panels

• Plug into the LexNova Guild’s co‑opetition community for ongoing support​

Tickets and extras

• Communitas ’26 conference pass (all sessions)

• Access to Dark LexNo Masked Gala

• Optional social experiences as per add-on ticket

• Extra surprises and gifties (of course)​

Tickets are strictly limited to keep the room intimate and highly collaborative. Secure your place now and be part of the legal event of ’26 in Hobart.