Aimee Mundt
Aimee is an admitted solicitor, having graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Laws (Class I Hons) and the University Medal. She currently works as a commercial litigation lawyer and was previously a Legal Officer at Animals Australia, one of Australia’s leading animal protection organisations. In 2015, Pro Bono Australia recognised Aimee as one of the most influential individuals in the Australia pro bono sphere. Aimee has presented as a guest lecturer in Animal Law at Monash University and Griffith University. Aimee also co-founded Australia’s first and only national animal law moot, the Australia New Zealand Intervarsity Moot on Animal Law. Prior to founding ALI, Aimee was the Deputy National Co-ordinator of the Barristers Animal Welfare Panel from 2012 - 2014. Aimee’s passion for gaining a global perspective on animal protection has seen her travel to England to intern at Compassion in World Farming, publish peer reviewed articles in international law journals and write a paper on the success of the European Union’s approach towards animal protectionat King’s College London. Aimee has also been a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Animal Welfare Working Group, a research clerk for Voiceless and the Humane Society International and was the President of the Griffith University Animal Welfare Society.
Anastasia Smietanka
Anastasia is a Barrister at the Victorian Bar. She has been involved in the animal law movement for over seven years with leading organisations including the Barristers Animal Welfare Panel and Voiceless. She is currently also a member of the Legal Advisory Council at Voiceless, and on the Board of a number of animal rescue and foster care charities. She was the National Co-ordinator of the Barristers Animal Welfare Panel from 2012 to 2014 (and prior the Victorian Co-ordinator from 2009 to 2012), and was a speaker at the Voiceless Law Lecture Series in Melbourne 2013. She graduated from a Law/Media degree at the University of Melbourne in 2011 with an honours degree in French. While at the University of Melbourne, she was the President of the University of Melbourne Animal Protection Society. She lives in Melbourne with her four fur babies, an assortment of foster dogs and the occasional piglet. She is the co-founder of the Australia New Zealand Intervarsity Moot on Animal Law.
Emilia Michael
Emilia brings her wealth of experience in the law, not for profit boards and best-in-class animal petting skills to ALI. Emilia is one of ALI’s legal case managers, and is your go to person with any non-litigious queries. She’s also a director on ALI’s board and so is keen to speak to everyone who shares ALI’s vision and is interested in working together.
Our Legal Team
Avishan Bird - principal lawyer
ALI’s Principal Solicitor, Avishan Bird, began her legal career in 2012 and has worked within various private and public enterprises and government bodies, specialising in contract review, intellectual property and consumer law matters. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Deakin University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Law (LLM) at the University of Melbourne, studying animal law and policy. She is also the Category C (Animal Welfare) Member of the Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee.
With a strong in-house counsel background, Avishan currently heads up the in-house legal function of a multinational ASX-listed digital media, technology and advertising group. While her passion is animal law, Avishan’s legal experience also stretches across areas such as intellectual property, procurement tender/contract review, privacy law, consumer law, brand and trademark, licensing, IT, brand management and marketing, corporate and regulatory matters including ASX listing rules and acquisitions.
Erin Germantis - lawyer
Erin is a lawyer at the Animal Law Institute. Erin has previously worked in civil litigation as a solicitor in a boutique Melbourne law firm, and as a consultant in a public affairs and communications firm.
With a passion for animal protection, Erin has been a long-standing volunteer with the Animal Law Institute in a variety of roles since 2015. She has assisted as a paralegal on various matters, and as a media officer for the last 12 months. She has also assisted in editing the Australian Animal Protection Law Journal through ALI and volunteered as a judge at the Australia New Zealand Intervarsity Moot on Animal Law (ANIMAL). Erin has also worked at Lawyers for Animals’ clinic as a lawyer and paralegal, and interned at the office of Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt.
Erin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010, and a Juris Doctor in 2013. After obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Erin completed a Master of Laws in Human Rights at Monash University, where she also studied animal law as part of her course.
