The Commonwealth Lawyers Association Family Law Committee in partnership with the Malaysian Bar invite you to join them for a webinar on 20th November as they examine: “Small Clients, Big Responsibilities; The Role of Lawyers in Child Representation”.

Webinar Overview

A heavy responsibility that goes beyond simply representing the voice of a child.  To ensure that the process is child-centric and child-inclusive. To remain independent and to be able to furnish a report that would be instrumental to a Judge in making Orders that promote the best interest of the child

To register for the event please click on the link 

Time:
7.00am London GMT
8.00am WAT
9.00am CAT
12.30pm IST
3.00pm MYT / SGT / HKT
5.00pm PGT
6.00pm AEDT

Date: 20th November 2025

Speakers:

» Mark Woods, CLA Representative for Australia and Accredited Specialist in Family Law

» Raymond Yeo, Principal Mediator, The Family Panel of Accredited Family Mediators, Singapore Mediation Centre

» Anuradha Sharma, Accredited Associate Mediator, Singapore Mediation Centre and a MiKK-Trained Cross-Border Family Mediator

Moderator:

» Gowri Subbaiyah, Managing Partner of Messrs P. Subbaiyah and xChairman of the Penang Bar Committee

Panel profiles

Raymond Yeo was called to the Bar in England in 1996 and has been in active litigation practice since.
He has developed a specialist area of practice and runs a boutique law firm providing services in the area of family and matrimonial law including foreign divorces with complex cross-border jurisdictional and foreign claims. He has extensive litigation experience in cases involving acrimonious custody disputes and division of assets of substantial values.
Raymond is the Principal Examiner for Family Law for Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations conducted by SILE.
He is a Principal Mediator and listed on the Family Panel of Accredited Family Mediators with Singapore Mediation Centre where he also serves as an Assessor and Coach. He is also an Accredited Mediator with Regent’s University and a Senior Mediator with the Law Society Mediation Scheme. Raymond is also an Accredited Collaborative Family Practice Lawyer.
Raymond was appointed as an Amicus Curiae and is currently on the Panel of Child
Representatives as well as on the Panel of Parenting Coordinators with the Family Justice Courts for contested custody cases. He is also a certified Therapeutic Justice Family Practitioner. Raymond is also AITP certified (Legal Sector).

Mark Woods is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law, and general litigator practising in Gippsland, Victoria. He is a past president and life member of the Law Institute of Victoria.   He is the co-chair of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association Family Law Committee, and a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
Mark also chairs the Access to Justice Committee of the Law Council of Australia,  the nation’s peak body for lawyers and is a past chair of the Australian Legal Assistance Forum, the national collaborative body for the legal assistance sector. He is a past Chair of the Access to Justice Committee of the International Bar Association, and currently sits on its advisory board.  He is an officer of the IBA’s Rule of Law Forum and Councillor of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. He frequently presents at Australian and international conferences on family law and access to justice issues.

Anuradha Sharma, has over 34 years of experience in the legal field. She is an accredited Associate Mediator at the Singapore Mediation Centre and a MiKK-Trained Cross-Border Family Mediator. She is certified as a family mediator, collaborative lawyer, child representative, parenting coordinator, and family therapeutic justice lawyer.
She is a Director in the firm of M/s Winchester Law LLC and has extensive experience in the practice of family law. Her areas of pracƟce also include adopƟon proceedings, probate litigation, applications filed pursuant to the Mental Capacity Act, civil proceedings including various aspects of debt recovery and conveyancing matters.
She focuses on handling family law matters within the family department. Her deep passion for advocating the best interests of children drives her work, particularly in her role as a child representative appointed by the Family Justice Courts. She is dedicated to guiding families through challenging legal situations with compassion and integrity, always striving to achieve fair and just outcomes. Her commitment to family law reflects her unwavering dedication to serving the community and ensuring the well-being of the children involved. Her career reflects a deep commitment to the legal profession and dedication to family law.
She also serves on the Probate Practice Committee, Small Law Firm Committee and Family Justice Support Scheme Committee. She also serves on the committee of Singapore Association of Family Lawyers (SAWL). 

Gowri Subbaiyah, In the vibrant heart of Penang, Malaysia, the legacy of a family business thrives under the skilful guidance of Gowri Subbaiyah. As the Managing Partner of Messrs P. Subbaiyah—a firm steeped in tradition and established by her father in 1988—Gowri carries not only the weight of a family legacy, but also the aspirations and hopes of countless clients who seek her counsel.
As the distinguished Chairman of the Penang Bar Committee, Gowri plays a pivotal role in leading the state bar of Penang and is a respected member of the Bar Council Malaysia, where her voice resonates with authority and empathy. Since joining the Family Law Committee in 2020, she has been at the forefront of transformative change, currently leading the Committee as the Deputy Chairman and spearheading the sub-committee focused on reforming the Adoption Act of 1952.
Gowri’s influence extends beyond Malaysian borders. As a member of the Family Law Committee of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, she has embraced global collaboration, initiating impactful webinars that bridge knowledge and resources with the Malaysian Bar and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL).
In addition to her work in family law, Gowri is a proactive member of the Disciplinary Committee, tackling serious issues that affect the integrity of the legal profession.
Recently, Gowri enhanced her skillset by becoming a certified Collaborative Practitioner, focusing on resolving family matters, particularly child custody cases.