FORCE MAJEURE WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Force Majeure is delighted to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors. It is our pleasure to introduce Helen Porter and Stephanie Purcell. These incredible women bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Board, and we are looking forward to working with them.

Helen Porter Biography:

Helen studied law at UWA and worked at the WA Crown Law Department WA from February 1983 until December 1991. In 1992 she joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions WA, where she worked as a Crown/State prosecutor, case manager and administrator until her appointment to head the WA Office of Criminal Injuries Compensation in 2003. This role was a head of jurisdiction position involving significant administrative, management, reporting and planning duties, legislative drafting and implementation, as well as legal decision making. Helen continued in that role until January 2019, and was then appointed as an Independent Decision Maker for the National Redress Scheme (for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse) where she continues to work. Helen’s legal practice has been largely in the area of criminal law and restitution and compensation for survivors of crime. She has had significant exposure to the impact of trauma through interaction with survivors both as witnesses in criminal prosecutions and participants in the restitution processes, and has been interested in exploring the embodiment of trauma and its resolution and expression.

Stephanie Purcell Biography:

Stephanie is a lawyer at a global commercial law firm. She advises government and private sector clients on major infrastructure and general commercial transactions, with a particular focus on social infrastructure, social impact bonds and complex procurements across a range of sectors, including housing, transport, education, mixed-use precincts, energy, investment attraction and the arts. She also has experience in dispute resolution and advising companies on strategic corporate governance and risk issues.  

Stephanie was formerly a Tipstaff to Judges at the Supreme Court of NSW and served as a Board Director and President of her university Union. She is currently a member of the UTS Law Advisory Board, a volunteer for the Refugee Advice & Casework Service, a coordinator of the LEAPS (Lawyers Encouraging and Assisting Promising Students) Mentoring Program and a Mental Health Champion at her workplace.