Profiles

Matthew White — Principal

Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Laws • Law Institute of Victoria Criminal Law Specialist

Matthew studied a combined Arts and Law degree at Monash University, graduating in 1993. He is also a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Criminal Law Specialist which means he is considered a criminal law expert.

He has been practising in criminal law exclusively for in excess of 15 years and has vast experience and knowledge. He worked as a lawyer at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for 5 years and acquired a detailed knowledge and understanding of white collar crime, fraud offences and drug offences.

He also worked at Victoria Legal Aid in Melbourne for 3 years as a Senior Lawyer, during which time he was involved in many high profile cases and worked on a number of murder trials and other challenging Supreme Court cases.

Since moving into private practice in 2001 he has focused on providing accomplished advocacy and representation. He appears as an Advocate on a daily basis in the Magistrates’ Court. He also appears in committal hearings and represents clients in the County Court charged with all criminal offences. He has operated the firm as a Principal since his former business partner was appointed a Magistrate in 2004.

Bill Grimshaw — Associate Solicitor

Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Laws

Whilst studying at Monash University Bill worked as a paralegal at the Tenants Union of Victoria. As part of his job there he regularly appeared as an advocate at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

After completing his law degree in 2002 Bill served his articles with Victoria Legal Aid. He continued working there—almost exclusively in criminal law—until joining Matthew White and Associates in 2008. He also appeared regularly before various civil tribunals, including the Mental Health Review Board.

In his time as a criminal lawyer Bill has been involved in a diverse range of cases, from simple driving matters to murder trials. He is an accomplished court advocate with a particular interest in bail applications and contested Magistrates’ Court proceedings.

Bill regularly volunteers to supervise other lawyers and law students at a suburban community legal centre. He understands how bewildering and stressful court proceedings can be for the average person so he puts the same meticulous care into explaining the law to his clients as he puts into preparing their cases for court.

Katherine Rolfe — Solicitor

Bachelor of Psychological Science • Bachelor of Laws

Katherine completed a combined Psychological Science and Law degree at Latrobe University in 2008. She has a longstanding interest in criminal law and developed a range of skills through her involvement with our firm during the latter years of her Degree. She also undertook a regional clerkship and volunteered at the Footscray Community Legal Centre whilst studying.

She is a keen traveller and has covered significant ground in the sub-continent and Eastern Europe. She developed a special interest in International Criminal Law whilst studying the subject on exchange at Stockholm University, Sweden.