About Us

About Diana

• Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia
• Director of the Board, Fairy Meadow Community Bank Branch – Bendigo Bank
• Member of the Wollongong and South Coast Legacy Committee
• Kidzwish Foundation Board Member

Awards

• 2019 Telstra Business Awards NSW Finalist
• 2019 IWIB Best Business
• 2018 IWIB Businesswoman of the Year
• 2017 IBC Start-up Superstar
• 2017 IWIB Best New Business

Diana Foye is a leading personal injury lawyer and award-winning businesswoman who traded a 17-year high-profile corporate career in Sydney to use her wealth of legal experience to empower individuals to be strong and fearless in the face of adversity. This led to the launch of Foye Legal in 2015. Diana’s vision for the firm was to provide expert and intuitive legal services to suit each client’s personalised needs with a view to protecting the essence of human rights.

Having spent almost two decades in a thriving legal career representing Australia’s largest corporations and insurers and winning high profile cases, Diana has attained invaluable knowledge and experience. This allows her to implement unique strategies in each of her clients’ cases, rewarding them with the most favourable outcomes.

Career Highlight

Diana has no one career highlight. She describes her passion as being an ongoing one. Primarily, she considers it a privilege to make a difference in people’s lives by consistently challenging the status quo in the legal arena. There have been numerous cases where she successfully represented injured clients in gaining access to compensation to help them get their lives back on track. At times this has meant developing precedent and using a case to push for changes in laws and policies. In this regard, Diana has represented clients in cases to change discriminatory workplace policy, assisted victims of abuse get justice, and held powerful professionals and organisations to account for negligence. These highlights in fighting for justice are achievements that align with her vision for legal services.

However, her proudest achievement is building a firm with a positive and supportive workplace culture where staff are empowered to provide outstanding services to its clients. This has involved the acquisition of Swan & Co Legal in 2018 and expanding further in 2019 to become an all-service legal firm providing expert lawyers in all areas. Staying true to her vision of empowering those around her has led to Foye Legal being a leading regional law firm serving clients on a national basis.

Why Foye Legal

“I believe that personal transformation within oneself can cause a ripple effect that can lead to profound social change. With a dwindling passion for working for corporate giants, I clearly saw that my career future was in starting a firm that was aligned with my values and that would make a difference in the local community. Being a lawyer is ingrained in us, but it’s incredibly hard work building a business. No business would flourish without the team behind it, and my incredible team are what make Foye Legal a great business.

At the heart of Foye Legal, we see ourselves as life-long partners with our clients, guiding them through the significant events in their lives that afflict us all at some point. Whether that is recovering from a life-changing personal injury, buying or selling their home, experiencing a relationship or family breakdown, preparing for end-of-life matters, I believe that every client deserves a legal team that takes a personal interest in their case. It is our primary objective to keep our clients, and their families, safe and free from worry and financial hardship in any circumstance.” – Diana

Testimonials

“We can not thank you enough for all your help, compassion & experience regarding our situation. And we greatly appreciate how quickly you made yourself available to not only to advise us, but to help calm the situation & fight to receive a fair & compassionate result. Thank you SO much. We are forever grateful to you.” – Defence client

 

“Diana has been there during the hardest time of my life. In 2013, I was hit by a car became a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. Diana guided me through the legal process, providing me with top quality advice, with outstanding professionalism. She is a leader in her field. She deals with the big insurers and superannuation companies without difficulty. I am lucky to have had Diana and her team look after my matter because the service they provided was tailored to my needs. Diana took time out of her day to come to my home, rather than making me come to her. She resolved my matter with an outcome that ensures I will be looked after for the rest of my life.” – Edwin Brown 

“Diana took over my rather complicated legal matter due to the lack of attention it was receiving by another lawyer. The other party was also not cooperating and I was unable to achieve a resolution and put a traumatic event behind me. I was delighted with the way in which Diana made the entire process easier. She constantly provided me with the reassurance that my concerns were being heard and that she understood what I was going through. She was strategic in the way she managed my matter and achieved a result far quicker than I anticipated. When it was all over and done with, my family and I were in tears with relief that I was free to move on with my life. The compassion I and my family received from Diana is highly commendable. I am now free from the trauma of past events.” – Elisa Maloney 

 

“I seriously injured my shoulder following an accident leaving me unable to do the things people take for granted, like brushing my own hair and dressing myself. I felt teary and distressed due to the lack of independence and having to rely on my adult daughter to come around and take care of me. I specifically spoke to Diana because I was aware of her expertise in Public Liability claims and of her reputation for providing legal services in a personable and caring manner. Diana has demonstrated that she not only cares about the end result but how she goes about it, ensuring that my interests are a priority, above all else.” – Carmel Smith 

“We contacted Diana about an insurance issue to get some advice on what we could do. We’d had a 6 month battle with an insurance company and we were getting nowhere. Diana and her team sent a letter to the insurance company and within days of the letter, a 6 month long battle was ended in our favour. Thank you Diana and team for all your work! We appreciate everything you did for us!” – Daniel & Amanda M

About David

David was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 1985. During that time, David has gained over 35 years’ experience as a Commercial Lawyer with a particular focus on Company Disputes, Business Transactions, Estate Planning and Disputed Estates. David is also a Notary Public and a Nationally Accredited Mediator.

David’s Community involvement includes:

• Founding member and current Chair of the Legacy Business and Community Support Committee, which raises significant funds directed towards the social and financial welfare of families of Australian Service Personnel who do not return home following active service.
• Current Board member of the Foundation for the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) dedicated to the preservation of Australian Aviation History.

Career Highlight

David established a private legal practice within the Illawarra for over 30 years while at the same time, raising a family of 5 children, with his wife Robyn.

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal maintains a high level of professional standards which meet my own expectations when dealing with clients.” – David

Testimonial

“I wanted to personally thank you, as well as your colleagues, for assisting my family with bringing a conclusion to my parents’ estate.  Everyone I dealt with was professional, helpful and I always had a quick response back on my queries. Thank you once again and we are most appreciative of the support and assistance you provided to us.” – Betty Degnan

Profile coming soon.

About Laura

Laura is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law with over 10 years experience in this field. Laura is an expert in a wide range of family law matters, including de facto relationships, divorces, property settlement, children’s matters, financial documents including binding financial agreements, and child support issues. Laura is able to assist clients in mediation and at Court as a leading advocate in her field.

Laura has appeared in the Local Court, Federal Circuit Court and Family Court, including work in appeal matters before the Full Court of the Family Court. Laura is on the Family Law Panel for Legal Aid NSW and is able to assist clients in both Legal Aid and non-Legal Aid matters.

Laura understands that a relationship breakdown is an extremely stressful time, and is focused on providing her clients with comprehensive, yet easy to understand advice, and strong representation. Laura is empathetic towards her clients and is committed to achieving the best possible outcome for clients in a timely and cost effective manner.

Career Highlight

In her legal work, there is no specific career highlight for Laura as being able to help every client achieve a positive outcome is a highlight for her, especially when she can see the weight lifted off her client’s shoulders once a matter is finalised and they can move forward with their lives. However, from an academic point of view, achieving her Accredited Specialisation in Family Law in 2015 was a particular highlight, as it was a rigorous assessment process which culminated in recognition by the Law Society that Laura has a specialised knowledge and competence in family law. This extensive knowledge is what allows Laura to continue to help her clients in all aspects of their family law matters, and Laura’s clients know they can rely on her advice and expertise.

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal is a truly welcoming firm that has a wide range of practise areas with exceptional lawyers in each division.  We are client focused and listen to our clients needs. We approach each matter with individualised advice and expertise. Each division works as a collaborative team, so as a client you don’t just get the one lawyer, you have a team working to achieve the best outcome for you.” – Laura

About Cassandra

• Specialist Accreditation (Family Law) 2005
• Member of the Family Law Panel (Legal Aid)

Cassandra was a high achiever at university and continues to set high standards for her work since being admitted as a solicitor in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and to the High Court Roll in 2011. Her focus has been family law and she has worked almost exclusively in that area for a decade. Cassandra achieved her Specialist Accreditation in Family Law in 2015. Her sound knowledge and caring nature ensures clients receive the best possible assistance when going through the difficult period of family breakups. Cassandra regularly appears in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and Family Court of Australia, and she is on the Family Law Panel for Legal Aid NSW and can assist clients in both Legal Aid and non-Legal Aid matters. Cassandra is experienced in all Family Law matters, including divorce applications, de facto matters, parenting and property matters and binding financial agreements.

Career Highlight

For Cassandra, achieving her goal of obtaining her Specialist Accreditation in Family Law in 2015 was a fulfilling achievement. Since then, she has worked with countless clients, assisting them to resolve complex family breakdowns, to achieve the best possible outcome. 

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal is a client-focused firm, with a strong focus on achieving positive outcomes for clients, in a straightforward, positive way. My aim is to provide advice that is clear to client’s and have them feel confident and well supported during what is undoubtedly, one of the most trying and stressful periods in their lives.” – Cassandra.

Testimonials

“I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for me! Your skills and experience made me feel 100% confident and supported during the whole process – yesterday and during the entire lead up. I really appreciate that you went the extra mile for me at all times. Thank you, too, for making me feel so supported on a personal level with the beautiful empathy you showed me. I’m grateful that you made what could have been a traumatic process so much easier. Please also pass on my huge appreciation to everyone else on the team who worked on my case. I am so grateful to them for giving me so much support and for working so hard for me! I could not have wished for anyone better in my corner! I never would have had such a great journey and outcome without you. I will always be grateful for everything you have done for me.” – Family law client

“Hi Cass, I just wanted to say a final thank you. For all the support you gave me and not just legal, I honestly would not have survived this experience without you. I don’t have the words, so am just going to say thank you. You went over and above for me and I know that. I’ll never forget it. I wish you a happy future with your family.” – Family law client

About Terri

Terri leads Foye Legal’s Commercial, Property and Estates division, providing broad commercial legal experience for clients. She discovered her interest in law after taking time out of the workforce to have children. She re-assessed her career objectives and decided to retrain and pursue her long-term interest in law and social justice. After seven years in the not-for-profit sector, she chose to return to work in private practice due to her love of day-to-day interactions with clients. Terri enjoys listening to clients and helping them find the legal issue and applying the law to solve their problems. Terri’s diverse background and experience include undergraduate qualifications in communications and anthropology and post-graduate education in law and financial planning.

Career Highlight

Terri’s career highlight was negotiating a significant settlement for a client in a historical sex abuse matter against his former GPS school. The client told Terri he felt heard for the first time in decades. In her first weeks at Foye Legal, she overturned an eviction notice for an existing client of Foye Legal. He told Terri that he could not thank her enough, it was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. Regardless of whether the matter is big or small, Terri takes great satisfaction in helping her clients.

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal is service-oriented and strives to provide quality advice to its clients. What struck me about Foye Legal was that as well as caring for its clients, it also cared about its staff. By creating a strong workplace culture, Foye Legal has created an environment where its staff have the tools and work environment to focus on the important issues – the client’s issues. I am a people person, and relationships are essential to me. I strive to communicate openly and often with my clients and make sure they know how important their issue is to me. Having spent the past seven years focusing my professional life on fighting disadvantage in East Africa, I have developed the interpersonal skills to make people from all walks of life comfortable and have become an empathic listener and problem solver.” – Terri.

About Emma

Emma is an experienced personal injury lawyer with ten years of experience. Emma helps clients when their lives have been turned upside down by an injury, whether it is in the workplace, a public place, the result of medical negligence or a motor vehicle accident.  Getting fair and efficient compensation for clients and enabling clients achieve the best possible outcome in difficult circumstances is Emma’s goal.

Emma is also a member of the NSW Law Society Injury Compensation Committee.

Career Highlight

Emma believes it is satisfying every time a case is resolved. Even though there will always be other cases to move onto, she knows that for her clients, their case is so important to them.  Emma finds it very rewarding knowing that she has achieved the best possible outcome for her client in their situation.

Progressing to a senior position and being able to train junior lawyers has also been a highlight for Emma.  Emma enjoys being part of a junior lawyer’s journey as they gain experience and expand on their understanding of the law, and the legal system.

A final (and majorly impressive) highlight was Emma’s successful challenge against a workers compensation insurer, on a point of law, which was heard in the NSW Court of Appeal. Well done Emma.

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal has given me the opportunity to flourish in my legal career by providing a supportive work environment. At Foye Legal I have witnessed the best examples of women building up other women so that we can all achieve our career goals. Foye Legal also supports a good work/life balance.” – Emma

Testimonials

“Emma Thomson from Foye Legal assisted us with our legal proceedings against a local hospital in relation to a medical negligence claim, which resulted in the loss of our son, who was 40 weeks, 3-days-old when he passed.

Emma and the team at Foye legal were extremely empathic, caring and acknowledged our grief, loss and the ongoing impacts on our livelihood. Above all, Emma and the team were very thorough and displayed keen attention to detail in every instance which resulted in a positive mediation outcome.

Through tragedy, we were able to have some reprieve with the result Emma and the Foye legal team were able to help us achieve, which is helping us take the next step forward in our lives. We would recommend them highly to anyone who feels they may have been mistreated within the healthcare system resulting in harm or loss.” – Geordi Penrose.

 

“Emma, you were awesome & I especially want to say thank you, to you. You were always so easy to talk to & you never hesitated in explaining things to me that were way above my head. It was very difficult at times when we were met with resistance from the other side, but you were always a calming voice to help me feel better.” – Kathy Parker

About Alessia

Alessia graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in 2020. She became a lawyer because she is passionate about making a positive difference in people’s lives. Through her work in compensation and family law, Alessia has first-hand how legal assistance can provide support and peace of mind for people who are going through a tough time. She is particularly passionate about assisting our legally aided clients who are going through difficult family law proceedings and assisting them to achieve a good outcome.

Career highlight

Having worked in the compensation division and specifically talking to clients with a history of child abuse, it is clear to Alessia that people often don’t know what they are entitled to or how the law can help them. She loves being able to provide advice to a client and seek compensation, which can ultimately validate the pain they have suffered and help provide closure to a difficult situation.

Why Foye Legal

“Diana and the team at Foye Legal have a reputation for providing the best legal advice. Since joining the firm, I can confidently say they provide so much more. The entire team is passionate about supporting their clients through often difficult circumstances and providing assistance in any way they can. It has been an inspiration to work alongside so many incredibly talented lawyers and witness their dedication and commitment not just to clients but the entire community.” ­– Alessia.

Testimonials

“I highly recommend Foye Legal who have supported me through the most toughest and most complicated time in my life whilst keeping the most important person in my life always first and in mind, my child . They have been respectful, considerate and guided us with care in the most empathetic way. I’d recommend this firm to anyone. Thank you Foye Legal.” – Family law client

About Tenae

Tenae joined the Foye Legal team in early 2018 when the firm acquired Swan & Co Legal where Tenae had grown significantly in my professional career whilst working with some of Wollongong’s highly experienced property solicitors.  Tenae loves being able to assist others and that is why she is so passionate about she does. When dealing with high-value assets, whether it be your first time buying/selling, or your fifteenth, the risk remains and that is why it is important to have someone you can trust handling your property transaction. Tenae ensures that no details are missed and that all the legal requirements are met while prioritising communicating with her clients to ensure they experience a stress-free transaction.  Tenae’s focus is on the finer details so the client can focus on the finer things.

Testimonials

“Thank you so much for everything! You all have made this process so easy for me, and I really appreciate you! Thank you for your support. Foye is truly an amazing organisation of skilled people, and I am recommending you to everyone!” – Foye Legal client

“Hi, I was hoping to finally meet you in person  today so I could thank you in person for all your work and your help throughout this last year . We have finally settled today but I couldn’t have got through this without your help, support and especially your kindness. So a big thank you.”  SH – Foye Legal client

About Montana

Montana is currently studying her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) at Wollongong University. She has been awarded the Dean’s Merit Award issued by the Faculty of Law in 2022 (ranking in the top 5% of the school of law in 2021 academic year) as well as the Thomson Reuters Prize, issued by the Faculty of Law in 2022 (highest mark in LLB1160 in 2021).

Montana completed her high school work experience in 2018 at Foye Legal and then commenced with the firm in January 2021 after completing her HSC.  She is now a law clerk in the Personal Injury Division.

Montana’s passion for law has grown after seeing how accidents have affected people close to her.  She understands how an injury can make a person struggle with living a new reality.  Montana believes that while compensation is the ultimate outcome to alleviate any financial burden, support and reassurance is just as important.  This inspires her work in personal injury law and gives her the opportunity to speak to clients regularly throughout their matters as they navigate this difficult period in their lives.

Career Highlight

Having had the opportunity to work in various areas of criminal and personal injury law, particularly historical child sexual institutional abuse claims, Montana is always open to listen to the stories of each client and their unique circumstances. She believes that understanding the best way in which each client can be personally supported during their legal matters can be challenging but highly gratifying, particularly when you are able to also achieve the best legal outcome possible for the client.

Why Foye Legal

“Foye Legal fosters an environment which is passionate about supporting their clients throughout the life of their legal journeys. It is inspiring to work alongside the highly knowledgeable team at Foye Legal as I am provided with various opportunities to expand my legal knowledge and to engage in community initiatives which Foye Legal supports.” – Montana

About Patrick

Patrick is currently studying a Bachelor of Law and Journalism at the University of Wollongong and is a law clerk in our personal injury division.

Patrick chose to study law as he viewed it as a unique opportunity to help members of society who have suffered severe consequences, often through no fault of their own.  He particularly enjoys applying the law to individual situations people find themselves in, to find a solution that helps them, and their personal circumstances best.

Career Highlight

Assisting clients navigate their personal injury claims is something that brings great satisfaction to Patrick daily.  He is particularly grateful for the opportunity to support those who have been injured and witness them reclaim their lives.  Working to be a pillar of surety for the firm’s clients during difficult times is very fulfilling for Patrick.

Why Foye Legal

“The team at Foye Legal are not only knowledgeable, outstanding professionals, but extremely supportive and create an excellent environment for me to learn and foster my skills in various areas of law. Foye Legal also truly stands up for their values and principles and wholeheartedly gets behind important community initiatives. This, among many other things makes me a very proud employee of the firm.” – Patrick

About Clair

Clair is our Chief Financial Officer with over 30 years experience as a financial professional in 3 very different industries – Private Health Insurance, FMCG and Local Government before joining Foye Legal in 2021.  Clair completed her Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1992.

Clair believes that focusing on how both the people and the financial blueprint of the organisation can be leveraged to create opportunities for growth across the business and drive alignment with strategic direction is both personally rewarding and often results in an enlightening journey for the business. Whilst the products and individual business practices may differ across industries, there is always a common goal of delivering on a promise to the respective client/community, which is met by bringing the right resources (people and finance) together at the right time.

Career Highlight

Across Clair’s career, she has had many highlights and unexpected experiences, however the thing that sticks in her mind is that life is not about the work that you do, but the impact that you have on those around you. Whether it be assisting a colleague with understanding all things finance, or mentoring new staff, Clair has always found that the joy is in the act of helping others to be the best they can.

Why Foye Legal

“The team at Foye Legal are passionate about achieving positive outcomes for the client as well as creating a supportive team environment to work in every day. I am excited to be a part of this fantastic team at such a pivotal time in the organisation’s growth trajectory. Together we can achieve great things.” – Clair

About Lauren

Lauren discovered a fascination for the when starting her first job in the industry over 20 years ago as a junior receptionist. She was quickly promoted into a junior administration role. Since then, she has worked in various areas of law during her administrative career including, conveyancing, family law, criminal, and immigration law, before moving into the personal injury and compensation space where her expertise lies. After 20 years in the administrative space, Lauren wanted a fresh challenge. Having often found herself being the person colleagues call on for advice and to discuss any issues and concerns, and with guidance and mentoring from Diana Foye, she commenced a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.

Lauren has worked as the Practice Manager and Executive Assistant at Foye Legal since July 2020 however commenced at Foye Legal in November 2018 as a senior legal administrative assistant.  She thoroughly enjoys the challenges of the new role and the camaraderie amongst the Foye Legal team. Lauren loves teaching and mentoring young Law Clerks and other colleagues who have not previously worked in law, where she can pass on her knowledge and experience to assist colleagues as they grow both personally and professionally.

Career Highlight

Over the years of her career, Lauren’s highlights all stem from when a client benefits from a favourable legal outcome. For her, being told by a client the difference you have made to them during their matter, by being their support and point of contact, is always something very special to hear. Lauren says she is fortunate to have been told this more times than she can count.

In recent times, feedback from her colleagues about the positive changes she has made for the firm in her new role has also been a massive highlight.

Why Foye Legal

“I worked with Diana at another firm prior to my commencement with Foye Legal. I admired Diana’s passion for uplifting and empowering women and wanting them to aspire to be their best and helping them in their journey. Diana has personally empowered me by giving me an opportunity when I felt I had reached the top of my game as a legal assistant to further my career by putting her faith and trust in me and promoting me to be the Practice Manager and EA and setting me up with the relevant training to be successful in my new position. Diana continues to be my number one supporter in this role.  I also love being surrounded by our amazing team at Foye Legal, they really are like a second family, who all support and uplift each other to be the best we all can be” – Lauren.  

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