Our People
John Bottoms - PrincipalJohn graduated in Arts and Law from the Australian National University in 1974 and commenced work in the Commonwealth Attorney Generals Department, Canberra before entering private practice as a Solicitor in 1976.
He subsequently joined the Northern Territory Crown Solicitors Office as a Crown Prosecutor. He also participated in the Northern Territory Land Claims in the 1970's. He managed the Aboriginal Legal Aid Office in Townsville specialising in criminal defence work in the Supreme Court and District Court, before moving to Cairns 29 years ago.
John was a Committee member for 23 years and Secretary for 20 years of the Yorkeys Knob Boating Club and was actively involved in the Club's $12 million marina development at Half Moon Bay
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Anne English - PrincipalAnne English graduated from Monash University in Victoria in Arts and Law in 1980, joined the firm in 1981 and was admitted as a partner in 1986.
For many years, her field of expertise has also included maritime, mining and native title law. She has acted for both Aboriginal land owners and mining companies in extensive negotiations regarding compensation agreements.
She has developed an extensive practice in general administrative law and also in the Local Government area.
This experience extends to the development and implementation of by-laws, administrative procedures, permit and licensing arrangements and extensive liaison between Government Departments and clients.
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Renee Sapelli - AssociateRenee graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from James Cook University in 2004 and joined the firm in February 2004.
She completed her articles on 7 July 2006 and was admitted to the Supreme Court on 16 August 2006. She is also admitted in the High Court.
Renee continues to work with the firm as an Associate and is responsible for supervising the firm’s Conveyancing Department.
Renee is also a Registered Migration Agent and has held her registration for the past 4 years. Renee is based in Cairns, on Tuesdays and Thursdays she works in our Atherton office whilst still maintaining her Cairns client base.
Renee is interested in a wide variety of legal issues, including commercial law and general disputes and has a particular interest in immigration law.
Click to read >> Cairns Post article - 17 April 2009
Greg Choat - Associate
Greg graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology and Social Policy) in 2002 and Laws in 2007.
Greg spent four years as a law clerk in a specialist personal injury law firm in Sydney before joining Bottoms English to practice in family law.
Having had a good grounding in personal injury law and litigation, Greg now also has a significant personal injury and general litigation practice, along with his family law practice.
He is a keen traveller and adventurer, the having paddled a sea kayak solo from Cairns to the north eastern coast of Papua New Guinea. Greg is married with two young daughters.
In 1921, Mr Kezilas Snr - who had previously come to Australia and obtained employment as a shipwright with the Cairns Harbour Board - returned to Megisti, the Greek island of his birth, married Mrs Kezilas and returned with her to Cairns. In 1924 Mr Kezilas built a home for his family at 63 Mulgrave Road, where their children were born and where the family lived. Mr Jim Kezilas, a local builder, was one of the children born in the house. After the deaths of Mr and Mrs Kezilas, the property was sold in 1984 and subsequent owners added to the house to make it into office premises. The property was purchased by the current owners, John Bottoms and Anne English, in August 2007 for use as business premises for their law firm, Bottoms English Lawyers. John and Anne have decided to name the premises "Megisti House" to maintain the link between themselves and the original owners of the property.