About this event
Your reputation is one of your most valuable assets. Whether it's trust from your members, your donors, or the wider community - once it's damaged, it is difficult to rebuild. But defamation risk cuts both ways: your organisation could be the target of harmful statements, or it could inadvertently expose itself to a claim through its own communications.
This session, delivered by MinterEllison in partnership with Justice Connect, is designed specifically for the not-for-profit sector. It uses real-world examples based on common questions from not-for-profits, so you’ll leave with practical tips you can use in your day-to-day work.
Here's what participants thought:
- "A topic that everyone knows too little about handled in a very practical and erudite manner!”
- “Presenters were very knowledgeable, and the webinar was a good introduction/overview of defamation”
- “The information was relevant, and the speakers provided practical advice and guidance as well as examples of the topics of discussion"
MinterEllison will cover:
- What is defamation?
- Who can sue?
- Key defences
- How to manage defamation risks in tricky situations, including:
- Community and member disputes – what can you do if someone is making allegations?
- Complaints – what can your board say, and who can you say it to?
- Social media – what should you be aware of when posting online, or managing comments on your pages?
- Employees and volunteers – what happens if someone posts something risky online?
- Media enquiries – how can you respond safely to the media?
You'll receive:
- 75 minutes of plain-language training from a lawyer
- Copy of webinar recording (accessible for 3 months) and slide handout
- Information on further resources and support
Who should attend:
CEOs, senior managers, communications staff, and Board members in not-for-profit organisations.
Presenters:
Dean Levitan - Partner - MinterEllison
Dean specialises in high-stakes litigation on behalf of Australian and international media publishers in complex matters including defamation, privacy and contempt of court. He also provides pre-publication advice to local and international publishers and broadcasters, and reputation-related risk management advice to government agencies, ASX companies, and prominent public figures. Dean is a Board Member of the Melbourne Press Club and a committee member of the Communications and Media Law Association.
Dean led the successful defence on behalf of Nine and its investigative journalists in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case from commencement in the Federal Court to the appeal to the High Court of Australia. He has led the defence of other media clients including Al Jazeera in defamation proceedings in the Federal Court and has advised Anthropic in relation to defamation matters arising from its AI assistant, Claude, and in relation to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Tess McGuire - Senior Associate - MinterEllison
Tess is an experienced media and defamation lawyer, working alongside Dean Levitan, who similarly advises on high-profile defamation litigation, and media law issues. She regularly provides pre-publication advice to local and international publishers and broadcasters, including The Age, Crikey, Capital Brief, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera.
Tess was a leading member of the team in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation proceedings. She previously served as Associate to Justice Murphy of the Federal Court of Australia and has lectured in Media Law at Melbourne Law School.
When
Thursday, 8 October 2026
VIC/NSW/QLD/ACT/TAS: 12:45pm - 2:00pm
SA/NT: 12:15pm - 1:30pm
WA: 10:45am - 12:00pm
Registrations close at 12:00pm AEST (VIC/NSW/QLD/ACT/TAS) on the day of the webinar.
Cost
Individual: $49 - $85
Group (up to 5 individuals from one organisation): $199
Can't attend live on the day?
That's ok! If you are registered, then you will receive the post-webinar email containing the recording, slide handout and other information and resources, so you can catch up whenever it suits you.
Where
Online via Zoom
You will receive a confirmation email once you have successfully registered. The Zoom link, meeting ID and passcode will be sent to you via email prior to the webinar. Occasionally the Zoom confirmation emails can be prevented by an organisational firewall. If you haven't received the Zoom link within 3-5 days of registering, please check your junk/spam folder, contact us on the email below, or troubleshoot further.
If you are having trouble registering, please get in touch at nfptraining@justiceconnect.org.au or call 03 8593 4799.