Ern Phang
Encyclopedia
Ern Phang is an Australian solicitor
, notary public
and community advocate. He is the solicitor director of Phang Legal, a law firm in Parramatta, New South Wales
, Australia.
In 2010, Phang received the Law Society President's Award for his pro bono
work with Law Society of New South Wales
Pro Bono Scheme.
in New South Wales (Australia) in 1998 and in Victoria (Australia)
in 1999. He was registered with the High Court of Australia
in 1999 and became a notary public
in 2005.
, Society of Notaries of NSW, Australian Institute of Company Directors
, Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries, and Business Network International
(BNI).
In March 2010, Phang was featured in an article in the Law Society Journal entitled "Staying Ahead of the Game with Online Social Networking", which discussed his use of social media
as a business tool. According to the article, Phang blogs and writes articles on several sites and has a visible presence on social networking sites in order to attract more people to his website and establish awareness of his firm’s name.
. The firm’s clients are generally individuals, small businesses and companies, and non-profit organizations located within the Sydney
metropolitan area, or other parts of Australia
.
's (PCC) Pro Bono legal panel for its "Parramatta Social Enterprises Hub" project. The project aimed to support social enterprises in the local area through legal services. He was introduced as one of the project’s panel members, together with Blake Dawson
, Henry Davis York, Sparke Helmore, at the Arts Law Centre, during its 3 years celebration event on 23 June 2010. With Phang’s involvement, the project has provided mentoring and business support to a range of social enterprises, including a number that received seed-funding via Community Grants program.
the host of Legal Matters on Sydney radio station 2UE
program on the subject of winning the Law Society President's Award, pro bono legal services, and involvement with Law Week. During the interview, Phang stated that 'there was so much need in the community' and that this was his 'opportunity to give back' to the community which had supported him and his family.
for other companies.
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, notary public
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
and community advocate. He is the solicitor director of Phang Legal, a law firm in Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, Australia.
In 2010, Phang received the Law Society President's Award for his pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
work with Law Society of New South Wales
Law Society of New South Wales
The Law Society of New South Wales is a professional association for solicitors in Australia. The Society has statutory powers and regulates the practice of law in New South Wales. The Society reported a membership of 21,000 members as of October 2010....
Pro Bono Scheme.
Education
In 1998, Phang graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Technology Sydney and Master of Laws degree from the same university in 2000. He was admitted as a legal practitionerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in New South Wales (Australia) in 1998 and in Victoria (Australia)
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1999. He was registered with the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
in 1999 and became a notary public
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
in 2005.
Career
Phang is a volunteer director and office holder of not-for-profit organizations such as Western Housing for Youth Limited, Quality Improvement Council Limited, and International Christian Aid Relief Enterprises Limited. He also has professional memberships with the Law Society of New South WalesLaw Society of New South Wales
The Law Society of New South Wales is a professional association for solicitors in Australia. The Society has statutory powers and regulates the practice of law in New South Wales. The Society reported a membership of 21,000 members as of October 2010....
, Society of Notaries of NSW, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is Australia's leading membership body for directors in Australia and the leading Australian not-for-profit corporate governance organisation....
, Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries, and Business Network International
Business Network International
BNI is a company which claims to be "the world's largest referral organization". The company was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner "for the primary purpose of building powerful referral networks".-Chapter Format:...
(BNI).
In March 2010, Phang was featured in an article in the Law Society Journal entitled "Staying Ahead of the Game with Online Social Networking", which discussed his use of social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
as a business tool. According to the article, Phang blogs and writes articles on several sites and has a visible presence on social networking sites in order to attract more people to his website and establish awareness of his firm’s name.
Phang Legal
Phang established his own law firm, Phang Legal, in 2002. It is a boutique law firm based in the Parramatta, New South WalesParramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. The firm’s clients are generally individuals, small businesses and companies, and non-profit organizations located within the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
metropolitan area, or other parts of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Pro Bono legal panel
In July 2010, Phang joined a number of other Sydney law firms and the National Pro Bono Resources Centre as part of the Parramatta City CouncilCity of Parramatta
The City of Parramatta is a Local Government Area in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.Initially in 1861 it was formed as Municipality of Parramatta...
's (PCC) Pro Bono legal panel for its "Parramatta Social Enterprises Hub" project. The project aimed to support social enterprises in the local area through legal services. He was introduced as one of the project’s panel members, together with Blake Dawson
Blake Dawson
Blake Dawson is a commercial law firm that operates in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia it is considered one of the "Big Six" law firms.Blake Dawson was previously known as Blake Dawson Waldron or BDW...
, Henry Davis York, Sparke Helmore, at the Arts Law Centre, during its 3 years celebration event on 23 June 2010. With Phang’s involvement, the project has provided mentoring and business support to a range of social enterprises, including a number that received seed-funding via Community Grants program.
Law Society President's Award
In December 2010, Phang was featured in an article in the Law Society Journal entitled "Pro bono is on the agenda from outset" for receiving the Law Society President's Award as part of the 2010 Justice Awards. According to the article, Phang has a passion to contribute to the community. Phang was previously a nominee for the Law Society President's Award in 2009. On 8 May 2011, Phang was interviewed by Tim ShawTim Shaw
Tim Shaw may refer to:* Tim Shaw , British radio personality* Tim Shaw , American football player* Tim Shaw , Australian after dinner speaker and television personality...
the host of Legal Matters on Sydney radio station 2UE
2UE
2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...
program on the subject of winning the Law Society President's Award, pro bono legal services, and involvement with Law Week. During the interview, Phang stated that 'there was so much need in the community' and that this was his 'opportunity to give back' to the community which had supported him and his family.
2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award
In November 2010, Phang was named the 2010 Sydney Mid-West Volunteer of the Year outstanding contribution to the community during a ceremony held in Parramatta on Wednesday, 17 November 2010. The Centre for Volunteering recognised Phang for his work with the Western Housing for Youth organisation, with which he has been involved for the past four years. He has devoted his time to improving the lives of young homeless people by ensuring a strong, supportive and safe service is available with Western Housing for Youth. Phang received a $300 donation towards Western Housing for Youth to help it continue the outstanding work that it currently performs. Award Manager, Kristin Romanis, who announced Phang's winning, stated: "Parramatta's nominees were of an exceptional standard but the judges felt that Ern's tireless dedication to volunteering with Western Housing for Youth was a standout."Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program
Phang is a featured participant in the "Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program" from the New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW). His involvement was featured as a case studyCase study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
for other companies.
Awards
- 2010 Sydney Mid-West Volunteer of the Year Award for "his work with the Western Housing for Youth organisation"
- 2010 Law Society of New South WalesLaw Society of New South WalesThe Law Society of New South Wales is a professional association for solicitors in Australia. The Society has statutory powers and regulates the practice of law in New South Wales. The Society reported a membership of 21,000 members as of October 2010....
President's Award for "outstanding commitment to pro bono work"