Our People
Grant Renkema LLB
Principal
Alphastream Lawyers’ principal solicitor Grant Renkema would much prefer to be either camping & four-wheel driving in the Victorian high country or, most recently, riding in the drops along Beach Road. He (grudgingly) makes the sacrifice to be front and centre at the office where his 25+ years of commercial, property, litigation and general legal knowledge and experience are second to none.
Sarah Verstak LLB
An experienced practitioner of over 20 years, Sarah Verstak’s corporate and senior commercial law background is greatly appreciated at Alphastream. Sarah brings experience at the highest level in trademark and copyright law, contract law and commercial litigation. An author with a passion for travel, Sarah recently cleverly combined both interests by writing a children’s adventure novel.
Rachel Renkema BA LLB
A key member of the Alphastream band (sorry, team), Rachel Renkema’s professional talents are multifaceted. Not only has she developed a proficient practice in property law, wills and estates over 10 years in the law as an experienced legal practitioner, but she is also a highly-accomplished pianist of note. If only we could fit a baby grand in the office. While we continue to rehearse (sorry, live in hope), Rachel applies her considerable talents for the benefit of all our probate and estate administration clients.
Richard Ryan LLB
Still young enough to nominate for the draft, while he still waits for that elusive AFL call up, Richard has resolved to bide his time by carving out a career as a family law and litigation lawyer. Richard approaches being a lawyer in the same way as he likes to play his football – he’s not a flashy half forward – but rather a calm, measured and tenacious utility who always surprises by playing taller than his size. Richard also has passion for travel and camping and like, all talented sportspeople, doesn’t mind a hit of golf. As the rising star of Alphastream’s footy tipping competition, Richard is looking forward to also achieving excellent outcomes for our clients.
Anna Orsulic
Introducing our front-of-house star Anna Orsulic. With over 16 years in the legal profession up her polished sleeve, Anna brings a wealth of knowledge and commitment to providing service and support to clients and staff alike. Our reception and administration are in safe hands with Anna. Anna is also an active member of the firm’s chocoholic co-hort. When freed from the shackles of reception, Anna enjoys country drives, camping and going home to the farm to mend fences and chase rogue goats (talents that might also come in handy during work hours…).
Kerrie Fisher – Licensed Conveyancer
Kerrie’s thirty years of practice in the conveyancing arena ensures her clients are offered a wealth of knowledge, experience and support. She first stepped foot in a legal office at the tender age of 16 years and had set up her own conveyancing business by the age of just 25. When not supporting clients with their property purchases during the week, Kerrie (mostly cheerfully) runs a personal Uber service for her high-achieving sporting children at the weekends and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
Connie Liu – Licensed Conveyancer
Connie is our resident NAATI accredited Chinese interpreter and knowledgeable conveyancer with over 10 years of experience. While she thrives on seeing her client’s excitement upon settlement of their property, she thoroughly enjoys travel even if just for a day. When not traveling or assisting clients you will likely find Connie using her green thumb in her garden.
Kari Presant BA (Psychology); BA (Social Work)
Hailing from the Californian sunshine by birth, Kari Presant is an important addition to our Alphastream team. Taking on the onerous task of managing marketing and staff matters, it is generally suspected (by the staff) that Kari draws extensively on her psychology and social work degrees in her day to day role. While a Melbourne local since 2005, Kari has never quite shaken her American accent or love for the beach, with her family’s favourite local haunt being Phillip island.
Rebecka Schenker (Becky)
Our roller-skating queen, Becky is studying fourth-year law at Deakin University and assists in the office two days per week. Another traveller, Becky’s bucket list includes touring each of the seven continents and we are reliably informed she’s already half-way there with three down and four to go. She has even seen Shakepeare’s old stomping ground The Globe Theatre, lucky duck. Becky enjoys identifying the key argument in a legal matter (an extremely useful skill in this profession) and critiquing the relationship between the law and society. A life-long roller-skater thanks to her family’s involvement, Becky now coaches skating and also loves the theatre, especially musicals.
Sarah Farmer
Introducing the office Foodie. Between completing her legal studies at uni and working for us, Sarah loves trying new food. She embarks on regular quests exploring different Melbourne burbs to discover hidden culinary delights. There is no type of food that Sarah is unwilling to try. To help fund her quests, Sarah has embarked on an administration role with us. Consistent with her passion for different foods – Sarah is the true office allrounder, as well as being a general wizz. You’ll most likely experience Sarah’s helpful assistance at some point in your dealings with us. When chatting to Sarah feel free to ask about her latest gastronomic recommendation.
Office cat or dog, or goat
If we had one, we could write about it here. Surely a goat is the most environmentally friendly option, excelling as it would in document shredding. This is a good option for a law firm. And if you like this idea, feel free to tell the boss. (After a number of years, he’s still waiting on a client to, at the end of our engagement, authorize the destruction of their documents via the goat).
