Partners Chris Ketsakidis and Michael Coleman established Ketsa Coleman in 2023 in Melbourne, Australia after many years in senior roles with top tier law firms and corporations.

Michael Coleman

Michael Coleman established his firm Box Forest Legal in 2019, and Ketsa Coleman developed out of that practice.  Prior to 2019 Michael and Chris were both partners for several years in the Corporate team at national top-tier firm Mills Oakley.

Michael’s clients in private practice have included:

  • Telstra, Optus, Activ8me and a wide range of telecoms and IT businesses;
  • Energy companies including Ausnet, PowerCor, Elecnor, Legacy and Origin;
  • E-commerce and software platforms such as Fiduciary Financial, Evitat, Aeyons, BOOMPower,
  • Engineering and technology firms including iMotiv, Advance Steel Manufacturing, ElectroTrek, Phonecycle and Sonohaler;
  • Professional service firms in sectors including medical, accounting, financial advisory, insurance and real estate; and
  • Founders, staff, investors, directors and financiers working in these sectors.

For 13 years Michael worked at Telstra as a senior lawyer, heading up the Wholesale legal team then the Business legal team, and sitting on the senior management teams of those business units.  He worked on global and local deals with the likes of NBN Co, Optus, Infosys, Cisco, Ericsson and Microsoft, and specialised in competition and consumer law, privacy and data, IP licensing and software, and complex contracts.

Michael has business interests alongside his legal practice, and has a strong interest in conservation finance, sustainability and decarbonisation.  He is a director or adviser for a number of early stage companies.  These endeavours include – electrification of motor vehicles; large-scale land management for conservation; regenerative agriculture finance; energy-efficient renovations; energy efficiency software; super-efficient heating and cooling systems; and heavy engineering for the construction sector.

Chris Ketsakidis

Chris Ketsakidis is an experienced lawyer practising in Corporate and Commercial Law, and Tax Law predominantly in the financial services and superannuation industries.
His clients include public offer superannuation funds, industry funds, corporate funds, pooled superannuation trusts, responsible entities and administrators.

Chris was admitted to practice in 1993 and has been a partner in national law firms for over 20 years.

Chris is a regular speaker at seminars and was a contributing author on superannuation to the Thompson ATP Australian Tax Handbook. He is the author of numerous articles published by professional journals on tax-related issues affecting superannuation.

Chris is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, and has previoulsy been a member of ASFA’s Member Engagement and Advice sub-committee and Legal Regulatory and Compliance sub-committee, the former AIST’s Governance Working Group.

Practice Focus/Experience

In addition to compliance and regulatory matters, including FSR, Chris acts for trustees in matters concerning:

  • Fund transfers and mergers
  • Structuring and implementation of fund investments and transactions
  • Member communications
  • Taxation
  • Governing rules and Trust Law
  • Disputes including Regulator
  • Investigations (ASIC, APRA and ATO) and Royal Commissions

He also advises stakeholders on the prudential, commercial and taxation issues affecting worker entitlement funds, such as redundancy and portable leave schemes.

Representative Legal Matters/ Experience

Litigation Highlights

  • ElecNet (Aust) Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2016] HCA 51
  • Marshall v Emergency Services Superannuation Board & Anor (No 2) [2022] VSC 122
  • Re Ansett Australia Flight Engineers Superannuation Plan [2004] VSC 18
  • Ansett Australia Ground Staff Superannuation Plan Pty Ltd v Ansett Australia Ltd [2002] VSC 576