Meet Macmillan.

The 'go-to' guys

We know how hard it can be for client's to find a lawyer that is able to assist them with their particular legal needs - let alone find a lawyer they actually want to speak with, meet with and work with. Macmillan Lawyers and Advisors was established to solve that problem. To bring together a team of lawyers and advisors that are not only experienced in their field, but also likeable, down-to-earth and have one common goal - to ensure you and your business are protected.

kyle

Kyle Macmillan

Principal

Kyle is known for his expertise in navigating complex litigation, insolvency matters, and high-stakes commercial disputes. His career includes senior roles with some of Brisbane’s most respected boutique firms, and he was instrumental in establishing the Queensland Insolvency division for one of the nation’s largest law firms. This depth of experience has made Kyle an invaluable asset for clients seeking confident, down-to-earth, and commercially focused legal advice.

Named a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 awards (2020) for Insolvency, Kyle was recognised for his dedication to supporting small businesses through financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. This honour highlighted his commitment to clients, underscoring his role as a trusted ally for business owners facing financial and operational challenges.

Kyle’s legal skill set is extensive, encompassing complex dispute resolution, corporate insolvency, commercial litigation, and bankruptcy matters. He is particularly known for his strategic approach to insolvency cases, where he often works with distressed companies to navigate the intricacies of liquidation and creditor negotiation.

With the introduction of the Small Business Restructuring (SBR) regime, Kyle has become an advisor of choice for small businesses seeking practical solutions under this new legal framework. The SBR regime, introduced in 2021 to assist financially distressed small businesses, is complex, but Kyle’s clear and concise guidance helps clients understand and utilise this pathway effectively. His extensive knowledge of the SBR’s requirements and benefits allows him to develop tailored strategies that support his clients’ immediate needs while positioning them for future recovery.

Clients often refer to Kyle as the ‘go-to’ advisor, not only for his technical acumen but also for his approachable and personable style. Kyle values relationships as the foundation of successful advocacy, and his responsiveness and straightforward approach have built him a reputation as one of the most trusted and accessible figures in the business and legal communities.

As Principal, Kyle is dedicated to leading his team and clients to success, fostering a culture where client outcomes and professionalism are paramount. Backed by a committed team, he consistently raises the standard in commercial law, delivering a client experience that is as effective as it is seamless.

Practice areas

  • Commercial Law 
  • Debt Recovery 
  • Litigation 
  • Bankruptcy + Insolvency 

Qualifications & professional admissions

  • Bachelor of Laws, Bond University 
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Bond University 
  • Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland 
  • Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia 

Sam Marsh

Special Counsel

Sam Marsh is a seasoned Special Counsel with a distinguished reputation for achieving impactful commercial outcomes for his clients. With extensive experience across all Queensland Courts, Tribunals, and the Federal Court, Sam is skilled in the litigation, mediation, and negotiation of complex commercial disputes. His areas of expertise include caveats, directors’ liabilities, strata litigation, and insolvency matters, where he brings a strategic, solutions-driven approach.

Sam holds an LL.B with Honours from the University of Exeter, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law in Queensland, and an Advanced Certificate in Insolvency from ARITA. His academic rigour, reflected in published articles on insolvency law and directors’ liabilities, enhances his ability to deliver informed, tailored strategies for clients facing challenging legal issues. Sam’s commitment to both practical and commercial solutions ensures his clients receive comprehensive and effective legal support.

sam

Practice areas

  • Commercial Law
  • Litigation
  • Bankruptcy
  • Corporate insolvency
  • Strata litigation
  • Caveats
  • Directors liabilities
  • Personal guarantees
  • Cross-border insolvency and judgement enforcement

Qualifications & professional admissions

  • Honours Law Degree (LL.B Hons) from the University of Exeter, UK
  • Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law Qld
  • Advanced Certificate in Insolvency from ARITA
  • Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Qld
  • Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia
tom pils

Tom Pils

Senior Associate

Tom has been practising in the areas of commercial law and dispute resolution for over 10 years. He advises on the entire business life cycle, from incorporation and shareholders’ agreements, through to contract drafting and review, to restructuring, protecting IP, debt recovery, and the sale and purchase of businesses. In relation to his disputes practice, he has represented clients in various commercial disputes in both mediation, and in litigation in the Local, District, Supreme, and Federal Courts of NSW and QLD.

With a double degree in Commerce-Accounting and a Bachelor of Laws, and being a company director himself, Tom understands the drivers that underlie business success. With this in mind, he provides practical and actionable legal advice to advance his client's goals in consideration of their strategic objectives.

Tom also specialises in the area of drone law. He has acted for drone pilots, manufacturers, software providers, and just about every other party relevant to drone operations. The advice has ranged from advising on complex drone operations, and liability issues, to representing drone operators in Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) investigations.

He has been invited to take part in various Government drone-related working groups including those conducted by CASA, and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Tom has also written for Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis; he has also written Australia’s first commercially focused handbook for drone operators - The Drone Pilot’s Legal Handbook. Tom is active in educating pilots on drone regulation which he does across various platforms, including conferences, podcasts, and at seminars for Continuing Professional Development credits for law and other disciplines.

Tom’s mission is to educate, empower, and advise his clients on the legal aspects of their commercial operations. He and the Macmillan team are: the lawyers in your corner of the sky.®

Practice areas

  • Commercial Law 
  • Intellectual property and Trademarks
  • Debt Recovery
  • Drone Law

Qualifications & professional admissions

  • Bachelor of Laws, Macquarie University
  • Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting, Macquarie University
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law NSW
  • Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW
  • Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia 

Hayley Feakes

Solicitor

Hayley is a dedicated lawyer who is passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals and provides practical and effective solutions to a broad range of disputes.

With a double degree in Law (Honours) and Psychology, Hayley brings a unique perspective to legal challenges and believes in the importance of building strong client relationships. Hayley works diligently to understand each client's unique needs and objectives and ensures her strategy aligns with those desired objectives, keeping her client fully informed every step of the way.

Before joining the Macmillan team, Hayley honed her skills at a general practice law firm, gaining comprehensive experience across various fields including, but not limited to, commercial, property, business, and corporate matters. This diverse legal background equips her to approach complex legal issues from a well-rounded viewpoint, ensuring tailored solutions through the provision of strategic advice in various transactions and disputes, while also considering insolvency matters to help businesses manage financial difficulties.

hayley feakes

Practice areas

  • Commercial Law
  • Property Law
  • Debt Recovery
  • Bankruptcy + Insolvency

Qualifications & professional admissions

  • Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Queensland University of Technology
  • Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology), Queensland University of Technology
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law
  • Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
aaron whittenbury

Aaron Whittenbury

Law Clerk

Aaron is a penultimate-year Bachelor of Laws student at Bond University, specialising in Corporate and Commercial Law. Since joining our firm in January 2024, he has become an integral part of our team, assisting our solicitors in a range of insolvency and commercial matters with diligence and enthusiasm. Often the first friendly face clients encounter, Aaron plays a pivotal role in guiding clients through the onboarding process, assisting with document compilation, and ensuring a seamless client experience.

Working alongside our solicitors, Aaron prepares cases for counsel briefs and supports each stage of client matters from start to finish. Known for his academic excellence, he maintains a distinction average and has been recognised with multiple first-in-class awards, underscoring his commitment to both theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Aaron began his legal studies with a Diploma of Legal Studies at Bond University, and he continues to expand his expertise through advanced coursework, including the Insolvency Law and Practice subject, allowing him to stay up-to-date with recent developments in the field.

Outside his work with the firm, Aaron is an active member of the Queensland Young Lawyers Association and the Queensland Environmental Law Association (QELA), reflecting his dedication to professional growth and community involvement within the legal industry.

Qualifications & professional admissions

  • Diploma of Legal Studies, Bond University
  • Currently completing Bachelor of Laws, Bond University

Supported by our consultants.

Debbie

Debt Recovery Consultant

If you have done the work, Debbie will work to get you paid.

With more than 18 years’ experience in the debt collection and legal industry, Debbie draws on her knowledge of the law and legal processes to recover even the most difficult of debts.

Debbie’s difference is that she works with her clients to understand their business and how they operate, provide guidance on how her clients can better position themselves to minimise future delinquent debtors and then maps out the best way to recover the debt, having regard to time and cost restraints.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Debbie prides herself on coming up with a creative and aggressive solution to help her client’s collect their debts.

If Debbie is unable to recover the debt, then she works alongside our experienced litigation lawyers to escalate the dispute through the Courts, obtain judgments and enforce those judgements through various post-judgment collection techniques or by utilising the bankruptcy and corporate insolvency regimes.

Giuseppe

Intellectual Property & Entertainment Lawyer

Giuseppe is an intellectual property and entertainment lawyer.

Known for his outstanding track record of success in negotiation, litigation, extracting clients from disputes on favourable terms and protecting their intellectual property rights in contested matters. Strategic, decisive and timely advice and advocacy are the hallmarks of his approach.

Giuseppe is also a leading entertainment lawyer, having acted for a number of notable national and international artists and worked alongside producers on a number of film projects in Australia and overseas.

His down-to-earth and fun-loving nature, coupled with his experience in the industry allows Giuseppe to build rapport with his clients while identifying and implementing creative legal solutions to the problems they face. He is a lawyer that leading local talent and entertainment companies turn to for intelligent and strategic representation and advice to navigate their most complex issues.

Nicole

Commercial, Property & Corporate Lawyer

Admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2011, Nicole has over 10 years’ experience in these areas and applies her knowledge to service her clients’ needs efficiently and in the most cost-effective manner.

Nicole is based in Cleveland and has established a solid client base across greater Brisbane and the Gold Coast as well as interstate in New South Wales and Victoria.

Nicole has acted for large and small companies as well as individual clients throughout where she has been involved in large scale transactions, take overs, mergers and business sales. Nicole deals with the legal and commercial risks and benefits and assists her client’s make the relevant enquiries and seek key information before proceeding with the transaction.

Nicole is results driven and prides herself on achieving outcomes for her clients in a time and cost-efficient manner while providing them with certainty through open and honest communication as the matter progresses.

Her down to earth, straight to the point professional approach ensures clients will experience the highest level of customer service, satisfaction and professional advice and representation that they require.

No matter how complex the transaction or agreement, Nicole is able to help.

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Doing things differently.