Our Team

We are a dynamic team. We work together, to help you. People matter to us.

We each have different life experiences, passions, interests and strengths, and are united by the OSD Vision: To Help.

We want you to feel like we understand your needs and that we are walking alongside you. We want to obtain excellent outcomes for you. We want you to feel that we have treated you well and given you the best possible service in all that we do for you.

We try to steward all of our resources well so that we can keep legal fees for our clients to a minimum and give to the Townsville community where it is needed.

Ivan Baxter – Lawyer & Director

Ivan Baxter is the sole Director of O'Shea & Dyer Solicitors Pty Ltd. He is a true North Queenslander; born in Charters Towers, and schooled in Abergowrie. Ivan completed a law degree at Queensland University in Brisbane in 1989 and has been at OSD ever since. He became a partner in the business in 1995 and bought the business in 2013. He’s been a lawyer for nearly 30 years and is a true ‘general practitioner’.

Ivan is a great guy who is much loved by clients, the team he leads at OSD, his family and friends. He enjoys leading a busy law practice which is friendly and people focused. He is a kind and intelligent man who makes people feel safe, valued and supported regardless of their circumstances. He has a knack for putting people at ease and simplifying things. Nothing is too hard or too much trouble and he always takes the time to explain things in a real and honest way. Ivan is a guy who knows who he is and what his purpose is: to help people in Townsville by providing quality and affordable legal services. Ivan wants every person who comes to OSD to experience excellent care, service and results.

People usually need a lawyer a few times in their life.  Ivan takes pride in the fact that nearly all of our clients come to us for all the times they need a lawyer. OSD has been around since 1983 and we now help children of our older clients. Most people who come to OSD have been referred by a previous or existing client. Ivan has substantial experience in looking after the various legal needs people may have. He has almost 30 years experience working in all areas of General Practice. Ivan has a large capacity to look after many people. His experience and excellent team enables him to do this.

Ivan is married to Jo who helps to manage the business. They have two 'almost grown up' children. Ivan enjoys watching the Cowboys and catching up with family and friends. He swims a few laps at the Kokoda Pool most days and his love for coffee is a close second to his love for Burleigh Beach and the Sunshine Coast.

 Areas of Practice

• Personal Law
• Family Law
• Conveyancing
• Business and Commercial Law
• Wills and Estates
• Traffic & Criminal Law
• Litigation

Cathy Fon – Lawyer

Cathy Fon has been working as a lawyer since 2005. After a year as His Honour Justice Cullinane’s Associate (2003) Cathy completed her Articles, was Admitted and then commenced working as a lawyer on a part-time basis, while raising two children with her husband Peter.

Cathy is a true Townsville soul. She grew up in Rowes Bay, went to St Margaret Mary’s High School and after working for over a decade in Business Management at the ATO and for Qld Health, she enrolled at James Cook University to do her Law Degree. Cathy is teased in the halls of O’Shea & Dyer. She has a first-class honours degree… a rare and revered award - and the true hallmark of the conscientious ‘mature-aged’ student.

We know Cathy to be professional, clever and extremely organised. More than that, she is kind, insightful and committed to providing quality, affordable legal services for people in Townsville.

Cathy is a prolific reader; a wonderful cook and she offers a private travel agent service to her family that is second to none (she can organise a European vacation or a trip to Sydney with tickets to a show at the drop of a hat). If not at the airport, you might see Cathy out on her bike or walking the Strand. Cathy is married to Peter. They have two very busy high-school aged kids, Luka and Helena, who love sport, music, chess and all things Harry Potter!

Shelleigh Naessens – Paralegal

Shelleigh has been part of the OSD team since 1998 and has decades of experience working as a legal secretary. She is a highly experienced para-legal in the area of compensation, personal injury law and litigation.  Shelleigh is a calm and capable presence amidst the busyness of the office. She has a genuine desire to help people and cares sincerely about people. She has an almost ‘photographic memory’ which is an incredible gift we take advantage of all the time. Ivan and Shelleigh work together to oversee litigation at OSD. They take good care of our clients who have any type of injury/compensation claim or claim against an insurer. They are a ‘dynamic duo’ who deliver excellent care, service and results.

Shelleigh is a North Queensland girl. She grew up in the Burdekin and settled in Townsville many years ago with her husband Eric. Shelleigh, Eric and their son Jasper enjoy watching movies together and spending time at their beach hut at Cape Upstart. Shelleigh is an avid researcher and has an extensive knowledge of alternative health therapies. She is a great cook and enjoys experimenting with her thermomix. She also enjoys dressing up for race days and parties with her girlfriends.

Robyn Mullins – Legal Secretary and Accounts Manager

Rob has worked in law firms for over thirty years and has been part of the OSD team since 1998. She genuinely loves helping people and is a fantastic legal secretary, Accounts Manager and Conveyancer. She is highly competent and knows how to take the pressure and concerns that arise in any conveyance and solve things quietly and efficiently. We get jealous of Rob because she gets thankyou notes from clients all the time!

Rob enjoys cruising around Townville with her husband Trevor on their Can-Am Spyder. One day they are going to take a trip around Australia on it. In the meantime they enjoy trips to Crystal Creek and flying off to big cities to try out new restaurants and wines.

Rob is also a Justice of the Peace (Qualified).

Bridget Barrie – Legal Secretary

Bridget has been with OSD since 2015 and is underway with her part-time Bachelor of Law studies at QUT. Bridget works closely with the lawyers in our team to help you.

Bridget brings a wealth of experience and creativity to OSD. After completing a Bachelor of Journalism at JCU, she worked in journalism, real estate, hospitality, and has qualifications in business administration.

Bridget was born in Charters Towers, and while you can take the girl out of Charters Towers you can never take Charters Towers out of the girl... Bridget is the very best of all things good about an NQ country town. She has spent time travelling the world. And she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, scuba diving, playing the ukulele and fishing with her partner David.

Joanne Roebuck - Office Manager

Jo has been with OSD for many years and works behind the scenes, overseeing office systems and finances. She is married to Ivan and shares his vision to help people by providing quality and affordable legal services to people in Townsville and to make a difference in the community. Jo wants every person who comes to OSD to experience excellent care, service and results.

Jo grew up in Townsville. She completed a law degree at QUT in Brisbane and then moved back to Townsville. She spent a short time practicing as a lawyer and then taught in the law school at JCU for over a decade while she completed some further study. She then renovated property for a while, and when Ivan bought the practice in 2013, she commenced in earnest, as the office manager at OSD.

Ivan and Jo have two teenage kids, Alexandra and Harrison. Alex is studying at UQ in Brisbane and is the 'unofficial' OSD 'blog writer'. Harry is busy at school, playing soccer and his guitar. Jo loves all things family whether that be slobbing on the couch watching a movie together, a nice dinner, beach holidays, travelling, or listening to Alex and Harry sing and play their guitars. She also loves reading, dinners with friends, rearranging furniture and walking or slow-jogging along the Ross River.