We’re incredibly proud to share that Kayla Nielsen has been promoted to Senior Associate and Associate Director at Conditsis Lawyers, recognising her exceptional progression, leadership and contribution to our Criminal Law practice.
Kayla, who leads our Newcastle Criminal Law team, has achieved this double promotion after just four years with the firm and approximately three and a half years post-admission.
Her progression is something we are especially proud of because it reflects not only Kayla’s talent and determination, but also the kind of supportive, values-driven culture we work hard to foster across our firm.
Drawn to our ethos and values-driven approach to justice, Kayla took the initiative to hand-deliver her resume to Conditsis Lawyers while completing her final year of university and working in another legal role. That proactive step led to an opportunity in our Newcastle office, where she joined us in July 2022 as a law clerk and receptionist while also supporting both criminal law and family law matters.
After completing her law degree with First Class Honours at the University of Newcastle, Kayla was admitted as a solicitor in early 2023 and quickly fulfilled her long-held ambition of becoming a criminal law lawyer.
Since then, her career has progressed rapidly. She has gone from law clerk and receptionist to solicitor, Associate Solicitor, Newcastle Criminal Law Team Leader and now Senior Associate and Associate Director.
For Kayla, the promotion is deeply meaningful.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity, the confidence and the trust the firm has placed in me,” she said. “What is especially meaningful is that I started with the firm in a support role and have been able to progress within the one firm in this way.”
Today, Kayla appears regularly in the Local Court and District Court across a broad range of criminal matters. She also works closely with our trial advocates in serious District Court trials and sentence proceedings, contributing to trial preparation, forensic decision-making and case strategy.
Kayla credits much of her development in serious trial preparation to the mentorship of Managing Director and Senior Trial Advocate, Manny Conditsis, with whom she has worked closely on a number of complex criminal trials.
“Manny has invested a great deal of time mentoring me and teaching me how to prepare for and manage complex matters,” Kayla said. “He has taught me the skills I need, and I have worked hard to put them into practice.”
Manny describes Kayla as an exceptional talent with rare judgment and anticipation in complex criminal matters.
“In trial preparation, she is often thinking ahead, anticipating what is required to be done, and utilises her excellent intuition,” he said. “Her preparation, discernment and intuition is invaluable. She has a rare gifting, and I have no doubt she will develop into an extremely capable trial advocate in her own right. Kayla also impresses as being highly principled with her heart in the right place, and we are very lucky to have her.”
Director Michal Mantaj said Kayla’s promotion reflects the firm’s commitment to recognising merit, not simply years of experience.
“Kayla has taken to the law exceptionally well and has achieved a great deal in what is, by any measure, a relatively short period of time,” Michal said. “She is highly intelligent, organised and analytical, and she has led the Newcastle Criminal Law team with distinction.”
Kayla’s achievements have also been recognised beyond the firm. She was named a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards for Criminal Law in both 2024 and 2025, a finalist in the 2025 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards Rising Star category and has been recognised as a 2026 Criminal Law Rising Star in Doyle’s Guide.
As Newcastle Criminal Law Team Leader, Kayla now supervises and mentors lawyers and law clerks and is focused on building a positive, supportive and non-competitive team culture.
Her contribution also extends beyond her day-to-day legal work. Kayla mentors work experience students and junior solicitors and has spoken to high school students about pathways into law, including through a recent presentation to Central Coast Adventist School students.
“When you are in high school, it can be hard to know what direction to take,” Kayla said. “If I can give students some guidance and help someone develop an interest in law, that is really rewarding.”
For anyone starting in an administrative or support role and hoping to build a legal career, Kayla’s advice is simple: stay committed, have a strong work ethic and make sure the passion is there.
“It takes hard work and dedication, but if you are passionate about what you do, everything comes a little easier.”
Looking ahead, Kayla is focused on continuing to grow as a leader, developing her management skills and working towards becoming an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law when eligible.
We are incredibly proud of Kayla’s progression and this well-deserved promotion. Her story is a wonderful example of what can happen when talent, hard work, mentorship and opportunity come together, and we look forward to seeing everything she achieves in this next chapter.
