About Us

Experienced criminal defence lawyers

Your mates in the law

Mate Lawyers is a boutique firm of criminal defence lawyers. It’s all we do and we’ve been fighting for our clients since 2015. That’s why you can rely on us if you are facing charges or in trouble with the law.

You’ll work directly with our principal, Mickaela Mate to ensure you have one consistent person who thoroughly understands your case and will work hard to obtain the best outcomes for your particular situation.

You’ll find Mickaela is straight-talking, approachable, compassionate and empathetic. But when she is representing you in court, she is a fierce advocate for you.

This logo means you can feel confident

Mickaela Mate is an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law. This is the highest accreditation a criminal lawyer can obtain. In fact, it means Mickaela is one of the few solicitors in NSW who has undergone extensive additional training in criminal law and successfully passed stringent peer assessment.

As a result, Mickaela now has:

A deeper knowledge of criminal law
Proven her ability to understand complex materials and quickly interpret their application at law
An exceptional level of expertise in criminal law to help you get the best outcomes for your situation if you have been charged with a crime.

In addition, as an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, Mickaela Mate must undergo extensive, continuous education each year to maintain her accreditation.

To speak to an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, contact Mickaela Mate.

Mickaela Mate

Mickaela is an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law and the founder of Mate Lawyers. After graduating Newcastle University with First Class Honours, Mickaela worked in a boutique criminal defence firm located in Kings Cross. There, Mickaela had carriage of a wide variety of matters, from traffic matters to drug importation and murder.

In 2020, Mickaela started Mate Lawyers with a focus on providing the best result for each client. Mickaela takes an individualised approach, remembering that a criminal matter is likely to be the most stressful experience any of her clients experience in their life. Mickaela supports each client on their journey through the criminal justice system. Although she may be kind and empathetic to clients, Mickaela is known as strong advocate who fearlessly and fiercely represents each one of them. She is skilled at cross-examination, often receiving praise from the judicial officers on her approach to questioning. Mickaela has significant experience in a variety of criminal matters, including:

Sexual assault
Drug possession, supply and importation
Assaults, including domestic violence and assaults on police officers.
Weapons and Firearms offences, and prohibition orders
Robbery matters
Driving offences, including drink and drug driving
AVO matters
Fraud

Mickaela regularly appears in all jurisdictions of NSW. Mickaela predominantly practices in metropolitan Sydney, however has a strong practice in her home town of Newcastle.

Outside of the law, you’ll be likely to find Mickaela either at the beach or in the stockyards working cattle on the family farm.

Grace Abraham

Criminal Defence Lawyer

Grace has been intrigued with all things true crime since she was 14 – from podcasts and documentaries to books and real-life cases – so it's no surprise she found her way into criminal law. What started as an interest quickly became a passion, and she now loves the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of criminal defence work, where no two days or matters are ever the same.

Grace has worked on a wide range of criminal matters and enjoys being able to support and fight for clients through some of the most challenging periods of their lives. She was admitted as a solicitor in July and is continuing to build her career in criminal defence.

Outside the office, Grace starts every day with a large Red Bull Zero (strictly no coffee), enjoys reading and playing netball, and spends her weekends hunting down the best food and activities Sydney has to offer. Originally from Brisbane, she's always looking for new places and experiences to explore around Sydney.

Gabriella Protopsaltis

Junior Paralegal

Gabriella is an enthusiastic Junior Paralegal, studying Law at Macquarie University. She enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, across a diverse range of matters, enabling her to continually develop both her legal knowledge and passion for criminal law. Often describing herself to have an 'obsessive' mindset, Gabriella utilises her proactive and detail-oriented work ethic to handle each matter with care.

Her passion for criminal law is driven by her desire to help vulnerable people; she understands the immense significance of a legal matter within one's life and feels that criminal law is a fulfilling way to help make a positive impact in someone's life.

Gabriella loves to start her day with a vibrant green matcha and spends her free time either baking an over-the-top dessert or binge watching her favourite series of the week.

Lou Mitchell

Practice Support

Lou works behind the scenes to keep Mate Lawyers running smoothly. As Practice Support, she generally works afternoons and focuses on ensuring the practice systems, processes and precedents are organised, accessible and consistent.

Lou works closely with Mickaela to bring structure and clarity to the firm’s operations so that the team can focus on clients rather than hunting for documents or reinventing processes. She builds on the strong foundations already in place and is always looking for practical ways to make things simpler and more efficient.

Based in Country Victoria, Lou enjoys contributing to her local community through volunteer work. When she’s not working or travelling to Melbourne to see family, she unwinds with a bit of gaming and great food made with home grown ingredients.

We are meticulous when preparing your legal defence because it will help to avoid unnecessarily long and drawn-out legal proceedings. This will save you time and money.

You’ll also appreciate our eye for details that are easily overlooked but can make a huge difference in your defence outcomes. In particular, our ability to analyse the evidence against you could identify reasons to reduce the severity of your charges or possibly withdraw them completely.