Ern Phang

Education

In 1998, Phang graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Technology Sydney and Master of Laws degree from the same university in 2000. He was admitted as a legal practitioner in New South Wales (Australia) in 1998 and in Victoria (Australia) in 1999. He was registered with the High Court of Australia in 1999 and became a notary public in 2005.

Career

Phang is a volunteer director and office holder of not-for-profit organizations such as Western Housing for Youth Limited, Quality Improvement Council Limited, and International Christian Aid Relief Enterprises Limited. He also has professional memberships with the Law Society of New South Wales, Society of Notaries of NSW, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries, and Business Network International (BNI).

In March 2010, Phang was featured in an article in the Law Society Journal entitled "Staying Ahead of the Game with Online Social Networking", which discussed his use of social media as a business tool. According to the article, Phang blogs and writes articles on several sites and has a visible presence on social networking sites in order to attract more people to his website and establish awareness of his firm’s name.

Phang Legal

Phang established his own law firm, Phang Legal, in 2002. It is a boutique law firm based in the Parramatta, New South Wales. The firm’s clients are generally individuals, small businesses and companies, and non-profit organizations located within the Sydney metropolitan area, or other parts of Australia.

Community Involvement

Phang is active with community legal aid and pro bono legal work.

Pro Bono legal panel

In July 2010, Phang joined a number of other Sydney law firms and the National Pro Bono Resources Centre as part of the Parramatta City Council's (PCC) Pro Bono legal panel for its "Parramatta Social Enterprises Hub" project. The project aimed to support social enterprises in the local area through legal services. He was introduced as one of the project’s panel members, together with Blake Dawson, Henry Davis York, Sparke Helmore, at the Arts Law Centre, during its 3 years celebration event on 23 June 2010. With Phang’s involvement, the project has provided mentoring and business support to a range of social enterprises, including a number that received seed-funding via Community Grants program.

Law Society President's Award

In December 2010, Phang was featured in an article in the Law Society Journal entitled "Pro bono is on the agenda from outset" for receiving the Law Society President's Award as part of the 2010 Justice Awards. According to the article, Phang has a passion to contribute to the community. Phang was previously a nominee for the Law Society President's Award in 2009. On 8 May 2011, Phang was interviewed by Tim Shaw the host of Legal Matters on Sydney radio station 2UE program on the subject of winning the Law Society President's Award, pro bono legal services, and involvement with Law Week. During the interview, Phang stated that 'there was so much need in the community' and that this was his 'opportunity to give back' to the community which had supported him and his family.

2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award

In November 2010, Phang was named the 2010 Sydney Mid-West Volunteer of the Year outstanding contribution to the community during a ceremony held in Parramatta on Wednesday, 17 November 2010. The Centre for Volunteering recognised Phang for his work with the Western Housing for Youth organisation, with which he has been involved for the past four years. He has devoted his time to improving the lives of young homeless people by ensuring a strong, supportive and safe service is available with Western Housing for Youth. Phang received a $300 donation towards Western Housing for Youth to help it continue the outstanding work that it currently performs. Award Manager, Kristin Romanis, who announced Phang's winning, stated: "Parramatta's nominees were of an exceptional standard but the judges felt that Ern's tireless dedication to volunteering with Western Housing for Youth was a standout."

Western Sydney Local Venues Council

On 2 March 2012, Phang was appointed by the NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation, Graham Annesley to the Western Sydney Local Venues Council. The Council’s purpose is to streamline the operations of government owned sporting and entertainment facilities in Western Sydney, which includes the Parramatta Stadium, and provide local expertise and input to Venues NSW, a NSW Government authority responsible for managing government owned sporting and entertainment venues in the Hunter, Western Sydney and Illawarra.

Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program

Phang is a featured participant in the "Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program" from the New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW). His involvement was featured as a case study for other companies.

Kochie's Business Builders

On 23 November 2014, Phang appeared as a guest expert on Episode 9, Kochie's Business Builders hosted by David Koch which aired on the Seven Network.

Australian Pro Bono Manual

Phang contributed to the writing of the third edition of the "The Australian Pro Bono Manual: A practice guide and resource kit for law firms" published by the Australian Pro Bono Centre. Chapter 1.16 titled "A Small Law Firm Perspective" draws on Phang's many years of experience in providing pro bono legal services to the community.

Awards