After celebrating more than 20 years as one of Canada’s top criminal defence lawyers, Cindy Wasser thought she was retiring in 2008 to become a mother to the first of her two daughters created with the help of an egg donor and surrogate. Driven by her difficult path to parenthood, she instead founded Hope Springs Fertility Law, to guide, protect and advocate for everyone building families with the help of donors and surrogates. She has since grown Hope Springs into a leading fertility law firm, providing legal advice and services to hundreds of intended parents, donors and surrogates from across Canada and around the world, year after year. With her background in criminal law, and personal experience with surrogacy and egg donation, Cindy occupies a uniquely revered position within the fertility law community. She regularly uses this influence to advocate for stronger rights and protections for intended parents, donors and surrogates within Canada, and has become well-known internationally as a respected leader in this complex and evolving area of law.

Dr. Bronwyn Devine is a gynaecologist and fertility specialist based in Sydney. Having graduated with an MBBS (Hons 1) from The University of Sydney, Bronwyn worked at Westmead Hospital and was admitted to the training program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She completed the final two years of her fellowship at RHW in Sydney and moved to Canberra with her young family to begin life as a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist. There she worked for Canberra Fertility Centre as Clinical Director and at ISIS Fertility. Bronwyn has completed a Masters of Reproductive Health (UNSW) and Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health (Sexual Health) (University of Melbourne). She is a professional affiliate of the Australian Chapter of Sexual Health Physicians of the Royal Australian College of Physicians.

Bronwyn’s other interests include Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Congenital Anomalies of the Female Reproductive Tract. She is passionate about improving access to ART services for members of the LGBTIQ community.

Dr. Librach is the Director of the CReATe Fertility Centre.  A graduate of University of Toronto, he completed undergrad, graduate and a specialty degree in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Dr. Librach went on to spend 3 years at the University of California in San Francisco becoming a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist. Since 1991 Dr. Librach has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Toronto. He is a Co-Director of the University of Toronto Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Clinic. He is the principal investigator in various clinical and embryology studies and researcher at Women’s College Hospital and University of Toronto. Dr. Librach has played an active role in presenting abstracts at various conferences and meetings. He is frequently interviewed for television, radio and print media.

Dr. Said Daneshmand is an internationally recognized Fertility specialist with extensive experience in complex IVF cases, as well as Egg Donor/Surrogacy Third party care.

Dr. Daneshmand serves on the board of several Surrogacy Advocacy groups. He has collaborated to develop in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols to improve pregnancy rates, including PTEC (post-thaw extended culture), which was one of the most successful IVF regimens that led to a surge in Frozen embryo transfers, as a means to maximize endometrial receptivity. These groundbreaking findings have been published in the internationally respected medical journal, Fertility and Sterility, where Dr. Daneshmand also served as a reviewer.

Dr. Daneshmand completed his fellowship and residency at UCLA. He is specialty board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and sub-specialty board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Eileen Pike Medical School Valedictorian Award, the PCRS Fellowship and Practicing Physician Research Award, and the ASRM STAR AWARD, awarded to a select group of research scientists who have presented their original research at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Conference for 10+ consecutive years. He has served as the President of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (Iota Chapter) and is a member of the DeCherney Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Dr. Daneshmand speaks French, Spanish and Farsi.

Intended parents have travelled from more than 40 countries in 2019 alone to seek his help in their journey to parenthood.  He was the Principal Investigator in the Multi-Center Global research trial of non-invasive PGT-A, the latest technique for assessing embryonic genetic health without the need for embryo biopsy.

Dr. Uliana Dorofeyeva started her professional career as coordinating first international cooperation in Ukraine based on import of sperm and export embryos which developed into numerous international partnerships and has become recognized worldwide. She studied me started her professional career as coordinating first international cooperation in Ukraine based on import of sperm and export embryos which developed into numerous international partnerships and has become recognized worldwide. She studied medicine in Lviv National Medical University and practiced in such countries as Ireland, Israel and Great Britain. Dr Uliana has over 12 years of experience in the IVF field, performed over 3000 treatment cycles for patients from 32 countries.

Emma Solly is a graduate of the University of Queensland, where she studied Biomedical Science. Following graduation, she worked in private pathology for seven years in London, UK, until her return to Australia in 2011. Since that time, Emma has been prominently involved in all aspects of service provision of the DNALabs laboratory, including administrative, operational and scientific components. Emma is the Administration Manager of DNALabs, a NATA-accredited DNA parentage testing reporter, and has an extensive and detailed knowledge base in the fields of relationship and parentage testing. Emma’s long-standing experience has seen her facilitate DNA testing for surrogacy cases internationally, including in Thailand, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Canada, USA, Ukraine and Georgia.

Kathryn is the co-owner and founder of The Fertility Agency. A parent through surrogacy herself, Kathryn understands just how much goes into the journey. heart-wrenching, & expensive Kathyrn wished she had met others who could have advised her. What was missing  was an agency that would look out equally for the best interests of the Intended Parents and the Gestational Surrogates. Agency for Surrogacy Solutions, Inc. was her response. Surrogacy and pregnancy are emotionally turbulent, and Kathryn hopes to make the experience as simple and as free of anxiety as possible for everyone involved.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available. 

Lauri’s daughter was born via surrogacy in May 2005. Eighteen months later, the same surrogate gave birth to Lauri’s son. Lauri has experienced the depression and heartache of infertility herself. Like Kathryn, she too, had a career in television before infertility consumed her life. She was a producer/director/writer. But to Lauri, there is nothing more rewarding and ultimately as important as bringing a child who is so very wanted into the world.

Rich combines his passion for family formation with 20 years of experience in business and technology law. He has been published in the American Journal of Family Law and the Australian Family Law Journal; he has lectured at numerous legal and family-building conferences around the U.S.;  and he has been featured as a fertility law expert on National Public Radio, Parenting Magazine Live, and other radio shows. He is also an experienced fitness instructor, triathlete, a former paramedic, and board member of a medical device company. Rich and his husband are the proud parents of twin boys, through egg donation and surrogacy.

In addition to his busy legal practice, Rich devotes numerous volunteer hours to advancing the field of ART law and is a dedicated advocate for LGBT intended parents and families. His community service includes chairing the American Bar Association (ABA) Family Law Section Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology from 2013-2018, which played a leading role in developing model legislation to assist states in regulating assisted reproductive technology medical providers and donor and surrogacy agencies and providing guidance on resolutions approved by the American Bar on cross-border parentage and surrogacy issues as well as citizenship for children born abroad via ART to U.S. citizen intended parents.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available during the event. To book please email Rich: rich@iflg.net

Richard and his partner Steven are fathers to twins born via US surrogacy in September 2012.  Richard has become an advocate helping prospective parents learn more about surrogacy.  In doing so he aims to help parents make informed decisions from the outset. Richard also helps US fertility clinics reach out to prospective parents in the UK. He has written a step-by-step guide to US surrogacy and has written on surrogacy for We Are Family Magazine.  He is also the author of www.guidetosurrogacy.com and is actively involved within the gay dad’s community.  Richard lives between London and Norfolk.Complimentary One on One Consultations are Available with our expert speakers. To book your expert speaker contact them via rwestoby@sdfertility.com

Sam Everingham is the Global Director of Growing Families.  He has become one of the globe’s foremost commentators and researchers on donor & surrogacy trends and capacity. Through conferences, seminars and consulting he has assisted over a thousand singles and couples to plan safe and reliable routes to building families through surrogacy & donor IVF.

Sam has two daughters, Zoe & Ruby, via surrogacy and therefore is very aware of the issues, struggles and frustrations along the surrogacy path.  With a background in public health and research he is also the author of several books.

Sarah Bevan has practised solely in family law since the commencement of her career nearly 20 years ago.  She has been an Accredited Specialist in Family Law through the Law Society of NSW since 2005.  Sarah is an accredited arbitrator.  She regularly presents legal education papers on family law to the legal profession.  On the panel of lawyers appointed to act as the Independent Child’s Lawyer in proceedings under the Family Law Act.

Sarah Bevan Family Lawyers are experts in surrogacy.  They have assisted many Australian and international intended parents and surrogates. Sarah led the team responsible for the landmark NSW decision for the first same-sex couple to be registered as parents on their child’s birth certificate, after that child was born through a surrogacy arrangement.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available during the event. To book please email Sarah: sarah.bevan@sbfamilylawyers.com.au

Tamari is an experienced international fertility manager,  with a long history working in local and international health care industry, a Medical degree and a Master’s degree in Public Health and Health Policy. She initially ran programs solely in Georgia and has recently opened a groundbreaking surrogacy and donor program in Argentina. Her specific interest is in the inter-dependencies of global and national practices, in how policies are written  based on different regional contexts and translated into real medical solution to ensure better health outcomes.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available. To book please email tamarikachlishvili@yahoo.com

Blake, and his twin brother Joel have just turned 13 years old. They also have an older brother, Chandler, who is 14. After being born via a “related” surrogate in San Diego in the US, Blake and his brothers have lived in Australia since their birth. Blake is proud to have represented his school, Oxley College in several sporting events, including athletics and swimming.

Todd and Phil commenced their surrogacy journey back in 2016 when Todd’s mum attended a conference and met Lauri and Kathryn.  From the moment they started working with Agency for Surrogacy solutions Inc. (now The Fertility Agency) the process was fantastic! Having the support of an agency whose team had also either used a surrogate or was a surrogate themselves made everything so much easier to understand. Their first son was born in July 2018 and their second child  in 2022. Phil will discuss what they learned

Zoe is nearly 12 years old, and was born via egg donor surrogacy in India at a time when hundreds of Australian singles and couples were relying on Indian surrogacy. She lives with her dads Sam & Phil in Sydney. She will talk about growing up without a mum, and telling friends and teachers about where she came from.