Social Impact Summary - 2025
Violet Co is proudly a for-purpose legal practice and consultancy. Here’s how we have contributed to positive social change in 2025.
2025 highlights:
Surpassing the National Pro Bono Target by providing 720 hours of legal work
Supporting and advocating for clients like Adair Lomas in seeking a Coronial Inquest to investigate systemic failings in justice responses
Building towards our dedicated Sexual Assault Legal Practice to expand our trauma-informed support for victim-survivors, and providing pro bono legal advice and representation to these clients
The ALRC adopting a significant number of our recommendations in their final report on the Inquiry into Justice Responses to Sexual Violence
Supporting major organisations, government and not-for-profits to improve their operations, strategy and workplace needs
In 2025, Violet Co worked tirelessly towards creating positive social change for our clients and our community. From national policy reform to the opening of our brand-new office in Newcastle on Awabakal and Worimi Country, we were proud to continue growing our impact.
— Karen Iles, Founder @ Violet Co
Exceeding the Pro Bono Target
As a certified Social Enterprise, we are committed to ensuring that more than 50% of our profits are reinvested into social impact. In FY25, we significantly surpassed the National Pro Bono Target (37 hours of pro bono service per solicitor), with:
720 total hours: Our solicitors completed 720 hours of 100% pro bono legal work.
14 hours per week: Over the year, nearly two full days every week was dedicated to serving our community.
$381,000: The value of the legal expertise returned to the community this year
100% engagement: Every single member of the team at Violet Co contributed to our pro bono work in 2025.
The work that matters
In 2025 we increased our impact while supporting clients who are driving systemic change. Behind every ‘number’ in our reports is a story of lived experience.
Source: Carly Earl (photographer), The Guardian (Pictured: Adair Lomas)
Seeking justice for Kardell Lomas
In 2025, we walked alongside Mr Adair Lomas in seeking justice for the death of his sister, Kardell, who was failed by our justice and support systems. We represented Mr Lomas as he sought a Coronial Inquest to investigate these specific shortcomings, while advocating for the countless Aboriginal women and children who are being let down by similar systems across Australia.
Systemic failure
First Nations people constitute around 3.2% of the Australian population, but make up 27% of victims of intimate partner homicide. First Nations women are also 7.6 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to die as a result of homicide. Despite this, of the 20 publicly reported Coronial inquests into domestic violence related deaths, in the last 14 years in Queensland, only one was into the death of a First Nations woman.
The Coroner's initial investigation into Kardell's death identified systemic failures across police, support services, and the justice system, with each responding inadequately to her disclosures of violence. Yet no recommendations were made into how this could be improved, and these services have not been held accountable.
This is why our client Adair, with our support, requested a full Coronial inquest into her death. There is much evidence which remains to be tested, and lessons to be learnt in how our legal and support systems respond to, and prevent, violence against women.
“The whole system, police, court services and others failed to protect my sister and prevent her being killed. If these failures are publicised, it will drive accountability.” - Adair Lomas
There is much (unfortunately) to be learnt from Kardell’s death. Systems that were designed to prevent violence, and support victims have astronomically failed. Lessons can be learnt through an inquest - not just for Aboriginal women in QLD but for all women. We are calling on the QLD Attorney-General to grant an inquest.
Karen Iles, Principal Solicitor, Violet Co
To read more about Kardell, or watch the interview with Adair and Karen, please visit The Guardian.
Legal services for victim-survivors of sexual assault, and the families of women who have been murdered by violent men
We have continued to provide essential pro bono assistance to victim-survivors of sexual assault, and to the families of women, such as Audrey Griffin, who have been murdered by violent men. We do this to ensure their voices are heard in the pursuit of reform.
In the last year, close to 50 women reached out to Violet Co seeking pro bono support for sexual assault matters, with almost one woman per week looking for specialist legal support.
While we were able to work with a significant number of these women, we have many more requests incoming, so we’re scaling up our work to meet this demand.
Breaking the cycle of trauma - our dedicated Sexual Assault Legal Practice
During 2025, we built the foundations of our dedicated Sexual Assault Legal Practice, which will be formally launched in 2026. This practice will expand upon the pro bono work we already do.
With support from The Snow Foundation, Coralus and the Sydney Community Foundation, this practice will:
equip and train lawyers to build squads of trauma-informed specialists in sexual assault law
provide supervised training on sexual assault matters, guided by lived experience and expertise
increase access to legal advice and representation for victim-survivors of sexual assault
support more victim-survivors to navigate the complex justice process, without re-traumatisation
contribute to creating a legal profession and justice system focused on transformative outcomes
If you would like to support us in this work, please donate to the Karen Iles Sexual Assault Victims Justice Fund here.
If you are a lawyer and would like to get involved, or a victim-survivor looking for support, please contact us at office@violetco.com.au or 1300 846538.
Representing members of our community who have experienced gender and/or race discrimination
We represented a number of individuals in discrimination matters in 2025. These cases occurred in and outside the workplace, and ranged from direct comments and conduct, to unexplained terminations and demotions.
We helped secure outcomes allowing our clients to regain their independence, ensuring their financial security or negotiating options to continue their employment on their own terms. These results have enabled clients to heal from the gendered and/or racialised harm they experienced and commence their next phase on strong footing.
Creating safer workplaces
Throughout 2025, we conducted a number of workplace investigations and mediations for a range of major organisations, focused on helping alleviate tensions and build trauma-informed, culturally-safe environments. This work included reviewing procedures and policies, and evaluating the broader workplace culture to identify potential improvements in response to complaints regarding cultural safety and misogyny.
We have also helped design strategic plans and Reconciliation Action Plans to better reflect organisational goals, the needs of First Nations employees, and implement principles of cultural safety.
National advocacy & reform
Advocacy in relation to sexual violence policy, program and law reform at Federal & NSW level
Beyond individual cases, our ongoing campaigns, media and advocacy efforts have contributed to significant legislative and policy change.Karen Iles participated in multiple roundtables and was called on as a subject matter expert by policy makers.Karen published an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald, detailing the shortcomings of this report, and further reform needed to better protect victim-survivors.Following Karen Iles’ opinion piece in the Guardian in 2024, we continued to advocate for Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children through the clients we supported and through Karen’s ongoing participation in these reform mechanisms.
Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry into Justice Responses to Sexual Violence
The Inquiry into Justice Responses to Sexual Violence explored a range of issues impacting victim-survivors and limiting their access to justice for sexual violence - from police investigations through to court sentencing.
Our advocacy pushed for this inquiry, and our submission in 2024 helped shape the Commission’s response.
In 2025, Karen Iles was appointed as a member of the Expert Advisory Group for this Inquiry, in recognition of her expertise in sexual violence law and her lived experience as a victim-survivor and advocate.
The Commission announced their final report last year, which adopted a significant number of our recommendations.
Leadership & Recognition
Karen Iles’s dedication to justice was recognised with several prestigious honours this year:
She was nominated as a finalist for the New South Wales Premier's NSW Woman of Excellence 2025
She was also named an Adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of Newcastle in recognition of her legal and social impact work and her unique expertise
She spoke at the launch of the Centre for Indigenous People and Work, an initiative launched by UTS and Jumbunna, and became a founding member of their Advisory Board, to help contribute to better employment solutions for First Nations people.
Image: Centre for Indigenous People and Work (Pictured L-R: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss, Josh Gilbert, Professor Nareen Young, Aunty Glendra Stubbs, Karen Iles and Jocelyn King).
Our offices
Both our offices are based in co-working spaces dedicated to sustainability and strengthening community.
Our Darlinghurst office is based in The Hub - a 100% Carbon Neutral Certified and B Corp Certified organisation. This means that all aspects of our workspace, from energy and resources, to the amenities we use, are offset to reduce or remove our carbon emissions.
Our Newcastle office with Embrace People & Place is a dedicated space for collaboration and generating social impact. Together we develop safer environments and ensure holistic support for clients. 437 Hunter St also provides:
A not-for-profit service hub
Community transport
Homelessness and housing support
Job readiness training and vocational education
Social support services
Social enterprise opportunities
We are proud to partner with these organisations, helping us to better deliver our services and meet our sustainable development and social impact goals.
Expanding our footprint - Newcastle
In 2025, we opened our new office in Newcastle (Mulubinba) on Awabakal and Worimi Country, allowing us to better serve the community and collaborate with regional for-purpose partners, like Embrace People & Place.
At Violet Co, we preference sourcing from social enterprises and partnering with community organisations. We’re proud to be part of the community at 437 Hunter St - an innovative space in the Hunter region.
We have been working with clients across Newcastle, the Central Coast and the Hunter region since 2019, and we are excited to be embedding this practice through a physical office in the area.
Our work in the region includes University, government, non-government and corporate clients in the region, as well as individuals seeking local support.
Situated near the University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice, where Karen Iles is an Adjunct Professor of Practice, this new office has allowed us to expand our partnership and support for students learning the law in Newcastle.
Support for the next generation of lawyers
We are also delighted to have supported two university students in 2025 with internships at Violet Co:
We are grateful for their fresh contributions and excited to see how they progress into their legal careers and the contributions they will make.
THANK YOU
We are very thankful to be able to keep doing this work. Thank you to our clients and partners for making 2025 such an incredible year of impact.
If you would like to support our work, please contact us at office@violetco.com.au or donate to the Karen Iles Sexual Assault Victims Justice Fund.
