McConnell Saldumbide Criminal Lawyers Toowoomba’s latest law firm

Joe McConnell and Chelsea Saldumbide have teamed up to present a new face among law firms in Toowoomba.

Toowoomba lawyers Chelsea Saldumbide and Joe McConnell have launched the city’s latest legal firm. Picture: Kevin Farmer

TWO of Toowoomba’s youngest and brightest lawyers have teamed up to form the new legal firm of McConnell & Saldumbide Criminal Lawyers (M&S Lawyers).

Lawyers Joe McConnell and Chelsea Saldumbide have moved into offices near the Hume Street courthouse at 5/126 Margaret Street behind Colliers Real Estate.

Ms Saldumbide has been working in criminal law for eight years and practising as a solicitor for the past six years.

She started her career in prosecutions working for both the Commonwealth and State Directors Offices.

For the past 5 years, however, Ms Saldumbide has been working in criminal defence, defending some of the region’s biggest cases.

Prior to co-founding M&S Lawyers, Ms Saldumbide worked in private practice for the well respected Anderson Fredericks Turner and more recently Legal Aid Queensland.

Mr McConnell has worked in criminal law for the past five and a half years.

While he was studying his Bachelor of Laws degree on a full-time basis, he was also employed full-time as a law clerk at MacDonald Law for two and a half years.

Mr McConnell was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland in June 2018 and for the past three years was employed as the criminal defence solicitor at MacDonald Law.

Lawyers Chelsea Saldumbide and Joe McConnell have launched a new law firm in Toowoomba. Picture: Kevin Farmer

In this position, he was responsible for managing more than 90 cases at any one time.

“This included anything from major charges of murder, robbery, drug trafficking and sexual offences to minor charges such as driving offences and minor drug possession,” Mr McConnell said.

The pair are excited about their new venture in Toowoomba’s legal fraternity.

“We are proud to offer our region another locally based criminal defence firm which will deliver exceptional representation,” Ms Saldumbide said.

“McConnell & Saldumbide Criminal Lawyers (M&S Lawyers) will look to offer a standard of service that is above its competitors with a focus on prompt and transparent communication for each of our clients and a strong passion for advocating on their behalf.

“Ultimately, we are excited to be able to provide distinctive representation that strives for excellence and is tailored to each specific case that we are engaged in.”

The firm will operate in most areas of the law including criminal law, traffic law, domestic violence and Mental Health Review Tribunals.

However, Ms Saldumbide’s favourite practice area is criminal law.

“There is never a dull moment practising in crime,” she said.

“I love everything from the different client interactions to the finer intricacies of complex legal matters.

“I am a passionate advocate who is driven to achieve the best possible outcome for my clients.”

Mr McConnell has worked in criminal defence his entire legal career to date.

“This area is notoriously fast paced, and no two days are the same,” he said.

“You are meeting and dealing with people from a variety of different backgrounds and assisting them through one of the most difficult times in their life.

“There is always going to be a lot of pressure as a criminal defence lawyer, but that’s something I enjoy and take considerable pride in.”