Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane surrogacy seminars

Later this month there are surrogacy seminars being held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The topics to be covered are:

• the surrogacy process from start to finish including how to maximise success and minimise costs
• the legal, medical and psychological criteria that is used to select an ideal surrogate and egg donor
• the diagnostic testing and screening of the egg donor and surrogate
• preimplantation genetic screening of the embryo
• single v. double embryo transfer
• managing the relationship with the surrogate during the journey
• working within the confines of the law of your state
• establishing legal parentage in the US and bringing your baby home

The speakers are:

• Dr Kim Bergman, psychologist.  Kim is co-owner of Growing Generations, one of the oldest and largest surrogacy agencies in the world. She has specialised in third party assisted reproduction and LGBT parenting since the early 1990’s. Dr Bergman is an expert on the historically groundbreaking topic of parenting by choice, particularly within the LGBT community. She provides psychological services to hundreds of intended parents from around the world to assist them in the complex , extraordinary assisted reproductive process. She writes, teaches and speaks on ethical family building internationally. Kim has co-authored “Gay Men Who Become Fathers via Surrogacy: The Transition to Parenthood” (2010). Kim has multiple research projects in process designed to further our knowledge, understanding and ability to serve this ever-growing population.

• Dr Said Daneshmand, MD, FACOG. Dr Daneshmand is the practice director of The Fertility Center of Las Vegas. His sub-specialty is Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr Danehmand completed his residency and fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. After joining The Fertility Center of Las Vegas in 1999, Dr Daneshmand was integral in establishing the region’s first egg freezing program. He collaborating with is  practice partner, Dr Bruce Shapiro, to develop IVF protocols  to improve pregnancy rates, including PTEC (post thaw extended culture), one of the most successful IVF regimens currently available. Their groundbreaking findings were published in the internationally respected medical journal, Fertility and Sterility, and Dr Daneshmand has also served as a reviewer for the same publication. Dr Daneshmand and Dr Shapiro’s voluminous research has been presented at US and international conferences. IVFreports.org has also recognised The Fertility Center of Las Vegas for their stellar pregnancy rates.  
• Me! Aside from authoring this blog, and being a partner of Harrington Family Lawyers, I was admitted in 1987. I have been an accredited family law specialist since 1996. One of Australia’s leading surrogacy lawyers, I have acted for clients throughout Australia and 16 overseas countries concerning surrogacy. I am one of two international representatives of the American Bar Association‘s Artificial Reproductive Technologies Committee. I am a member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and am the first international Fellow of the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Treatment Attorneys (AAARTA). I have spoken at surrogacy seminars in Brisbane, God and Sunshine Coasts, Hunter Valley, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as at international conferences. Recently in one week I appeared for clients in surrogacy cases in three States (Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia). In 2012 I obtained an international precedent with what constituted conception. 

Now for the details

RSVP: www.familiesthrusurrogacy.com

Cost: Free 

Brisbane

6pm to 8pm
Monday 15 December, 2014
Uniting Church Hall 52 Merthyr Road, New Farm

Melbourne

6pm to 8pm
Wednesday 17 December 2014
Seminar Room One
State Library of Victoria
328 Swanston St
Melbourne

Sydney 

3pm to 5pm
Saturday 20 December 2014
Mechanics School of Arts
Mitchell Theatre
280 Pitt St

Finally, the fine print…

In NSW it is an offence to enter into or to offer to enter into a commercial surrogacy arrangement overseas. In Queensland it is an offence to enter into or to offer to enter into a commercial surrogacy arrangement overseas or to make payment under such an arrangement. One of the topics I  will speak  about will be how to undertake surrogacy overseas legally.