JP Downey - Profile
Company Profile & History
J P Downey & Co first opened in 1994 as a boutique Chartered Accounting practice specialising in Insolvency and Reconstruction services. Its Principal, Jim Downey, has worked exclusively in this field since 1979 alongside several doyens of the profession.
The firm has gained a reputation for its honesty, integrity, and fairness. Although the firm often handles larger engagements where the assets and turnover are measured in the millions of dollars, the mainstay of the business is the smaller “less than a million” problem. Having a relatively small number of highly experienced personnel supported by the latest in technical resources, the firm is well placed to undertake even smaller engagements quickly and efficiently.
An initial consultation can be arranged on a confidential basis at no cost and with no commitment. Generally, an hour will be sufficient to make an assessment of a problem and deliver practical advice on how best to proceed.
People Profiles
Jim Downey, the firm’s principal, first cut his teeth on insolvency problems in 1979. He has worked in small, medium-sized and large firms with some of the best-known names on the Melbourne insolvency scene. As a partner of Ferrier Hodgson in the early 1990’s, he worked on everything from the A$2 billion Pyramid Building Society collapse to small “Mum and Dad” businesses in the suburbs.
Jim is a senior member of the profession and is widely known in the Melbourne insolvency scene in places where it matters. He has a broad network of contacts throughout the banking, business, legal, government and accounting spheres. He is well known and respected for his integrity and ethical standards, having served for many years as a committee member of the Insolvency Practitioners’ Association of Australia – both at a State and National level.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor of Business (Accountancy)
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
Certified Practising Accountant
Member of the Insolvency Practitioners' Association of Australia (IPAA)
Registered Trustee in Bankruptcy
Registered Company Liquidator
Official Liquidator (Supreme and Federal Courts)
Murdoch Cooch has worked in the insolvency industry since 1989. He holds degrees in Law and ran his own legal practice for many years. He brings the wisdom of years to any engagement and is known for providing sound and practical advice to resolve difficult financial problems.
Jack Juresko began his insolvency career in 1981 when he joined the then Official Receiver’s Office (now known as Insolvency Trustee Service Australia). He left to enter private practice in 1988 where he gained further experience in the corporate insolvency field to add to his broad bankruptcy knowledge. Jack is an efficient practitioner who applies his substantial experience to address the vital aspects of any engagement in a cost-effective manner. He is a Registered Company Liquidator and a member of the IPAA.
Tristana Steedman completed her Bachelor of Commerce in 1994 and commenced work in the insolvency department of BDO, a medium-sized Chartered Accounting firm. While with that firm, she qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1999, and then spent 18 months on secondment with the Hong Kong office. Returning to Australia, she was elevated to Manager level to head a team of 6 staff. In 2004, she joined Jim Downey’s team as a Manager. She has a high level of involvement with a professional discussion group within the Melbourne insolvency industry. Tristana is a Registered Company Liquidator and is well known and respected for her technical knowledge on complex legal problems and litigation generally.
Violeta Dimovski has worked in the insolvency profession since 1987. Her skills in communication, word processing, computerised book-keeping and secretarial work, together with her knowledge of insolvency and office management, ensures that the “back office” function is handled efficiently and thoroughly. Her interface with key staff at banks and the regulatory authorities provides the lubricant to the well-oiled machine (the firm’s admin department).
Bridget Fidge joined the Downey team in 2008. Primarily engaged as the firm’s secretary, Bridget was keen to master duties in the accounts and book-keeping departments. She has become adept at the specialist software used to manage the large number of engagements on hand at any one time.