I have dual citizenship - Latvian and Australian.

I was born in Australia in 1949 to Latvian parents who fled Latvia in 1944 (at the beginning of the 2nd occupation of Latvia by the USSR during WW II).
Until the age of 5.5 years I spoke only Latvian, knowing only "please" and "thank you" in English when I started my local/English schooling.

In 1967, my last year of High School, I won a trip to New Zealand as Lions International Youth of the Year (my public speech being in English about Great Britain's (mis-)appropriation of Latvia's gold reserves - information about which I obtained from Latvian language publications).

I attended Sydney University from 1968 to 1973 and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree.

I was admitted as a solicitor in 1974 and have practised as a solicitor continuously since that time. Since 1977 I have at all times been the sole owner of (or a 50% partner in) the firms in which I have practised.

Since 1992 I also practised as a Public Notary in and for the State of New South Wales.

In the 1990s I assisted scores of Latvians and their descendants to reclaim immoveable property in Latvia which had been nationalized by the occupation forces. I have appeared twice in the courts of Latvia - in 1996 as an interpreter for an Australian of Latvian origin who could speak only English and in 2000 as the advocate for a relative, both times being in connection with claims to immoveable property.

I do not practise as a professional translator, but undertake translations (LV to Eng and Eng to LV) whenever they are required in legal matters which I am handling (and, subject to workload, on some other occasions).