Stork Davies had the pleasure of once again supporting The Piddington Society as major sponsors of its 2026 Bali Conference.
The annual conference has established itself as a calendar highlight for Western Australia’s legal sector, offering a mixture of professional development and social events over a three-day program.
This year saw the conference move from Uluwatu to Sanur, and was attended by over 230 lawyers and other professionals, including firm principals Michael Stork and Shannon Davies, and special counsel Ben McPherson.
Funds raised from Piddington initiatives power a variety of access-to-justice projects, including community legal centre support, legal education for First Nations students, and scholarships and other financial support for the next generation of law students.
In addition to featuring as second-time major sponsors, Stork Davies revived the Piddington Matters program introduced by the firm at last year’s conference, in support of Bali Women Crisis Centre Legal Aid (BWCC). BWCC is a non-governmental organisation that aims to become a learning centre of legal services for women and children, and actively engages in advocacy activities for the realisation of gender equality and justice.
The Piddington Matters program invited conference attendees to vote for one of three BWCC initiatives, with the firm committing to a separate donation to the initiative with the most votes at the end of the conference. Based on the votes received, Stork Davies will now donate AU$1,000 towards BWCC’s economic empowerment initiatives, which are described by the BWCC as follows:
“Women who experience violence often also face economic abuse.
Many lose access to income, assets, and financial decision making.
For survivors, leaving a violent situation can mean starting over with no stable source of livelihood.
The BWCC sees economic empowerment as a key part of recovery, and provide support based on the strengths and resources that women already have, so support is not one size fits all.
Some women are supported in developing micro and small businesses, while others are part of farming groups or informal work sectors.
In urban and tourism areas such as Denpasar, the BWCC also reaches women working in informal jobs such as selling food, small accessories, or handmade goods.
By focusing on sustainable and locally grounded opportunities, BWCC’s support helps women rebuild independence and create long term stability in their lives.
Examples of past projects include the establishment of an eco-incenses business for survivor groups, providing entrepreneurial physical materials (such as kiosk fitout) to women, and business incubation for women entrepreneurs.”
