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 New South Wales in 1974 and practised as a solicitor in NSW continuously until I retired from the law on 30 June 2019. From 1977 until retirement I was at all times the sole owner of (or a 50% partner in) my law firms.

From 1992 until retirement 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 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 have not practised as a professional translator, but have undertaken translations (LV to Eng and Eng to LV) whenever they were required in legal matters which I handled (and, subject to workload, on some other occasions). However, now that I have retired, I have (a little!) more time to devote to translating.