MLEA was established in 2011 by Founder Vanessa Aitken. Vanessa is an occupational therapist with a wealth of experience across worker’s compensation, personal injury assessment, and occupational health. Vanessa practiced as an Expert Witness for almost 20 years and has passionately grown MLEA to the company it is today: a business built on values of integrity, innovation, collaboration, and empowerment, comprising a talented team of specialist occupational therapists and support staff, working across both the medicolegal industry and community occupational therapy sectors.  

Today, MLEA is a well-established market leader in the provision of occupational therapy services. Within the medicolegal division, MLEA’s team of occupational therapists provide assessments relating to compulsory third party (CTP) disputes, workers compensation, medical negligence, public and product liability, total and permanent disability (TPD), asbestos compensation, disability insurance, superannuation, and NDIA Administrative Appeals Tribunal disputes. MLEA’s community occupational therapy division offers services across capacity building, assessment of assistive technology, minor and complex home modifications, and NDIS access assessments. MLEA’s team specialises in treating and assessing a wide range of conditions across the lifespan, including orthopaedic and musculoskeletal, spinal cord, psychological, cognitive, sensory, degenerative, neurological, and general medical conditions.  

Together, Chelsea and Vanessa share a passion for education and empowering individuals to be the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. Their shared mission is for MLEA to be the authority in occupational therapy, providing accessibility to specialist advice, and to uphold a reputation for quality, integrity, clinical excellence, and education. MLEA provides a hub for occupational therapists of all levels of experience to further develop their existing knowledge and skillset, through structured learning programs, one-on-one or group coaching, and individualised mentoring. MLEA additionally provides education and coaching services to support workers, carers, lawyers, and insurers.