Barry Nilsson bolsters Perth insurance practice
Leading national law firm Barry Nilsson is expanding its public liability, workers compensation and Compulsory Third Party (CTP) practice in Perth, with the addition of Principal Laura Bendlin and her team.
Ms Bendlin joins Barry Nilsson with Ivan Mihaljevic (Associate), Logan Vanderweide (Graduate) and Serafina Butcher (Legal Assistant) from local Perth firm, Jarman Legal.
The team practices exclusively in insurance litigation, with experience in general liability, personal injury, workers compensation and motor injury claims.
Barry Nilsson Chairperson and Insurance & Health Principal Peter Murdoch said the rapid expansion in the firm’s Perth office was being driven by robust client demand.
“The legal recruitment market in Perth is currently extremely competitive, and we’re pleased to have these experienced insurance specialists with deep local knowledge joining the firm,” he said.
Ms Bendlin brings more than 10 years of insurance litigation experience, having acted on a range of workers compensation, medical negligence and public liability matters for insurers and insureds.
Mr Mihaljevic meanwhile, has specialised in personal injury law, particularly motor injury, and workers compensation cases for the past two-and-a-half years.
Mr Murdoch said these appointments demonstrated tangible action to bring the firm’s established values to life and were strongly aligned with the vision outlined in the 2026-28 strategic plan.
“The past 12 months have been a time of incredible growth for Barry Nilsson and the addition of Laura Bendlin and her team reflects our ongoing commitment to attracting the best talent to service our clients and deliver the best results,” he said.
These latest hires further boost the growing pool of talent across the firm’s core practice areas, with two principals and their teams having joined the Perth office from DLA Piper at the end of last year. It also brings the firm’s national headcount to over 580 employees, and the firm’s total number of principals to 47.