Barry Nilsson promotes one principal and 17 next generation leaders

Leading national law firm Barry Nilsson has announced 18 internal staff promotions, strengthening the breadth of established and emerging leadership across its practices.

From 1 January 2026, BN will appoint one principal, one special counsel, two senior associates, 11 associates, one events manager and two P&C coordinators across the firm’s Insurance & Health, Family Law, Pro Bono & Responsible Business and Business Services teams.

The appointment of Gillian Sheppard as Insurance & Health Principal will bring the firm’s total number of principals to 46, maintaining its strategic target of 40 percent female representation at leadership level.

Barry Nilsson Chairperson and Insurance & Health Principal Peter Murdoch said these promotions reflect the firm’s values and commitment to internal growth as they enter a new chapter under its 2026-28 strategic plan.

'Supporting the growth and development of our people is one of the most important investments we can make as a firm,' he said.

'Gillian has been a steadfast member of our team since 2003, and we are looking forward to watching as she shares her expertise with the team in her new role as Principal.'

Gillian specialises in professional indemnity and policy coverage. Her experience includes defending professional negligence claims and complaints made against professionals to tribunals and registration boards. She acts for insurers across a broad range of professions, including solicitors, building and construction professionals, medical professionals, educational institutions, and financial advisers.

Mr Murdoch said the significant number of Associates among the new promotions reflected a key pillar of the firm’s 2025 strategy to foster the next generation of leaders across all core lines of business.

'Our strengths lie in our people, at every level, and these appointments reflect internal efforts made to identify, nurture, and challenge the next generation of leaders who will continue to drive growth and innovation across the firm to the benefit of both our clients and our culture.'

These promotions follow the recent lateral appointment of six new principals and their teams to its Insurance & Health practice in early December 2025, broadening the firm’s practice specialties in transaction liability, regulatory work, and general commercial litigation.

Earlier this year, Barry Nilsson bolstered its Family Law practice with the appointment of Kim Lamb as Principal. Her appointment reflects the firm’s continued investment and growth of the Family Law practice as one of its two core areas of business.

'Our ability to attract and retain top tier legal talent across the business, whether by lateral appointment or internal promotion, is a testament to our exceptional reputation, strong performance, and quality culture,' Mr Murdoch said.

Recognised as an Employer of Choice for seven consecutive years since 2019, Barry Nilsson’s workforce has grown by 13% in 2025, now boasting a national headcount of more than 500 employees.

'While we’ve experienced significant growth over the past year, particularly across our Insurance & Health practice, our vision for the firm remains the same – to attract and retain the best talent across all areas of our business to deliver exceptional service, both to our clients and the firm,' Mr Murdoch said.

'This is a vision that we’ll continue to build upon well into 2026 and beyond as we finalise the next edition of our three-year strategic plan.'

Promotions taking effect from 1 January 2026

Principal

• Gillian Sheppard – Insurance (Brisbane)

Special Counsel

• Felix Kalade – Insurance (Brisbane)

Senior Associate

• Thomas Klepper - Insurance (Melbourne)
• Ysabelle Kong – Insurance (Melbourne)

Associate

• Alexandra Kennard – Insurance (Brisbane)
• Emilie Haranas – Insurance (Melbourne)
• Emily McDougall – Insurance (Melbourne)
• Helena Juric – Insurance (Melbourne)
• Kayla Hathaway – Insurance (Brisbane)
• Luke Feleppa – Insurance (Adelaide)
• Robert MacFarlane – Family (Melbourne)
• Steven Howick-Brown – Family (Melbourne)
• Sydney Gale – Family (Brisbane)
• Tadaya Mujdrica – Impact (Melbourne)
• Tanya Brody – Family (Brisbane)

Business Services

• Ciara Popplewell – P&C Coordinator (Brisbane)
• Margaret Harvison – Events Manager (Brisbane)
• Patricia Nguyen – P&C Coordinator (Melbourne)