Barry Nilsson recognises home grown talent to kickstart 2023 year

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16 December 2022

National law firm Barry Nilsson (BN) is elevating 18 staff to more senior positions across its six state offices starting from the beginning of the New Year.

This significant number of promotions recognises the depth of talent in the firm. The appointments follow the firm’s announcement earlier this month that Sasha Jeffrey-Bailey has been made principal in the Melbourne Liability team.

From 1 January 2023, nine existing legal staff will be elevated to special counsel, four to senior associate, three to associate, and one to consultant, as well as one business services promotion (see list below).

Sixteen of the 18 appointments are in BN’s burgeoning specialist Insurance and Health Practice which has grown by 40 lawyers to a total of 180 legal specialists over the past 3 years.

BN CEO Graeme Walsh said Australia’s evolving legal landscape demanded legal practitioners with detailed and specialist expertise to help clients navigate increasingly complex legal issues. These individuals have been recognised for their high level of skill and talent in their areas of expertise as well as their commitment to delivering exceptional service to clients and to the firm.

'As the international, national and local legal environments in which businesses operate and interact with employees and clients become more complex and nuanced, demand for legal specialists will continue to rise,' he said.

'The success of our firm and the outcomes our lawyers achieve in partnership with their clients is a testament to their professionalism, talent and dedication to being at the forefront of their chosen areas of practice.'

Mr Walsh said BN had a range of professional development programs and employee benefits in place - including structured mentoring, flexible working arrangements, health and wellbeing days and a 9.5 day fortnight - to attract and retain the best and brightest legal specialists across its national network of offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth.

'Among the new appointments for 2023 are five solicitors who started with us as graduates and have worked hard to progress to more senior positions – Venessa Jansen, Ashlee Bonanno, Kingsley Grimshaw, Demi Peters and James Meehan,' he said.

'New 2023 associate Isaac Rowe also commenced with us as a graduate, then left to undertake other pursuits, before returning to BN in mid 2021 – a positive endorsement of our competitive employment offerings and workplace culture.'

'Our firm has a long-standing commitment to developing its internal talent and leadership pipeline and an inclusive and progressive workplace as evidenced by our industry standing as an Employer of Choice in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.'

Promotions effective from 1 January 2023 are:

Consultant

Belinda Randall – Insurance (Perth)

Special Counsel

Adrian Lewis – Insurance (Brisbane)
Ashlee Bonanno – Insurance (Brisbane)
Chris Evans – Insurance (Adelaide)
Daryl Langman – Insurance (Perth)
Emma Pilkington – Insurance (Adelaide)
Kate Lawford – Insurance (Melbourne)
Kingsley Grimshaw – Insurance (Brisbane)
Liz O’Connor – Insurance (Brisbane)
Venessa Jansen – Insurance (Brisbane)

Senior Associate

Angelo La Paglia – Insurance (Adelaide)
Annaliese Williams – Insurance (Sydney)
Demi Peters – Insurance (Hobart)
Meredith Lyons – Insurance (Sydney)

Associate

Emily Velo-Craig – Family (Melbourne)
Isaac Rowe – Insurance (Brisbane)
James Meehan – Insurance (Brisbane)

Business Services

Margaret Harvison – Marketing & Events Adviser.

For more information, please contact:

Tiah Miller Guppy
07 3231 6379
Tiah.MillerGuppy@bnlaw.com.au