Barry Nilsson secures lateral hires to expand Adelaide insurance practice
Specialist law firm Barry Nilsson (BN) has executed a strategic lateral hire move, expanding its Adelaide office, and solidifying its leading role in the national insurance and health law markets.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the award-winning insurance and family law firm is moving swiftly on its 2025 strategy with the appointment of five new senior lawyers, including Principals Julie Kinnear and Helen Stavridis, and Special Counsel Lucille Stewart.
Julie, Helen and Lucille come to Barry Nilsson with other senior lawyers and practice professionals from Sparke Helmore.
BN Board Chairman and National Insurance & Health Lead Principal Rhett Kennedy said the appointments were consistent with the firm’s commitment to recruiting the best talent and providing the highest level of service to its clients nationally.
“We are thrilled to be expanding the Adelaide office with a group of people of such high calibre and renown.”
The latest appointments bring the mid-tier firm’s staff total to 378 nationally – 28 of which are located in the Adelaide office – boosting the total number of principals to 36 nationally, and its female representation at Principal level to 38.88 per cent, above the national industry average of 30 per cent.
Mr Kennedy said, “Julie, Helen and Lucille and their team will not only grow our office in Adelaide, but significantly strengthen our capability to support our national clients in the highly specialised areas of insurance and health law.
“Julie is a recognised leader in the insurance market in Adelaide and specialises in professional indemnity and financial lines claims,’’ he said.
“Helen is highly regarded and responsible for managing a casualty practice assisting a number of major Australian insurers.”
Mr Kennedy said, “The quality of our team members in the insurance and health practice demonstrates BN’s commitment to providing our clients with the highest level of technical ability and client service, and we are delighted to have Julie, Helen and their team on board.”
Delighted to be joining BN, Ms Kinnear said she was looking forward to being part of a firm that was renowned for its expertise in insurance and health law.
“I speak on behalf of Helen and our team when I say we are thrilled to be joining BN to expand the firm’s renowned client service within the Adelaide market,” she said.
“It’s an honor to be appointed to the firm within such a fundamental time of growth and evolution for the practice, and we are so pleased to be hitting the ground running within the firm.”
Over the past decade BN has substantially expanded its geographic footprint from one to six states, with demand for BN’s legal expertise boosted by a 7.5 per cent case load increase in the past 12 months alone.
The Adelaide appointments follow the January 1 2023 appointments which saw 18 staff elevated to more senior positions across BN’s six state offices in recognition of their high-level skills and commitment to delivering exceptional service to clients of the firm.
The new year has seen BN launch a refreshed brand and 2025 strategy, consolidating the direction the firm embarked on 10 years ago while mapping a clear path for strong and sustained growth underpinned by a client-first approach embraced by staff at all levels.