- Senior lawyer promotions support rapidly growing national practice
- Flexible work conditions underpin firm's gender-balanced leadership
Lander & Rogers has elevated 49 lawyers in its latest promotions round - the largest number in the firm's 76-year history.
The firm announced the promotion of seven new partners and 42 lawyers comprising 12 special counsel and 30 senior associates across its practices including commercial disputes, compensation law, corporate, insurance law and litigation, family and relationship law, real estate and projects, and workplace relations and safety.
The increase in promotions, says chief executive partner Genevieve Collins, is in response to strong firm growth. "The promotions speak to our continued investment in professional development as we scale to meet client demand across a range of commercial legal specialisations including construction and infrastructure, real estate, insurance, the digital economy including cyber security, environment and both mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets, particularly in growth markets in Sydney and Brisbane," confirmed Ms Collins.
"We're pleased to recognise and reward the efforts of our future leaders and thank them for their continued role in delivering the very best law firm experience to our clients, people and communities."
Elevated to partner were legal experts Allison Haworth, Elizabeth Brookes, Melissa Tan and Ralph Bankes from the firm's insurance law and litigation practice in Brisbane and Sydney; Caroline Mills in compensation law; Scott Traeger in commercial disputes, and Monique Robb in the firm's family and relationship law group, which is the largest practice of its kind in the country.
Ms Tan, in particular, will lead the firm's focus on cyber insurance in response to the growing frequency and severity of cyber attacks in Australia and abroad.
Effective 1 July, Lander & Rogers' latest promotions will bring its partnership's gender balance to 48% female - among the highest of any Australian law firm.
In a nod to the firm's proactive approach to gender equality and commitment to workplace flexibility, Ms Mills and Ms Robb were promoted while maintaining part-time work status. Speaking of her appointment, Ms Mills said, "balancing family and work commitments can be challenging, but working part time has not been a barrier to career progression. The firm has embraced my decision to give equal energy to work and home commitments."
Ms Mills, who works three and a half days a week with no specific set days, says the firm's holistic approach to career progression made for a smooth and sustainable transition back to work after starting a family. "Lander & Rogers continued to support my development as a legal specialist with both rewarding and challenging work, while providing the space and flexibility for me to be actively involved in my children's activities."
Ms Collins confirmed that five of the firm's promotees, four women and one man, are currently on parental or extended leave. "The promotions are recognition of their exceptional work and evidence that flexible arrangements do work, while still delivering great client service."
According to the law-firm leader, Lander & Rogers is seeing increased appetite for greater work-life integration from lawyers. "We're talking a lot more about permanent flex working. We have introduced policies that enable 100% hybrid working, with no mandated days or number of days in the office, as well as additional generous parental leave provisions including support on return from leave; and a focus on personal and professional development."
Ms Collins believes that a true commitment to flexibility is much more than a series of initiatives: "It should be systemic and designed to meet employees' day-to-day needs, when and wherever they're working. It's just one of the ways we're creating an exceptional experience for our people."
The announcement follows Lander & Rogers' appointment of David Morris, the founding partner of KPMG Law and former head of its M&A and corporate practice, and his team of M&A and ECM legal experts earlier in 2022.
Lander & Rogers' 2022 promotions
Partners
Scott Traeger, Commercial Disputes
Caroline Mills, Compensation Law
Monique Robb, Family & Relationship Law
Allison Haworth, Insurance Law & Litigation
Elizabeth Brookes, Insurance Law & Litigation
Melissa Tan, Insurance Law & Litigation
Ralph Bankes, Insurance Law & Litigation
Special counsel
Natale Ilardo, Commercial Disputes
Eleni Tsiavis, Compensation Law
Candice Lau, Family & Relationship Law
Andy Mansfield, Insurance Law & Litigation
Edward Smith, Insurance Law & Litigation
Eliza Elliott, Insurance Law & Litigation
Giana Laidlaw, Insurance Law & Litigation
Jason Chew, Insurance Law & Litigation
Laura Josey, Insurance Law & Litigation
Rachel Quigley, Insurance Law & Litigation
Samuel Sumaru, Insurance Law & Litigation
James Hill, Real Estate & Projects
Senior associates
Adam Conti, Commercial Disputes
Anna Olayos, Commercial Disputes
Bonnie-Anne Talese, Commercial Disputes
Danielle Jones, Commercial Disputes
Isabella Pierri, Commercial Disputes
Anna Plunkett, Compensation Law
Alex Dworjanyn, Corporate
Edward Lyons, Corporate
Emily Krelle, Family & Relationship Law
Hayley Chester, Family & Relationship Law
Jonathan Rose, Family & Relationship Law
Shayal Autar, Family & Relationship Law
Amrit Joseph, Insurance Law & Litigation
Brandon Hoffler, Insurance Law & Litigation
Elizabeth Kemp, Insurance Law & Litigation
Genevieve Kofoed, Insurance Law & Litigation
Graeme Matheson, Insurance Law & Litigation
Jaimee Brocksopp, Insurance Law & Litigation
Kate Rietdyk, Insurance Law & Litigation
Lana Grime, Insurance Law & Litigation
Rachel Patterson, Insurance Law & Litigation
Stephanie Tran, Insurance Law & Litigation
Thomas Nguyen, Insurance Law & Litigation
Bill Qiu, Real Estate & Projects
Lily Chen, Real Estate & Projects
Lisa Townsend, Real Estate & Projects
Alannah Slater, Workplace Relations & Safety
Angela Taraborrelli, Workplace Relations & Safety
Calum Woods, Workplace Relations & Safety
Jessica Miral, Workplace Relations & Safety
