Lander & Rogers has announced 31 senior legal appointments in the firm's annual promotions. The new promotees include five new partners across the firm's Workplace Relations & Safety, Real Estate & Projects and Family & Relationship Law practices, as well as 10 special counsel and 16 senior associates.
"We're proud to recognise and promote the firm's leaders of tomorrow and welcome their energy and passion in continuing to create the very best experience for our clients, people and communities," said Chief Executive Partner, Genevieve Collins.
In a rare move for the industry and a first for the firm, Lander & Rogers appointed two new partners who work in a part-time job-share arrangement. Lawyers Amie Frydenberg and Emma Purdue, both part of Lander & Rogers’ Workplace Relations & Safety group, have each leveraged the flexible model working three days per week since 2018.
The pair acknowledged the uniqueness of the situation and emphasised the importance of the move towards creating more flexible and inclusive workplaces. Ms Frydenberg noted that while 65% of law graduates are female-identifying, numbers dropped considerably at the partner level, signalling a need for further change. She said, "the pandemic has potentially achieved more for flexible working than a decade of campaigning in this space, however, there's still more to be done".
According to Ms Collins, "the promotion is recognition of their exceptional work and evidence that flexible arrangements do work, while still delivering great client service." Ms Collins added that flexible arrangements are common within the firm, acknowledging that job share, part-time work and other arrangements have been available to the firm's employees for years.
While the firm states the promotion of Ms Frydenberg and Ms Purdue is due to their separate legal expertise and hard work, the pair remarked that deciding to pursue the path to partner wasn't just about them. "We're not just doing this for ourselves - we're doing it to prove it's possible for everyone. We've received many messages of support from people who now see that partnership could be a realistic option for them too," said Ms Purdue.
The pair says the arrangement works like most matters with multiple lawyers across a single file - with the added benefit of six days' coverage in five, coverage over leave periods and improved project management, which means greater responsiveness to clients' needs.
According to the firm, from 1 July 2021 45% of Lander & Rogers' partners will be female. "As a firm, we know diversity has an impact on culture and performance and we are proud of the equal opportunity provided to all of our people", said Ms Collins.
Also promoted in the firm's Workplace practice was recent lateral hire and experienced lawyer Shannon Chapman. Based in the firm's Brisbane office, Ms Chapman commenced with the firm as Special Counsel in November 2020 to bolster the practice’s Queensland presence.
In Melbourne, the firm appointed new partners Timothy Gough within its Family & Relationship Law practice and Lloyd Havlik in its Real Estate & Projects practice. Both practices are growing, with the former now the largest of its kind and comprising the greatest number of accredited family law specialists in Australia.
Simultaneously, the firm has promoted 26 senior lawyers across its practices including Compensation Law, Corporate, Insurance Law & Litigation, Family & Relationship Law, Real Estate & Projects and Workplace Relations & Safety.
Lander & Rogers' 2021 promotions
Partners
Shannon Chapman, Workplace Relations & Safety
Amie Frydenberg, Workplace Relations & Safety
Timothy Gough, Family & Relationship Law
Lloyd Havlik, Real Estate & Projects
Emma Purdue, Workplace Relations & Safety
Special Counsel
Annika Anderson-Carter, Workplace Relations & Safety
Candice Day, Insurance Law & Litigation
Bree Gladstone, Real Estate & Projects
Kai-Yan Lam, Insurance Law & Litigation
Eleanor Madden, Insurance Law & Litigation
Dominica Moar, Insurance Law & Litigation
Nicola Mooney, Compensation Law
Luke Scandrett, Workplace Relations & Safety
Natalia Todorovic, Family & Relationship Law
Sarah Wainwright, Family & Relationship Law
Senior Associates
Alice Alexander, Workplace Relations & Safety
Elizabeth Berwick, Insurance Law & Litigation
Mark Burrows, Real Estate & Projects
Thomas Cameron, Insurance Law & Litigation
Nicola Cooper, Family & Relationship Law
Melissa De Bortoli, Insurance Law & Litigation
Jennifer Goh, Corporate
Dominic Ho, Corporate
Jill Johnstone, Family & Relationship Law
Jessica McDonald, Workplace Relations & Safety
Kate McGurk, Corporate
Aras Mollison, Workplace Relations & Safety
Ronan O'Donnell, Workplace Relations & Safety
Shai Sommer, Family & Relationship Law
Keifer Veloso, Workplace Relations & Safety
Maggie Yie-Quach, Family & Relationship Law
