Insights
Eleanor Ludlam of DAC Beachcroft and Anjali Das of Wilson Elser were among the 21 women selected for the IT Security Guru’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2021. The awards show, hosted by IT Security Guru and sponsored by KPMG and Beazley, was held in Canary Wharf, London, on November 30, 2021, to honour women who break the stereotype of cyber as a male-dominated industry and serve as role models to other women in the field.
Read the full press release below.
Eleanor Ludlam of DAC Beachcroft and Anjali Das of Wilson Elser were among the 21 women selected for the IT Security Guru’s Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2021. The awards show, hosted by IT Security Guru and sponsored by KPMG and Beazley, was held in Canary Wharf, London, on November 30, 2021, to honour women who break the stereotype of cyber as a male-dominated industry and serve as role models to other women in the field.
Read the full press release below.
Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP has had an impressive showing in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory. Overall, twelve Alexander Holburn professionals were recognized as leading practitioners and lawyers to watch across ten practice areas in the 2021 edition of the directory.
Congratulations to the full list of recognized lawyers, and in particular to Ingrid Tsui who has been newly recognized this year as well as Ryan Howe who has been listed as a “Lawyer to Watch“.
The full listing of Alexander Holburn professionals listed in the 2021 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory is below. Congratulations to you all.
Recognized Lawyers – Canada
Aviation Law
Construction Law
Corporate Commercial
- Ryan Howe (*Lawyers to Watch)
Estate & Tax Planning
- Mary Hamilton, Q.C.
- Ingrid Tsui (*newly recognized)
Franchise Law (Franchisor)
Litigation – Commercial Insurance
Medical Negligence (Represents Defendants)
Personal Injury Law (Represents Defendants)
Shipping & Maritime Law
Transportation Law
Alexander Holburn is a Lexpert-Ranked Firm in the following practice areas:
- Litigation – Commercial Insurance
- Professional Liability
- Shipping & Maritime Law
For the full details on our rankings please visit the 2021 online edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory which can be found here.
Alexander Holburn was ranked in Nationwide – Canada Band 4 for Insurance: Dispute Resolution in the 2021 Chambers Canada Guide.
Chambers notes, Alexander Holburn is a “notable full-service firm based in Vancouver with a recognized and broad insurance offering. Wins particular recognition for its work on construction disputes, as well as experience handling claims in the aviation and healthcare sectors.”
For more information about Chambers Canada, please click here.
Alexander Holburn is pleased to have 22 lawyers featured in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada®, with close to one-third of the firm’s lawyers recognized by their peers as outstanding professionals in their practice areas. Recognition in Best Lawyers is based on peer review and feedback from leading lawyers on the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same legal practice and location.
Our full listing is below. Congratulations to you all.
Recognized Lawyers – Canada
Aviation
Construction
Corporate + Commercial Litigation
Corporate Law
Family Law
Health Care Law
- F. Stuart Lang
Insurance Law
- Hollis Bromley
- Jo Ann Carmichael, QC
- Todd Davies
- Bruno De Vita, QC
- James Dowler, QC
- Laura Hanson
- David McKnight
- Robert McLennan
- Susan Sangha
Maritime Law
Medical Negligence, Personal Injury Litigation
Transportation Law
Trusts + Estates
Five Wilson Elser attorneys were named to the prestigious Chambers USA 2021 Guide. Law firms that have a national presence also are ranked in the Nationwide tables, which focus on those firms that are the country’s best in their respective areas of practice.
Cannabis Law: Western United States and Nationwide
Dean Rocco (Partner-Los Angeles, CA) and Ian Stewart (Partner-Los Angeles, CA). This section encompasses the full spectrum of work involving companies in the cannabis industry. Ranked firms and lawyers will show strong ties to the sector. Types of work may include, but are not restricted to M&A and financings; intellectual property for cannabis-based products and medicines; and regulatory compliance and litigation, on either a statewide or federal basis. This is the first year Cannabis Law has been represented in the regional categories.
Insurance, New Jersey
Thomas Quinn (Partner-Florham Park, NJ). The Chambers Insurance category includes both contentious and non-contentious insurance and reinsurance matters. On the contentious side, are coverage claims litigation, brokers` negligence and both facultative and treaty reinsurance disputes. There is also an element of professional negligence issues arising from insurance disputes. On the non-contentious side are all forms of M&A, capital raisings, demutualization and other regulatory issues. Chambers also recognized Tom Quinn in its 2020 Guide.
Transportation: NTSB Specialists – Nationwide
Thomas Tobin (Partner-White Plains, NY | New York, NY). Transportation is a broad industry category that covers a number of discrete areas. Attorneys highlighted in this practice area are those offering significant capabilities in transactional, regulatory and contentious issues affecting road carriage and logistics operations. Chambers added NTSB Specialists – Nationwide to the Transportation category in 2021. Tom is the only attorney ranked in this category. Chambers recognizes Tom’s skills in managing “business-critical investigations on behalf of pipeline companies following damaging and fatal explosions” and acknowledges his years of experience in representing rail and road sector companies in National Transportation Safety Board proceedings. Tom also assists aviation operators with NTSB investigations.
Transportation: Shipping/Maritime Litigation (outside New York) Nationwide
Antonio J. Rodriguez (Partner-New Orleans, LA). This section encompasses shipping and maritime litigation involving breach of charter-party disputes, cargo and bills of lading claims, the arrest of vessels and cargoes, marine insurance claims, collision, salvage and environmental liabilities. On the noncontentious side, law firms advise on contractual arrangements for construction, financing and registration of vessels, customs and licensing, and documentation relating to charter-parties and bills of lading. Chambers also recognized Antonio Rodriguez in its 2020 guide.
Australasian Lawyer and Insurance Business have rated Wotton + Kearney in their inaugural list of “5-Star Insurance Law Firms and Lawyers”. The firm was declared a 5-Star Excellence Awardee in the field of insurance law based on the feedback of insurance companies, professionals and lawyers about our work quality, specialist expertise and client service quality. Congratulations also go to Chief Executive Partner David Kearney, Brisbane Partner Raisa Conchin and Melbourne Partner Cain Jackson who were rated as “5-Star Insurance Lawyers”.
Read more here.
Wotton + Kearney has been awarded a “Diversity Initiative of the Year” Excellence Award as part of the Australasian Law Awards 2021. The award recognises the firm’s W+K FLEX initiative which offers flexibility for all staff, for any reason.
W+K FLEX was created by rethinking the role of the office in a post-COVID world with the firm’s Chief Executive Partner David Kearney asking all staff the question: “Having experienced flexible working, and putting COVID and public transport concerns to one side, what is your ideal future mix of remote and office working to service your clients, collaborate with your team and integrate your work and personal commitments?”
The firm’s People + Culture team then spent 1:1 time with staff to hear responses, discovering that everyone expected ongoing autonomy and flexibility to do their job in the post pandemic era. They then leveraged tools and infrastructure as part of W+K’s ‘People First’ culture to develop W+K FLEX. The initiative is supported by four key elements: the firm’s vision and guiding principles; ongoing value of office attendance; leadership support; and continuous feedback.
Since implementing W+K FLEX, key learnings discovered by the firm include that:
- office presence doesn’t necessarily mean productivity, and flexibility doesn’t mean working less – the firm has grown by 20% in the FY21 year to date
- remote client meetings are still productive and don’t compromise quality of work
- if you empower people and trust them, they can be as (if not more) productive out of the office as they are in it
- an empowered workforce translates into greater employee loyalty, wellbeing and engagement
- allowing everyone to choose how they integrate work and personal responsibilities builds inclusion
- a flexible workplace reduces the need for additional office space
- a flexible employee base enables a scalable workforce across geographic regions, boosting access to diverse talent, and
- universal flexibility aligns more closely with clients, most of whom were proponents of flexibility well before COVID.
The notion that “work is a thing you do, not a place you go” is a central tenet of the future of work and the philosophy behind W+K FLEX, which now enables universal access to flexibility for all W+K staff in the firm’s hybrid virtual workplace.
The full Australasian Law Awards 2021 winners will be announced 15-17 June.
Wotton + Kearney has been recognised as a Band 1 insurance law firm in Australia for the ninth consecutive year in the 2021 Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific rankings, and has retained its long-standing Band 2 position in New Zealand. Eight of the firm’s senior lawyers were also individually rated.
Chambers says Wotton + Kearney is known for being a “well-regarded insurance powerhouse acting for major insurers on big-ticket disputes, including public and product liability, financial lines and professional indemnity matters” and possessing “an impressive trans-Tasman footprint”. The directory goes on to say: “The specialised orientation of the firm is the decisive factor in the minds of a number of clients” and “consistency of quality is also a frequently stressed theme.”
Chief Executive Partner David Kearney said: “I have really appreciated the client feedback about the firm, including one comment that reflects the value of our “People First” strategy: ‘They’ve done a very good job in having the right people with the right skills and experience. With that diversity, there wouldn’t be many matters where we wouldn’t consider them’. I was also delighted to see Cain Jackson move up to a Band 1 individual in Australia, and Sophie Lucas and Andrew Moore being individually recognised for the first time in New Zealand.”
Along with the firm rankings, eight Wotton + Kearney senior lawyers were individually ranked:
Australia
- David Kearney (Eminent Practitioner) – widespread acknowledgement for having played “a big part in the impressive growth of the firm” and continues to oversee its interactions with its impressive roster of clients, one of whom says: “He’s very committed to the market and ensures that the firm stays on top of its relationships with insurers and meets the changing needs of the industry.”
- Cain Jackson (Band 1) – ranked since 2013 with interviewees characterising him as “a very good lawyer with a great reputation who knows his stuff” and “one of the best in Australia.” Another source reported: “We find Cain to be an excellent all-rounder, not only in the technical and strategic senses, but also as someone who is always thinking of what our next step should be, why that should be and how to get there.”
- Andrew Moore (Band 3) – singled out by an interviewee as being a practitioner who “combines strong customer focus with good technical ability and balanced advice” and being “very responsive, especially when we have a tight timeframe.”
- Adam Chylek (Band 4) – described as “[commanding] widespread market recognition as a partner who ‘gets a lot of good work’ in the insurance space, particularly where property-related matters are concerned”.
New Zealand
- Antony Holden (Band 2) – ranked since 2016 and identified as “a go-to guy” by a client who goes on to praise his “thoroughness, advocacy and commercially astute negotiation style”.
- Mathew Francis (Band 4) – listed for the fourth year running and described by a client as an “excellent technical lawyer and communicator”.
- Sophie Lucas (Band 4) – newly ranked and assessed as “[standing] out for her expertise concerning professional indemnity and liability issues”, with one interviewee calling her an “excellent, well-regarded practitioner doing an excellent job”.
- Andrew Moore (Up and Coming) – newly listed in the Up and Coming category and said to be “widely viewed as ‘a young lawyer with a very bright future’”.
To read the full commentary, visit the Chambers site for Australia and New Zealand.
Congratulations to Natasha Cannon, Senior Associate in Wotton + Kearney’s Wellington office, who has been named in NZ Lawyer’s 2021 Rising Stars Report released today. The Rising Stars Report recognises excellence in young lawyers in New Zealand — those who are showing signs of becoming the industry’s future leaders.
Natasha was also recently recognised by a client in The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific who said: “A rising star of the firm is senior associate Natasha Cannon who has assisted us often in the real estate space and is approachable, offering practical solutions for resolution.”
Natasha has previously worked for international firms in both Australia and London. She specialises in professional liability, product liability, subrogated recoveries and general liability. She is also experienced in high value and complex litigation, including in the design and construction space, as well as disciplinary proceedings.
“Natasha is a thorough litigator with excellent written and oral advocacy skills. She is committed to our clients and has a great eye for identifying the strategy that will obtain the right result for them. I’m delighted to see her acknowledged in this way for her outstanding legal work, as well as her contribution to the firm and the wider sector,” said Antony Holden, Managing Partner of Wotton + Kearney in New Zealand.
You can read more on the 2021 Rising Star Report here.
Wotton + Kearney is pleased to have 23 senior lawyers featured in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers Australia and New Zealand. We received 35 listings in total across a range of insurance law and litigation categories. Recognition in Best Lawyers is based on peer review and feedback from leading lawyers on the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same legal practice and location. Our full listing is below. Congratulations to you all.
Recognised Lawyers – Australia & New Zealand
Auckland
- Mark Anderson – Privacy and Data Security law
- Aimee Credin – Insurance Law, Litigation
- Sophie Lucas – Insurance Law
- Rebecca Scott – Insurance Law
Brisbane
- Raisa Conchin – Insurance Law, Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Paul Spezza – Personal Injury Litigation
- Brooke Jacobs – Insurance Law
Melbourne
- Andrew Brennan – Insurance Law
- Cain Jackson – Class Action Litigation, Insurance Law, Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Nick Lux – Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Edward O’Brien – Insurance Law
- Andrew Seiter – Personal Injury Litigation
- Robin Shute – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation
Sydney
- Belinda Henningham – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation
- David Kearney – Insurance Law
- Andrew Moore – Insurance Law, Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Sean O’Connor – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation
- Wes Rose – Insurance law, Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Katie Shanks – Insurance Law
- Charles Simon – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation
Wellington
- Antony Holden – Insurance Law
- Adam Holloway – Accident Compensation Law, Health Care Law
- Sean O’Sullivan – Arbitration and Mediation
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