Australasia's leading female lawyers descended on Sydney's Harbour Marriott Hotel on August 16 to celebrate Euromoney Legal Media Group's inaugural Australasia Women in Business Law Awards.
Keynote speakers Honourable Justice Julie Ward, from the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and Catherine Fox, deputy editor of AFR Boss magazine, along with representatives from the Law Council of Australia, the Law Society of New South Wales and the IPBA, were among the guests who joined in celebrating the achievements of those firms setting the standard in terms of female-friendly work practices, and women leading the field in the legal sector across Australasia.
The Law Council of Australia president Catherine Gale collected the Outstanding Achievement award for driving various initiatives focused on the retention of female talent in the legal profession while former King & Wood Mallesons (as it is now known) managing partner Robyn Chalmers picked up the Lifetime Achievement prize.
Meanwhile, in the firm categories, Gilbert + Tobin was named best Australian firm for women in business law, with Minter Ellison Rudd Watts best New Zealand firm. And Clayton Utz secured the best gender diversity initiative by an Australasian firm, with Norton Rose picking up the same award under the international category.
A full list of winners is detailed below.
Practice area winners
Banking and finance – Joanne Evans, Ashurst
Capital markets – Philippa Stone, Freehills
Competition/ antitrust – Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Gilbert + Tobin
Construction – Pamela Jack, Minter Ellison
Corporate governance – Elspeth Arnold, Ashurst
Dispute resolution – Brigitte Markovic, Clayton Utz
Energy and natural resources – Brigid McArthur, Greenwood Roche Chisnall
Environment and planning – Karen Price, ChanceryGreen
Insolvency and restructuring – Karen O'Flynn, Clayton Utz
Insurance and reinsurance – Pam Madifiglio, Minter Ellison
IP litigation – Odette Gourley, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Workplace relations, employment and safety – Phillipa Muir, Simpson Grierson
Mergers and acquisitions/ private equity – Pip Greenwood, Russell McVeagh
Patent and trade mark prosecution – Frances Drummond, Norton Rose
Real estate – Sue Kench, King & Wood Mallesons
Rising star – Mei Fern Johnson, Russell McVeagh
Tax – Teresa Farac, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
TMT – Sheila McGregor, Gilbert + Tobin
Transfer pricing – Helen Fazzino, PwC
Transport and logistics – Danella Wilmshurst, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
City winners
Adelaide – Lipman Karas
Auckland – Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Brisbane – Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Canberra – DLA Piper
Christchurch – Buddle Findlay
Darwin – Clayton Utz
Melbourne – King & Wood Mallesons
Perth – Norton Rose
Sydney – Harmers Workplace Lawyers
Wellington – Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
In-house winners
Asialaw award – Caroline Lovell, NBN Co
International Financial Law Review award – Bridget Powell, HSBC Australia
International Tax Review award – Leslie Moore, Deloitte Australia
Managing IP in-house award – Rhonda Steele, Mars
In-house Team of the Year (less than 50 lawyers) – ANZ Bank-APEA Division
In-house Team of the Year (more than 50 lawyers) – Telstra
Firm of the Year winners
Best gender diversity initiative by Australasian firm
Clayton Utz – Gender diversity dashboard tool
Best gender diversity initiative by international firm
Norton Rose – Gender pay equity
Best firm for minority women lawyers
Baker & McKenzie – Diversity and flexibility steering group (DFSG)
Most innovative firm
Gilbert + Tobin
Best mentoring programme
King & Wood Mallesons – Learning and mentoring programme
Best Australasian firm for work-life balance
Maddocks – Flexible work study
Best international firm for work-life balance
DLA Piper – FlexAbility
Best firm for pro bono work
Allens
Best Australasian firm for talent management
Henry Davis York – Succession planning
Best international firm for talent management
Norton Rose – Partnership academy path to partnership
Best Australian firm for women in business law
Gilbert + Tobin
Best New Zealand firm for women in business law
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Best international firm for women in business law in Australasia
King & Wood Mallesons