Gilchrist Connell elevates national Workplace Law team

Specialist insurance law firm Gilchrist Connell’s national Employment Practices Liability / Management Liability (EPL/ML) team has been boosted with the recent announcement of four newly promoted lawyers.

Joel Zyngier (Principal) is head of the firm’s national EPL / ML practice group, which has gone from strength to strength since it was established more than two years ago. Consistently recognised as a leader in the insurance field, Gilchrist Connell is expanding its EPL/ML practice to meet increasing client need, with Joel – an accredited workplace relations specialist – at the helm.

The dynamic group comprises Principals and senior lawyers from all five offices across Australia, including four newly-promoted lawyers: Senior Associate Rosa Raco, and Associates Ellen Davis, Jessica O’Dell and Laura Gaffey. Rosa brings more than nine years’ employment law experience to the practice and her sole focus is on EPL / ML. While each of the Associates has expertise and practices in various lines of business, all are particularly experienced in workplace relations and safety law.

‘It’s exciting to work with such a high calibre and experienced team of lawyers as we respond to the expanding need for our services. We’re seeing increasing requests for assistance from both insurers wanting EPL/ML expertise, and uninsured employers needing workplace relations and safety representation,’ said Joel.

‘As a truly national practice group, we work seamlessly across Australia, and enjoy a close comradery. Given workplace wellbeing is our game, we walk the walk with regular ‘virtual coffee’ sessions to share ideas and keep ourselves fresh and improving!’ he explained.

The market is seeing fewer traditional industrial disputes, with a rapid and growing shift towards individual employment disputes – in particular, general protections applications and discrimination claims. In addition, workplace safety regulators are showing an increased appetite for prosecuting employers, creating a riskier and more complex environment for employers and their insurers. ‘We’re very pleased to now have an even stronger team to navigate EPL/ML clients through this minefield of workplace liability risks. With these new appointments and Joel’s exceptional talent in workplace relations and safety law, we’re taking our service to the next level,’ said Managing Principal Richard Wood.

Gilchrist Connell won the Australian Law Awards ‘Insurance Team of the Year 2016’, is listed in the 2017 Best Lawyers Global Edition, is ranked in Chambers, features in the ‘fastest growing’ law firm lists published by Australasian Lawyer and The Australian, and was recently ranked Australia’s most flexible legal workplace. The firm was the first and remains the only specialist insurance law firm with offices in every Australian mainland state.

Member of The Harmonie Group An international network of independent law firms.

 

                  

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