SYDNEY, August 5, 2011 - Australia's legal community last night gathered to recognize achievement in the legal profession at the 2011 Lawyers Weekly Awards held at the Sydney Opera House.
The 2011 Lawyers Weekly Awards, hosted by LexisNexis, celebrated the best of the legal profession across nine categories, including the Life Achievement Award, Young Gun Award, In House Lawyers or Team Award, Dealmaker of the Year Award, Managing Partner of the Year Award, Practice Manager of the Year Award, Talent Manager of the Year Award, Law Student of the Year Award and the Box Breaker Award.
The prestigious awards showcase the best legal individuals and legal teams and recognise their hard work and dedication over the past twelve months.
The awards attracted more than 165 attendees from young law students to the top managing partners and in-house lawyers around the country. The winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges selected from across the legal industry.
Among the event's highlights, the Life Achievement Award was presented to Sir Laurence Street, who after serving 14 years as NSW Chief Justice oversaw the settlement of more than 1,500 commercial disputes as a mediator. At 85 years of age, Street is still actively involved in the profession. His expertise was called upon in numerous royal commissions and government inquiries, including the "Street Inquiry", established by the Australian Federal Police in 2007 to review its counter-terrorism operations.
Additionally, the LexisNexis Talent Manager of the Year Award went to Gareth Bennett, Director of People and Development at Freehills. Bennett has been instrumental in developing a number of programs at Freehills around staff retention and satisfaction, including emotional and mental health awareness programs and initiatives to reduce and control stress and enhance resilience.
"With so much talent and diversity within the legal industry, the Lawyers Weekly Awards recognise excellence and outstanding achievements of those involved in this important profession," said TJ Viljoen, Chief Executive Officer of LexisNexis Pacific.
The full list of this year's winners includes :
• The Bentley Motors Life Achievement Award: Sir Laurence Street
• The Project Futures Deal Maker of the Year Award: Garry Besson, Gilbert + Tobin
• The Phoenix Business Solutions Managing Partner of the Year Award: Andrew Grech, Slater & Gordon
• The Dolman In-House Lawyer or Team Award: Laing O'Rourke In-House Legal Team, Laing O'Rourke
• The Hays Recruiting Young Gun Award: Rebecca Jancauskas, Shine Lawyers
• The College of Law - Law Student of the Year Award: Ryan Harvey, Macquarie University/ Allens Arthur Robinson
• The Toll Priority Practice Manager of the Year Award: Luke Solly, Colin Biggers & Paisley Lawyers
• The Phillips Box-Breaker Award: John Knox, Advent Lawyers
• The LexisNexis Talent Manager of the Year Award: Gareth Bennett, Freehills
More information on the Lawyers Weekly Law Awards and the winners can be found at www.lawyersweekly.com.au.
About LexisNexis
LexisNexis® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions designed specifically for professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting, and academic markets. LexisNexis originally pioneered online information with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis has 15,000 employees worldwide and serves customers in more than 100 countries.
LexisNexis® Australia (www.lexisnexis.com.au) is the leading provider of Australian and international news, business, tax and legal information, using leading-edge technology, tools, and online solutions.
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Media Contacts:
Julia White
Senior Brand Marketing Manager, LexisNexis Pacific
Tel: +61 2 9422 2317
Email: julia.white@lexisnexis.com.au
Jen Armstrong
Director of Marketing, LexisNexis Pacific
Tel: +61 2 9422 2639
Email: jen.armstrong@lexisnexis.com.au