Women in Law Awards winners revealed
The winners of the fourth annual Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards were announced on Friday at a black-tie event in Melbourne.
More than 340 people turned up to the Grand Hyatt to celebrate the achievements of the winners, carefully selected by our panel of high-profile judges.
Ms McLeod could not attend the Women in Law Awards due to a dinner in honour of outgoing Law Council of Australia president Duncan McConnel. Ms McLeod has recently been elected as the president-elect of the Law Council of Australia for 2016.
Ms McLeod appeared via video link to accept her awards, urging the profession to embrace equitable briefing and commit to furthering diversity in all forms.
Her commitment to not just her practice, but female lawyers and the legal profession as a whole, exemplifies the spirit of the Women in Law Awards.
Lawyers Weekly congratulates all the finalists and winners.
The winners of the 2015 Women in Law Awards are:
Academic of the Year
Cathryn Nolan, RMIT University
Barrister of the Year – presented by FTI Consulting
Fiona McLeod SC, Victorian Bar
Boutique Diversity Law Firm of the Year
LegalVision
Dealmaker of the Year
Yuen-Yee Cho, King & Wood Mallesons
Diversity Law Firm of the Year – presented by FTI Consulting
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Executive of the Year
Sue Kench, King & Wood Mallesons
General Counsel of the Year – presented by ACC
Carmel Mulhern, Telstra Corporation
In-house Lawyer of the Year – presented by DLA Piper
Sue Laver, Telstra Legal Services
Law Student of the Year
Taylor Macdonald, Western Sydney University
Marketing Communications Professional of the Year
Anita Bennett, AdventBalance
Mentor of the Year
Fiona McLeod SC, Victorian Bar
Partner of the Year – presented by e.law International
Colleen Platford, Gilbert + Tobin
Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year – presented by ACC
Talya Faigenbaum, Faigenbaum Family Lawyers
Senior Associate of the Year – presented by e.law International
Elizabeth Hundt Russel, King & Wood Mallesons
Sole Practitioner of the Year
Anny Slater, Slaters Intellectual Property Lawyers
Special Counsel of the Year
Claire Forster, Norton Rose Fulbright
Thought Leader of the Year – presented by Leo Cussen Centre for Law
Clarissa Rayward, Brisbane Family Law Centre
Young Gun of the Year – presented by Leo Cussen Centre for Law
Elizabeth Aitken, TressCox Lawyers
Lawyers Weekly Excellence Award
Fiona McLeod SC, Victorian Bar