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HopgoodGanim setting ‘ambitious strategy centred on significant growth’
With 25 new starters so far in 2022, including a new head of pro bono, mid-tier practice HopgoodGanim Lawyers is hitting the new year running.
Jerome Doraisamy
HopgoodGanim – which has offices in Brisbane and Perth, has nearly 300 staff and works across almost two dozen disciplines – has appointed Leanne Collingburn (pictured, left) as its new head of pro bono. Ms Collingburn, who is a director of the Australian Pro Bono Centre, is set to bring “transformational change” to the way the firm approaches pro bono.
This appointment – marking HopgoodGanim’s first dedicated head of pro bono – is just one of many appointments the firm has made in recent times.
Since the new year began, the firm has made 24 other appointments, including six new additions to the firm’s legal operations and secretarial support teams, six new solicitors and 13 new graduates.
The new graduates are Emily Simi, Liam O’Shaughnessy, Estelle Sah, Brigid Geary, Shannon Ariens, Caitlin Seeto, Thomas Pozzi, Tom Mirolo-Lynam, Elaina Betzel, Peter Hiotis, Hannah Pellegrino, Claudia Hill and Ellie Neuendorf.
Phoebe Miller and Ciara Foley have been hired as senior associates, Evan Dixon as an associate, and Ryan Stimson and Josie Tait as solicitors.
Elsewhere, Bella Rose has been appointed as a legal secretary, Mitchel Brady and Raini Eve as junior legal assistants, Jessica Treacy as a business development manager, Brittany McDonald as an administration and project officer, and Georgia Bunz as a law clerk.
Reflecting on the hiring spree, HopgoodGanim managing partner Bruce Humphrys (pictured, right) said that “2022 will be a very interesting and positive year for HopgoodGanim Lawyers.”
“This investment in our pro bono program via Leanne’s arrival at the firm is just one of many strategically important projects we have planned for this year and will further strengthen the work the firm has been delivering to support our community.”
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, HopgoodGanim director of people and culture Janni Gibb said that the firm has “set an ambitious strategy centred on significant growth” business-wide, which will be underpinned by the bolstering of its teams.
“We have hit the ground running this year with 25 new starters since January including our new graduates, several new solicitors across our corporate and property teams and the firm’s first inhouse talent acquisition advisor. This role will be central to us supporting the number of roles we hope to place in the next year including a further increase on our graduate intake in 2023,” she explained.
“In the latter half of 2021, we further expanded our learning and development team with the addition of Kelly-Ann Sciffer as our learning and development manager. Kelly-Ann’s appointment supports our strong focus on developing our people with the introduction of our formal leadership development program and refreshed promotions and performance development processes.”
The firm’s people are “critical” to the viability and success of HopgoodGanim’s growth ambitions in the coming years, Ms Gibb noted, and as such, the firm is “investing appropriately to achieve this”.
Speaking about her appointment, Ms Collingburn said: “Pro bono legal services are such a valuable investment and community contribution. I am so pleased HopgoodGanim Lawyers has decided to take the next step forward with pro bono and so excited to join the firm as their first dedicated head of pro bono.
“We have a big few months ahead, setting the framework for the impact and outcomes we want to achieve through our pro bono work, but as a full sector national commercial law firm, and with full firm support, HopgoodGanim Lawyers are definitely ready to deliver an authentic and impactful pro bono program.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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