Login
Gilchrist Connell promotes special counsel to principal
Australian insurance law firm Gilchrist Connell has named its 34th principal nationally and fourth in Perth, promoting a financial lines and EPL specialist.
Jerome Doraisamy
James Duffy (pictured) has been promoted to principal, effective 1 January 2023.
“Since joining the firm in 2013, James has been an avid contributor to thought leadership, regularly writing articles and presenting on insurance and coverage-related matters, often alongside clients,” it said.
Gilchrist Connell managing principal Richard Wood said: “One of the best parts of running a law firm is to see really good people coming through to our senior ranks. James’ promotion is a great example of that — he has long been a vital part of our practice in the important WA market and is a valued team member.”
Perth office head principal Deborah Templeman added: “We are delighted to have a fourth principal in our Perth office, from within our own ranks.
“The timing is excellent, given the period of rapid growth in Perth, which has increased in size by more than a third since 2020 to 35 people. James is very highly regarded by all stakeholders in our market, and we know they will be thrilled to see him in this new role.”
The promotion of Mr Duffy is the latest in a trend of internal principal promotions by the firm, with the principal cohort having grown 28 per cent since January 2021.
Of this 28 per cent, the firm said, 83 per cent were internal promotions, and the remaining 27 per cent were lateral recruits.
Gilchrist Connell chief people officer Belinda Cohen noted: “We take pride in realising the potential of our people and are committed to nurturing the professional development and promotion of our colleagues.”
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.
You can email Jerome at:
