ACLA recognises its own
BT Financial Group's Gai McGrath was named the 2003 Australian Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association's annual dinner in Brisbane on 21 November.
The inaugural award for Australian Government Lawyer of the Year went to Simon Daley of the Australian Government Solicitors Sydney office, while Melbourne-based Elizabeth Opie, a senior counsel at CSIRO, won the In-house Lawyer of the Year Young Achiever Award.
Tony de Govrik stepped down as national president of ACLA at the dinner, handing over the reins to Pamela Hass, director of legal services at Curtin University.
Gadens Sydney gets new chief
Gadens Lawyers has recruited Nathan Patrick from Ernst & Young as the firm's chief operating officer in Sydney.
Patrick was the general manager of E&Y's tax and law division and at Gadens will be responsible for managing the financial performance of the firm and individual partners.
Who's complaining?
The number of complaints against lawyers in New South Wales is on the decline, according to the Law Society of NSW. The society's professional standards department reports that the number of complaints received by the society for investigation has fallen a further 18% from last year, despite an increase in the number of members.
Law Society-investigated complaints have dropped 30% in six years, from 871 in 1998 to 610 in 2003. Law Society president Robert Benjamin said the results were "evidence that the co-regulation model works for consumers of legal services and the legal profession in NSW".
Foreign lawyers win Vietnam award
Vietnam's Ministry of Justice has presented four foreign lawyers with an inaugural award for their contribution to developing the country's legal system.
Fred Burke (Baker & McKenzie), Tony Foster (Freshfields), Nicola Audier (Gide Loyrette Nouel) and Lucy Wayne (Lucy Wayne & Associates) were honoured last month with a 'Many Active Contributions to International Cooperation in the Field of Law' award by Vietnam's minister of justice Uong Chu.
Davies Collison Cave on the move
Intellectual property specialists Davies Collison Cave and Davies Collison Cave Solicitors have moved to new premises in Melbourne as of 10 November. The practices have moved to the Orica Building at 1 Nicholson Street - 200 metres from their old offices - as a result of the expansion of the firm's patent, trade mark and legal practices.
Bell Gully remains CLANZ sponsor
The Corporate Lawyers' Association of New Zealand (CLANZ) has elected to continue with Bell Gully as its principal sponsor until September 2005. CLANZ re-appointed the firm, which has been the association's principal sponsor since 2000, following a competitive tender process. The sponsorship will support member activities including the annual conference, seminars and education.
CLANZ represents more than 1000 in-house lawyers working in business and government organisations.