Gilchrist Connell appoints corporate insurance and insurtech specialist, Yvonne Lam, as principal

Leading Australian insurance sector law firm Gilchrist Connell strengthens its corporate, regulatory and insurtech offering by appointing Yvonne Lam as principal and Head of Corporate Insurance and Insurtech.

Yvonne brings a depth of experience in the Australian insurance and insurtech sectors. Through her advisory work for domestic and international insurers, reinsurers and insurance intermediaries, Yvonne advises clients across every stage of the business life cycle, from establishment of operations, regulatory licensing and distribution, corporate governance and restructures, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory investigations.

Yvonne is well-versed in the highly regulated Australian environment, assisting clients to navigate financial services licensing requirements and obligations, product development, distribution and agency agreements, compliance frameworks and portfolio transfers.

She has been recognised as a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Insurance and for Regulatory Investigations and Compliance and was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards for Special Counsel of the Year and in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards for Commercial Law. Most recently, Yvonne was awarded the inaugural Susan Gin Scholarship to attend the William Ah Ket Leadership Program at ANU’s Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership in Canberra.

Managing principal, Richard Wood, commented, “Yvonne joins the firm during a time of significant legislative and regulatory change, with increasing demand and pressure on our clients to ensure sound governance and compliance with regulatory reform. We are very pleased to have Yvonne on board.”

Gilchrist Connell‘s people-first culture has been a key factor in the firm’s continued and significant growth in the last two years in response to continued client demand. Yvonne’s appointment follows the promotion of Tiarn Pauletto to principal on 1 July 2023; the firm’s fifth national Workplace principal, Bhrig Chauhan, in May 2023; and D&O specialist, Celia Wright, who joined Gilchrist Connell in October 2022.

Gilchrist Connell’s partnership split will be 40% female to 60% male as of 1 July 2023. Our flexible work practices continue to support equal participation in the workforce across all levels, with 61% of fee earners identifying as female and 39% male. The gender split at firm level is 73% female to 27% male.