Gilchrist Connell elevates 11 in latest promotion round

Gilchrist Connell acknowledges its exceptional talent with the announcement of 11 promotions, effective 1 January 2024.

Leading Australian insurance sector law firm, Gilchrist Connell, is delighted to announce the promotion of numerous lawyers across multiple offices in its Special Counsel, Senior Associate and Associate ranks.

We warmly congratulate:

Special Counsel

• Mariam Morad (Brisbane): Mariam’s practice is focused on managing public liability claims, in particular public liability personal injury and property claims. Mariam has been led the way in developing the QLD chapter of GC’s Emerald Network, our women-focused and women-led client networking and knowledge sharing platform to support women in the insurance industry. This program is now being expanded nationally.

Senior Associate

• Madeleine Eaton (Adelaide): Madeleine has a background in personal injury litigation, professional indemnity, medical negligence, historical sexual abuse and sensitive claims. She is also a valued member of our national health practice.
• Thea Paleologos (Adelaide): Thea has extensive experience in defendant public liability and personal injury claims (including catastrophic injuries), property damage claims, recovery actions and workers compensation claims. She is President of Young Insurance Professionals (South Australia) branch.
• James Spartalis (Adelaide): James is an experienced practitioner multiple lines of business including casualty, professional indemnity, and recoveries. He also advises insurers on complex indemnity issues and AFCA disputes.
• Abbey Stockley (Brisbane): Abbey acts for insureds and their public and professional indemnity insurers across all aspects of litigated and pre-action personal injury, professional indemnity and product liability claims. Abbey has experience defending health care providers and health care professionals where she draws on her years of clinical experience as a registered nurse in Queensland to assist clients in these matters. Abbey continues to combine her career in law with her ongoing registered nurse commitments. Abbey is also involved in the Women In Insurance (Qld) committee.
• Maddison Harrington (Melbourne): Maddison is an experienced employment and industrial relations lawyer. She is a skilled advocate and has experience litigating claims for both insured and non-insured clients across a range of State and Federal jurisdictions. Maddison is is a non-executive director on the board of several not-for-profits, including Victorian Women Lawyers and Out for Australia. Maddison is also a Judge of the annual Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards.
• Joel Speldewinde (Perth): Joel is experienced in professional indemnity matters (where he has a particular interest in assisting medical professionals responding to AHPRA investigations), personal injury matters and high value subrogated recoveries. He regularly advises on coverage with a keen interest in complex indemnity questions. He has particular experience dealing with complex, multi-party claims arising out of fires and the attendant issues around expert evidence and quantum assessment.

Associate

• Peter Dalrymple (Adelaide)
• Lauren Anastasiou (Melbourne)
• Victoria Pechlivanis (Melbourne)
• Sam Rowe (Perth)

“Watching our people flourish professionally and then being able to recognise and celebrate their individual achievement through promotion is my favourite part of the job. I am thrilled to publicly acknowledge these promotions from 1 January 2024,” says Richard Wood, managing principal of Gilchrist Connell.

Gilchrist Connell operates across all Australian jurisdictions from our five offices and regularly assists clients with claims in New Zealand, Asia, Europe, US and the London market, as well as global insurers participating in multi-national insurance programs.