The hotly contested category in the Australian Law Awards 2015 has been narrowed down to eight finalists, all of whom have been in the position of senior associate for less than five years.
Michael Kenny from Gadens Lawyers is up for the award, having been the lead senior associate on a range of high-profile, multi-million-dollar corporate transactions over the last 12 months.
“I believe the best form of advertising is your work, and I approach each transaction with aim to both cementing the existing client relationship and securing the counter-party as a new client,” Mr Kenny said.
Finalist Zoe Keith from Hall & Wilcox was selected out of all of the firm’s senior associates to be seconded to London law firm Mills & Reeve LLP.
Ms Keith has been at Mills & Reeve since March 2015 advising in relation to both Australian and UK insurance disputes.
Hall & Wilcox believes the work Ms Keith has undertaken in London has raised the profile of both Hall & Wilcox and Mills & Reeve in the London insurance market, while strengthening the relationship between the two firms.
Senior associate Joanna Green left Minter Ellison 12 months ago to join New Law boutique firm Hive Legal.
Hive Legal believes having Ms Green on the team as a senior associate with a big firm background "provides instantaneous confidence in clients and colleagues alike".
Ms Green has embraced the change that has come with moving to a boutique, and has contributed to the re-establishment of the health practice at Hive Legal.
The other finalists are Shaun Cartoon from Allens, Jeremy Lanzer from Arnold Bloch Leibler, Andrew Kim from Ashurst, John Moran from Norton Rose Fulbright and Denée Muller from Squire Patton Boggs.