More than half the young lawyer finalists in the upcoming awards are Deakin’s Faculty of Business and Law graduates.

Deakin Law School (DLS) will be strongly represented at this year’s Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 awards with 15 graduates and a current PhD student among the finalists. A further two finalists are also graduates of the Deakin Business School (DBS).

Each year, these prestigious awards recognise the professional excellence of young lawyers across Australia.

Comprising 28 categories, the awards deliver industry-wide recognition for professional competency while highlighting a passion for the law and dedication for personal advancement.

DLS PhD student Katrina Bullock is a finalist in the awards’ Corporate Counsel (SME) category and is currently General Counsel with Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

In this role, she advises the organisation’s board and senior management team on a range of legal matters including employment law, contract law and intellectual property.

‘I lead policy review and conduct compliance assessments,’ she says.

‘I am fortunate to work across the organisation on a number of key projects from helping to get the Rainbow Warrior Ship into Australian waters (think visas and permits) through to advising on the risk involved in campaigns and the mitigation strategies we can put in place.’

Katrina, who is also a finance journalist with the Finance News Network, is currently completing her PhD under the supervision of DLS professors Sandeep Gopalan and Jean du Plessis.

Reflecting on her nomination, she believes the not-for-profit (NFP) sector boasts a wealth of experienced law practitioners who are conducting outstanding work on tight budgets to create real global change.

‘It's terrific that so many NFP lawyers have been recognised in the recent Lawyers Weekly Corporate Counsel Awards as it shows that the sector is flourishing and will hopefully convince more young lawyers to follow their passion and contribute to causes that are close to their heart,’ she says.

Another Deakin finalist in the awards is law and commerce graduate Josh Butler who is now a lawyer with Lander & Rogers corporate team.

‘My day-to-day work is mostly advising clients on corporate transactions. I also coordinate our Asylum Seeker Pro Bono program and am involved in a number of innovation projects,’ he says.

Since moving into his full-time role, Josh has continued his studies, completing several short courses in Blockchain and emerging technologies.

He is now a founding member of a collaborative project known as the LawTech Hub and also chairs his firm’s Blockchain Working Group.

‘What I love most about my job is the variety of work and the opportunities to work on different initiatives beyond just my day-to-day work. Mergers and acquisitions law is fast and broad – we work across many industries which keeps the subject matter fresh and (mostly) interesting.’

Josh says it’s a great honour to be nominated for the 30 Under 30 awards, especially when he considers how many deserving young lawyers there are in Australia who are breathing new life into the profession.

‘I have been very fortunate to find an organisation that encourages me to bring my outside interests into the workplace. Being in an environment where I know my ideas are valued has given me the confidence to drive projects in my own practice group and through the firm.’

The Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 2019 awards will be held at a gala dinner Sydney on 10 May and Deakin finalists nominated for the following categories include:

Barrister

Harry Lewis, Barrister

Corporate Counsel (Large Business)

Loren Goodwin, L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand

Nicole Diepenhorst, AIA Australia

Health and Safety

Meg Aitken, K & L Gates

Construction and Infrastructure

Perri Burns, Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Mergers & Acquisitions 

Veroshan Sripragasan, Nicholson Ryan Lawyers

Joshua Butler, Lander & Rogers

Corporate Counsel (SME)

Katrina Bullock, Greenpeace

Ashlee Berry, Master Builders Association of the ACT

Sports and Entertainment

Simon Merritt, Lander & Rogers

Dispute Resolution

Michael Harty, MacPherson Kelley

Wellness Advocate

Phoebe Blank, MinterEllison

Workplace Relations

Jonathan Stamatelos, FCB Workplace Law

Financial Services

Sheridan Hanley, Mills Oakley

Workplace 

Jonathan Stamatelos, FCB Workplace Law