Gilchrist Connell welcomes three senior lawyers

Gilchrist Connell has boosted its general insurance and defendant-side dispute resolution offerings with the appointment of three senior lawyers.

The firm has welcomed special counsel Ninwe Younan and senior associates Hannah Griffiths and Zoë Cunich from three different firms.

Younan was most recently associate director at WARD Lawyers, which was gobbled up by global firm DWF in March. She brings to Gilchrist Connell extensive experience in dispute resolution, with a particular focus on defending complex litigation, including D&O and class-action matters. She also acts on contractual claims, disputes regarding terms of trade, investigations, recovery matters, and employment-related claims, the firm said.

Younan has represented insurers and corporates, and their directors, in a wide range of sectors including agriculture and forestry, mining, health, engineering, manufacturing, and transport.

Griffiths, who moved from Colin Biggers & Paisley, is an expert in insolvency litigation and restructuring. She was also previously with McInnes Wilson Lawyers, DibbsBarker, and Mills Oakley.

Cunich specialises in insurance, commercial litigation, and dispute resolution. She made the move from Wotton + Kearney. She also previously practiced at HWL Ebsworth.

The appointments follow that of senior associate Sarah Tehan, who commenced at the firm late last year and completed the new Melbourne-based liability team. She moved to the firm from Ligeti Partners in a team headed by two principals.

“These highly talented people take our team to over 75 lawyers – all dedicated to general insurance and defendant-side dispute resolution. We are one of the largest specialised groups in the country in that regard,” said Richard Wood, Gilchrist Connell managing principal. “We’ve tripled in size since launching GC in 2008 and continue to be gratified that senior solicitors of this calibre are attracted by our values, culture, approach and opportunities – especially as the competition for good people is much greater now.”

Ninwe Younan, Hannah Griffiths, and Zoë Cunich