Global firm takes MinterEllison construction litigator

Global firm takes MinterEllison construction litigator

Well-known projects and construction litigator Penelope Ford is to leave MinterEllison to join Norton Rose Fulbright in Perth.

With a career of more than 20 years, Ford has worked at some of Australia’s most respected law firms and has considerable in-house experience. She has a strong history of managing construction, oil and gas, and general commercial disputes.

Ms. Ford’s appointment follows that of Phillipa Beck, who returns as a partner to NRF’s Melbourne office having spent years advising on a range of major construction and infrastructure clients on project delivery and disputes, including the Wembley Stadium litigation while at a Magic Circle firm in London.

Both partners join on 12th February.

Mayer Brown JSM appoints new Singapore managing partner

Mayer Brown JSM has announced the successor to its founding managing partner in Singapore.

Pieter de Ridder will succeed Kevin Owen who will retire after more than 20 years with the firm, including leading the construction team in Hong Kong before relocating to head the new office in Singapore in 2011.

His successor brings a quarter of a century of experience from across Asia to the role and says he relishes the opportunity to lead the team in Singapore.

“It is an honor to be taking on the role of managing partner for Singapore, and I am excited about the years ahead for our firm in Southeast Asia,” added Mr. de Ridder. “Our clients’ increasing interest in frontier markets in Asia puts us at a unique advantage, as it is one of the few law firms that has both the breadth of offering and the international platform to serve client needs.”

Appoint a mental health first-aider law firms urged

Law firms should implement key policies to ensure the mental health of their employees according to a recommendation by the Law Society in England & Wales.

Its Junior Lawyers Division has published guidance for best practice to support wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.

A survey it conducted in 2017 found that 90% of junior lawyer respondents had experienced stress in their role, a quarter said this was severe. A quarter also said they had experienced a mental health issue in the past month.

However, the survey found that 23% of those who had a mental health issue had not told their employer.

The JLD wants law firms to help change this with three key areas: support, education & training, and culture.

One of the recommendations is that firms should have a designated ‘mental health first-aider’ who staff could talk to about their issues before taking professional advice.