AS the time for nominations to the WA Business News Legal Elite nears an end, we are pleased to announce that top WA winemaker Howard Park Wines has come aboard to offer a case of mixed reds to a lucky entrant who gets their nomination form in before the May 21 close.
Meanwhile, the trickle of entries is continuing to throw a lot of familiar names up, quite a few new ones are joining the mix.
A few of last year’s category winners are back, leading in the early nominations, including tax specialist Robert Sceales from Sceales & Co, insolvency practitioner Lee Christensen, who has changed partners during the year and now goes under the banner Christensen Vaughan, and environmental planning lawyer Tony van Merwjk from Freehills.
Some other names from our lists last year that are cropping up again in the first samples are Freehills mergers and acquisitions lawyer Rob Franklyn, criminal lawyer John Prior from Williams Ellison, and Mallesons Stephen Jaques banking lawyer John Naughton.
Commercial litigation has been spread thin, as it was last year, with a few names standing out such as Tony Siopis SC from Francis Burt Chambers, Steven Penglis of Freehills, Paul Fitzpatrick of Clayton Utz, and Kirsty Sutherland of Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
Energy lawyer Alan Murray from Mallesons has picked up nominations in this new category. In our barristers list there is an interesting tussle developing between Wayne Martin QC, Bob Richardson and Chris Zelestis QC.
Forms with at least eight lawyers from outside the nominator’s firm entered by 5pm May 21 will be eligible to enter a draw for a case of Howard Park Wines, being six bottles of Howard Park Leston Shiraz and six bottles of Howard Park Scotsdale Cabernet.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from
www.wabusinessnews.com.au
