Gilchrist Connell, an Australian insurance sector law firm that earned Insurance Business Australia's (IB) 5-Star Insurance Law Firms and Lawyers award in 2021, has promoted Helen Tieu and Malcolm Wood to principals in the Sydney team, effective July 1, 2022.
Tieu joined Gilchrist Connell's insurance practice in 2020, advising insurers on coverage and liability issues arising from directors' and officers' (D&O) liability, financial institutions, and professional indemnity claims. She regularly acts as defence counsel for insureds within Australia and overseas. An award-winning insurance law specialist, she was recognised in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia for her work in insurance law and was a finalist in the Special Counsel of the Year award at the 2021 Women in Law Awards.
Meanwhile, Wood has a wealth of experience litigating non-claims disputes and provides insurers and corporations with regulatory advice. He has been with Gilchrist Connell since 2017, successfully running hybrid practice across litigation and corporate transactional matters. In his litigated practice, he acts for professionals, directors and officers, financial institutions, and internationally based primary and excess layer insurers. In his corporate practice, he advises, negotiates, and drafts transaction documents regarding sales, private mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, share buy-backs, foreign investment review board regulation, and construction law matters.
Gilchrist Connell managing principal Richard Wood commented that Tieu and Wood had been much respected by their clients and colleagues since joining the firm. “The firm continues to go from strength to strength, particularly in the Sydney market, and Helen and Malcolm have been an important part of that,” he added.
The promotions of Tieu and Wood follow Gilchrist Connell's senior appointments in March 2022. Now, the firm has more than 120 expert lawyers and other legal staff across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. While it works across all Australian jurisdictions, the firm has proven experience assisting clients with insurance claims in the US, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the London markets.
