Sparke Helmore has promoted Anella Bortone, Emma Gruschka, and Naomi Simmons to partner.
From Sparke Helmore's Insurance Statutory Lines Practice, Bortone advises clients on Commonwealth statutory classes of insurance claims and acts for insurers, self-insurers, employers, government agencies, and companies. In addition, she has extensive experience managing litigated matters and providing strategic pre-litigation advice to clients.
Bortone is also an active participant in the Commonwealth insurance industry and a member of the Law Council of Australia's Commonwealth Compensation and Employment Law Committee.
Gruschka is an experienced workplace lawyer providing advice on employment and workplace health and safety (WHS) issues for clients in diverse sectors – including mining, transport, financial services, insurance, healthcare, and government. She works with CEOs, HR and WHS executives, and operations managers, guiding them through difficult situations, ranging from internal investigations and disciplinary matters to unfair dismissal and general protections claims.
Gruschka assists clients with enterprise bargaining, terms and conditions of employment, and organisational restructures. She also helps improve workplace safety by developing WHS policies and procedures, advising on legislative compliance, and devising practical training.
Simmons is an accredited specialist in local government and planning law and she also practises environmental law. She focuses on land and environment court litigation, drafting and negotiating planning agreements, and advising on planning and environment legislation in NSW.
Simmons assists clients to understand their statutory obligations and solve legal problems arising in the local government, planning, or environment fields. She also ensures legislative requirements and clients' objectives are met and that their rights are protected when providing advice, negotiating planning agreements, or acting in planning appeals or pollution investigations and prosecutions.
Commenting on the promotions, Sparke Helmore national managing partner Phillip Salem said: “I'm so proud to see the appointment of Anella, Emma, and Naomi to our growing partnership. For such outstanding people from different practice groups to come through our ranks just demonstrates the depth of talent that we have developing nationally.
“In fact, these three exceptionally talented lawyers – who are recognised as leaders in their respective areas of law and who are also wonderful people – have each been part of the Sparke Helmore family since shortly after their admission to practice.”
