Finalists and winners 2024

Winners in gold writing on dark blue background
Coby Foster

Access to Justice Award 2024

Coby Foster, Norton Rose Fulbright

Agnes McWhinney Award 2024

Elizabeth Shearer, Shearer Doyle Law

Emerging Leader Award 2024

Jaya Prasad, New Hope Group

Employer of Choice Award 2024

Results Legal

First Nations Solicitor of the Year Award 2024

Serrina Kenny, First Nations Women’s Legal Services

First Nations Student Award 2024

Kiara Petterson, Bond University

Graduate Lawyer of the Year Award 2024

Isabella Busby, Allens

In-house Counsel of the Year Award 2024

Shannon O’Hara, QBE Insurance

Pride in Law Award 2024

Christopher Peppel, Carter Newell

Pro Bono Team of the Year Award 2024

HopgoodGanim Lawyers

Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Sole Practitioner) Award 2024

Anna Morgan, Take Control Legal

Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Small Firm) Award 2024

Trent Wakerley, Kruger Law

Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Large Firm) Award 2024

Brett Heading, Hamilton Locke

Regional Practitioner of the Year Award 2024

Mark Fenlon, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Blue banner with Finalists in bold gold font

Access to Justice Award  

  • Sarah Atkinson, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
  • Coby Foster, Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Stephen Grace, LawRight
  • Jerry Tucker, Bottoms English Lawyers

Emerging Leader Award 

  • Nicholas Collier, Legal Services Commission
  • Charlotte Evans, Results Legal
  • Kate Molkentin, Results Legal
  • Laryssa Perkins, McCullough Robertson
  • Christopher Peppel, Carter Newell
  • Jaya Prasad, New Hope Group

First Nations Student Award

  • Juliet Biemann, University of Queensland
  • Letitica Horsey, University of Queensland
  • Stephanie Luyt, James Cook University
  • Kiara Petterson, Bond University
  • Rikisha Phineasa, James Cook University
  • Jeremy Rigney, University of Southern Queensland
  • Isabella Strauss, Queensland University of Technology
  • Ruby Traucnieks, University of Queensland

Graduate Lawyer of the Year 

  • Isabella Busby, Allens
  • Christine Eldridge, Shine Lawyers
  • Paige Hetherington, Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers
  • Yakira Walmsley, Francis Family Law
  • Jingyi (Veronika) Xiao, Results Legal


In-House Counsel of the Year 

  • Shannon O'Hara, QBE Insurance
  • Lisa Parker, Queensland Country Bank
  • Andrew Stathooles, Office of Industrial Relations, Workplace Health and Safety

Queensland Solicitor of the Year - Large Firm 20+ PCS 

  • Crispian Carlowe, Unified Lawyers
  • Danielle Gill, Taylor Rose Australia
  • Brett Heading, Hamilton Locke
  • Lisa Taylor, Taylor Rose Australia
  • Jonathan Walsh, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers


Queensland Solicitor of the Year - Small Firm 2-19 PCS 

  • James Harding, Harding Property Law
  • Leeha James, James Law
  • Robert Sykes, AdAstra Legal
  • George Sourris, Empire Legal
  • Trent Wakerley, Kruger Law

Queensland Solicitor of the Year - Sole Practitioner 

  • Rachael Bosnjak, Passage Legal
  • John Christian, Victor Legal
  • Charles Londy, Londy Lawyers
  • Anna Morgan, Take Control Legal
  • Nikolina Tully, Tully Law

Regional Practitioner of the Year Award 

  • Kylie Anderson, Legal Aid Queensland
  • Mark Fenlon, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
  • Vicki Jackson, South Geldard
  • Beth Rolton, Travis Schultz & Partners
  • Tanya Straguszi, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

The judging panels have confirmed winners for the following categories and will proceed directly to the announcement at the QLS Excellence in Law Awards Gala:

 

  • Agnes McWhinney Award
  • Employer of Choice Award, presented by legalsuper
  • First Nations Solicitor of the Year Award
  • Pride in Law Award
  • Pro Bono Team of the Year