Media Release | 23 June 2015

Melissa Zen acknowledged as a talent to watch by Lawyers Weekly’s 30 under 30 Awards

Hall & Wilcox is pleased to announce that one of its young lawyers, Melissa Zen, has been recognized as one of the winners in Lawyers Weekly’s annual 30 under 30 Awards, which identifies Australia’s emerging legal talent.

Melissa works in our financial services and insurance practice, and was part of the team from Sparke Helmore which came across to Hall & Wilcox.

Daniel Stoddart, a partner in the financial services and insurance practice, has worked with Melissa for seven years and says she is already having a positive impact for clients. “Melissa is a talented and hardworking lawyer who has already been involved in two cases which set precedents on novel points of law. She is a great asset to our clients.”

Quoted in a Lawyers Weekly article, Melissa said young lawyers are able to challenge the way in which insurance law is practised, with positive results: “I think that by bringing my Gen Y way of thinking to the industry, I bring a fresh approach and question things perhaps more than other lawyers who accept things as they are on the premise that they have always been a certain way.”

She also said soft skills are vital for insurance lawyers, whose clients are often experiencing loss or personal upheaval. “In being passionate and empathetic towards people who find themselves in less than desirable circumstances, I believe I am contributing to changing the way in which people view insurance and the legal profession as a whole.”