Meritas is the most established independent law firm group in the world and is made up of 183 different firms across 254 markets with almost nine thousand lawyers.
The group was established in 1990 and is led by an elected 21-member board and this year an Australian, Bennett & Philp Director Andrew Lambros was named as the first representative for a decade to come from the Australasian region.
Further, two Australians Swaab Partner James Skelton and DMAW Lawyers Senior Associate, Nicole Mead, were appointed to the 16-member Emerging Leaders Advisory Board as secretary and board member respectively.
Swaab’s Managing Partner, Mary Digiglio, also continues her global roles being Chair of the “Well Being In The Law” initiative and on the Leadership Council for the Women’s Leadership Congress.
In Australasia, Meritas is made up of Swaab (Sydney), Madgwicks (Melbourne), Bennett & Philp (Brisbane), DMAW Lawyers (Adelaide), Williams & Hughes (Perth) and Martelli McKegg (Auckland).
Mr Lambros said he is honoured to be elected to the board, not only as a representative of Australia, but also to help drive Meritas as a brand and network for all its member firms.
“Australia and New Zealand are globally cutting edge in many areas of law firm management and business development. I would expect more Australians will join the leadership team in the future.”
Mr Skelton said that participating in the Meritas Emerging Leaders Advisory Board had helped him develop as a leader. “The connections made and skills learnt over the last few years have been important to my career progression at Swaab and in the law generally,” he said. “As a former councillor of the Law Society of NSW I have been active in legal leadership before, but this takes it onto the international stage.”
Likewise, fellow Meritas Emerging Leaders board member, Nicole Mead said she hoped to make a significant contribution to Meritas in the future. “It’s pleasing that an Adelaide-based lawyer such as myself can make a difference to the management and success of law firms across the world and show that Aussie firms can mix it with the best in the US, Europe, and Asia,” she said.
About Meritas
Meritas is a global alliance of independent, market-leading law firms that provides legal services to companies looking to effectively capture opportunities and solve issues anywhere in the world. Clients benefit from local knowledge, collective strength, and new efficiencies when they work with Meritas law firms. The personal attention and care they experience is part of Meritas’ industry-first commitment to the utmost in quality of service and putting client priorities above all else.
Founded in 1990, Meritas has member firms in 254 markets worldwide with nearly 9,000 dedicated, collaborative lawyers.
To locate a Meritas resource for a specific need or in a certain market, visit Meritas.org.
The article was published on Lawyers Weekly 29 June 23 refer link
