The Barry Nilsson principal wants to see young people excited about the industries she works in
For Melanie Quixley, maintaining ethics and professionalism is critical in the wake of cost expectation management, delivery speed and evolving technology.
The Barry Nilsson insurance and health principal is also passionate about mentoring, and in the second half of this interview, she discusses why the legal and insurance industries need to attract young people who are excited about these fields too.
What is going on at Barry Nilsson? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
One initiative I’m excited about is the firm’s sponsorship of the annual Young Insurance
Professionals (YIPs) and Barry Nilsson Next Gen Insurance Leader Award. This award, which is part of our ongoing sponsorship of YIPs, celebrates the innovative thinking and leadership potential of young professionals in the insurance industry.
I have always been passionate about mentoring and investing in junior lawyers and helping them achieve career success. Both the legal profession and the insurance industry must ensure that young people are excited about our industries and that we are attracting and retaining the top talent.
The Insurance Council of Australia recently released its Insurance Industry Talent Roadmap, identifying the importance of this issue. At BN we also recognise that, and supporting the career development of emerging leaders through this award is just one of the ways we’re contributing to a vibrant and sustainable future for the insurance sector.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the firm, if any, are you most excited about?
There’s no doubt that generative AI will be part of the future of many aspects of how we live and do business, including insurance and law; however, the recent practice direction and guideline for judges from the New South Wales Supreme Court about the use of generative AI is a timely reminder that we have to take care and consider the limits, risk and shortcomings of generative AI programs and not just the opportunities they present. Given the need under the practice direction that authors independently verify that case law and legislative references identified by generative AI programs actually exist, we have quite a way to go!
What should the profession focus more on?
Working in insurance you’re not just part of the legal industry but also the insurance industry. As insurance lawyers, we have to be acutely aware of the duties we owe as lawyers, but also that our insurer clients owe to their insureds. Maintaining the highest level of professionalism is something that we must keep front and centre. With the challenges of managing cost expectations, speed of delivery and ever-changing technology, ethics and professionalism cannot fall down the list of priorities.
What are the challenges you expect in your practice, and in the business of law in general, going forward? What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
As a lawyer working in insurance litigation we work hand in hand with insurers, and the challenges that face them are consequently challenges for us as well. For example, recently the report from the inquiry into insurer responses to 2022 major flood claims highlighted the need for insurers to continue to improve their practices in the face of natural disasters to support consumers. That cannot happen in a vacuum and service providers to the insurance industry, like law firms, need to also adapt and grow with insurer clients in their claims handling practices.