With a passion project called Counsel, it makes sense that Mel Scott would be in the running for the 2023 Queensland Law Society (QLS) In-house Counsel of the Year Award.
Mel, the Senior Legal Counsel at Megaport Limited, said she was honoured to receive the award at Saturday night’s QLS Excellence in Law Gala at Brisbane City Hall.
“Thanks to QLS for creating a space for our little portion of the profession, and what we see and do,” she said.
“I want to congratulate other finalists, in particular Philip Ware who is like the godfather of Queensland in-house, in a good way. Also I want to thank my legal eagles at Megaport.
“I dedicate this win to my mother Kerry Storey, who taught me you can be a leader with kindness, empathy and love and compassion.”
Mel launched Counsel, a self-made podcast about in-house lawyer life, during the first COVID-19 lockdown. She is a passionate advocate for in-house services and also shares career insights for law students and graduates on Instagram and TikTok under the moniker @theinhouselawyer.
Mel has worked in-house for eight years across multiple industries such as aviation, infrastructure, financial services and now, cloud computing. She has served as the In-House Advisor to the Women Lawyers Association Queensland. She is also a founding Board Member of the Centre for Legal Innovation’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Board.
Workplace Culture & Health Award (Organisation)
Charles Hartley and Julie Miehe receive their award.
Keypoint Law Consulting Principals Julie Miehe and Charles Hartley said they were not used to the spotlight on accepting the Workplace Culture & Health Award (Organisation) Award from Kateena Mills of Davy Partners.
“We really didn’t think we would win tonight with such incredible people here,” Charles said. “We were nominated last year and didn’t win. So I guess this is second time lucky.
“We are one of the fastest-growing firms in the country but we will ring and check people are doing the school runs.”
Julie said Keypoint’s work culture was important.
“We want to people to enjoy being ourselves while being lawyers, ” she said.
“The Australian Financial Review reported that we are one of top 10 destinations for female lawyers. People are happy when they feel important and respected.
“We have set a platform for our people to be the best they can be.”
Established in 2014, Keypoint Law is a national mid-tier law firm pioneering a paradigm shift for the benefit of both lawyers and clients. The result is a thriving, multi-award-winning firm, of 60 partner-level lawyers, working across 25 areas of law in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Canberra.
QLS President Chloé Kopilović who presented some of the awards on the night, congratulated all nominees.
“Through your dedication to excellence you have touched the lives of those around you, going above and beyond for the clients, organisations, and communities you represent,” she said.
“To the judges that served on this year’s judging panels, my sincere thanks for your commitment to performing this challenging role. We appreciate the time and effort you have given to assist us with this important assignment.
“While judging this year’s nominees was far from an easy task, it was an extremely rewarding one. I was privileged to serve as a judge on several awards panels this year – and the experience filled me with pride in our profession.
“To be a finalist among such an enormously talented pool of nominees is an accomplishment in itself and I would like to congratulate all tonight’s finalists on this exceptional achievement.
“You have set the standard for excellence and inspired your peers and colleagues with your knowledge, expertise, and dedication to the practise of law.
“To those who took the time to nominate a peer, colleague, or organisation – thank you. You have helped us shine a light on the extraordinary achievements of solicitors across a diverse range of sectors, areas of practice and regions in Queensland
“This year is particularly significant for QLS, as we celebrate 150 years of leadership, guidance, and support for the profession.
“From its inception the Society’s vision was to be a force for good – to empower good lawyers, advocate for good law and serve the public good as a vital part of the justice system
“The QLS Excellence in Law Awards are a celebration of that founding vision and recognise the crucial role ‘good lawyers’ play in achieving it.”
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