Celebrating the extraordinary pro bono contributions to Australia’s arts communities
Arts Law awarded a limited edition print specifically commissioned for the event to the 34 lawyers and professionals who made a significant pro bono contribution to Arts Law’s clients – the artists and arts organisations of Australia. In 2016 Arts Law commissioned Canberra based artist Sally Mumford’s etching The Evolution of the Written Alphabet.
In addition to presenting the awards, we also launched our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). CEO of Arts Law, Robyn Ayres said “The arts and culture provide an exciting door through which many Australians can enter to commence a journey to better understanding and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures.”
President of Arts Law, Justice Margaret Beazley AO, paid tribute to the importance of the RAP, while noting the looming cut to community legal centre funding, saying “This time next year CLCs are facing a 30% cut, which will hugely affect the ability of Arts Law to maintain the level of its services, including its Artists in the Black program. CLCs need to be properly funded. As the Productivity Commission itself has recognised, “they are very good value for money and need an injection of funding to meet current needs”.
In this climate the importance of pro bono support for artists is huge, without their help Arts Law could not work to empower the artists of Australia.
Arts Law also takes the opportunity to award the Arts Community Pro Bono Award to a lawyer who provides outstanding assistance to an arts organisation. In 2016 it was awarded to Dr Andrew Lu OAM of Jarman McKenna, who was nominated by the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University for his assistance in acquiring the First Fleet Piano belonging to George Worgan, along with 130 other historical keyboard instruments from a private collection in Western Sydney.
The full list of award winners is below. You can also read our RAP here.
For further information about this story contact Robyn Ayres, Executive Director of Arts Law on 02 9356 2566 or email [email protected].
2016 Pro Bono Award Winners
Jonathan Adamopoulos, Allens Linklaters
Alexandra George, UNSW Faculty of Law
Melissa Goode, Herbert Smith Freehills
Elizabeth Burrows, Influence Legal
Tracy Lu, Allens Linklaters
Deborah Yates, JLL Australia
Michael Easton, Michael Easton Legal
Moira McKenzie, GI & Sanicki Lawyers
Nicholas Smith, Blackstone Chambers
Tim Guy, Funtastic Limited
Yasmin Naghavi, Media Arts Lawyers
Andrew Cameron, Brett Oaten Solicitors
Ben Kay, Kay & Hughes
Clare Young, Simpsons Solicitors
Darren Sanicki, GI & Sanicki Lawyers
Gordon Babe, St James Hall
Jake Blundell, Kennedy's Law
Jim Lennon, Norton Rose Fullbright
Jules Munro, Simpsons Solicitors
Katherine Giles, ABC Legal Services
Mandy Chapman, Beyond International
Mandy van den Elshout, ABC Legal Services
Michael Tucak, Creative Legal
Nicole Murdoch, Bennett & Philp
Rob Clark, Tenth Floor Chambers
Sam Berry, Holding Redlich
Stephanie Faulkner, Wrays Lawyers
Stephen Digby, Digby Law
Troy Gurnett, Bird & Bird
Garey Campbell, Event management and NACLC accreditation
Ray and Anton Heckendorf, Redesign of Arts Law’s logo
Chris Rumore, Colin Biggers & Paisley – Artists in the Black outreach
Hannah Rose, Sparke Helmore – assistance with Arts Law publications
Arts Community Pro Bono Award
Dr Andrew Lu OAMJarman McKenna (partner)