A self-confessed aviation geek, In-house Counsel Shannon O’Hara flew through a list of adjectives to describe why loves her work.
The QBE Insurance lawyer won the In-house Counsel of the Year award at the Queensland Law Society Excellence in Law Awards in Brisbane on Saturday night.
“The work of an aviation lawyer, and an aviation industry advocate, is intense,” Shannon told the City Hall audience after making her way to the stage to the Danger Zone song from Top Gun.
“It is fascinating, it’s challenging, it’s exciting, it’s heart-breaking, humbling, at times infuriating but it’s also inspiring.
“There are many successes and some days when it feels like too much, on those days, I think of the courageous and trailblazing women who have come before me in aviation and I want to be able to continue the work they started.
“This award is theirs as much as it’s mine.”
Shannon leads industry relations where she champions aviation safety, diversity and leadership. One of her social media posts says that she lives, breathes and loves aviation law, aviation insurance law, and the Australian aviation and aerospace industry.
And that passion shows with her commitment to the industry. She sits on the Boards of Aviation Aerospace Australia, the Australian Helicopter Industry Association and Women in Aviation Australian Chapter. Shannon is the Immediate Past President of the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, and was its first female President.
In 2020, Shannon was appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister to the Future of Aviation Reference Panel and is a current member of CASA’s Aviation Safety Advisory Panel.
Despite her impressive contribution to the industry, Shannon said she was “humbled” by the award.
“I did make some notes. I am very humbled to receive this award tonight, particularly in the company of two outstanding finalists who are alongside me.
“I would also like to thank my aviation and legal colleagues at QBE and my community of incredible supporters who are both here tonight and spread far and wide around Australia.
“I’d especially like to thank and acknowledge my husband Tim and our two children, and families who consistently show up and support my passion for aviation law and the Australian aviation industry.”
Jaya Prasad is congratulated by Rebecca Fogerty
and award partner Lauren Dare.
Jaya Prasad from the New Hope Group, who won the Emerging Leader Award, also thanked her supporters and employer.
“Thank you to the Queensland Law Society for not only this award but putting on this amazing event to recognise all the talented and inspiring lawyers in this field, not only in this category but across the awards tonight,” she said.
“Thank you to my employer, New Hope Group, who supported me in nominating me for this award and gave me the confidence to feel like this was something I was worthy of.”
She also thanked her partner for dropping her at work and picking her up from work when the buses and trains don’t go, and “put up with me through all the stress that comes with being a lawyer”.
Jaya also supported Graduate Lawyer of the Year Isabella Busby’s comments earlier in the evening, saying “in getting involved and giving back to the profession, I get that a lot because I work in corporate and commercial practice I don’t get to do the good lawyer stuff but it is amazing that I have an employer that gives me the opportunity to give back through volunteer work, through pro bono work, through inspiring the next generation of professionals. So I am really grateful I get the opportunity to do that and I encourage you all to do the same thing.”
Jaya is also Assistant Company Secretary at New Hope Group, advising on regulatory and corporate governance matters affecting the mining industry. Her previous experience includes roles with the Energy and Resources team at Herbert Smith Freehills, a secondment with Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure, Bravus Mining (a part of the Adani Group), and with KPMG.
As part of her volunteer involvement in the energy and resources industry, Jaya is President of the Young Professionals Committee for the Energy and Resources Law Association, Co-Secretary for the Queensland Branch of ER Law, Secretary of Young Mining Professionals Brisbane and Secretary of WISER – Women in Sustainable Energy and Resources.
Dare Recruitment was the award partner for Emerging Leader Award.
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