Diversity Honours for HBA Partner
Date: March 29, 2019
Media Release: HBA Partner Dr Andrew Lu OAM has been honoured with the first-ever Diversity Leader Award, presented by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) (WA Branch).
The Diversity Leader Award recognises a lawyer who has shown true commitment to the core aims of the AALA: promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the law as well as greater cultural diversity in leadership.
At the AALA Lunar New Year Celebration in Perth last night, President Belinda Wong paid tribute to Dr Lu’s personal and professional achievements, and his unwavering support of the Association.
“Andrew Lu has achieved so much, given so much and been so generous with his time over many years – in fact, he has done this right from the outset of his career,” Ms Wong said.
“We have recognised Dr Lu as a strong advocate for equity and diversity, not only within the legal community but in the Australian community at large.”
Dr Lu said he was humbled to be recognised.
“I am fortunate to have colleagues in the legal profession who inspire me with their examples of empathy and respect. Fostering inclusion in practice begins with the willingness to listen and learn from each other, share experiences, and work with allies to champion the value of genuine diversity.
“At HBA Legal, we are a young firm, acknowledging and embracing the benefits of different perspectives – we have a managing partner whose own mixed cultural background makes him one of the few managing partners in an Australian law practice with Chinese heritage.”
Dr Lu added: “Our team also includes very many talented women lawyers, some who have come to our profession later in life; young stars who have taken less traditional paths or graduated from some of Australia’s newer law schools; recent migrants; and first-in-family lawyers. We also have people of different faiths, who are LGBTIQ+, and lawyers who choose to work part-time and remotely. For us, it’s about striving to reflect the diversity of our clients and of society.”
Dr Lu’s community work extends across the country: he actively promotes good governance in the Arts as a non-executive director of the Arts Law Centre of Australia, Australian Youth Orchestra, and the National Gallery of Australia Foundation. He is a member of the Council of the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation and a respected Arts philanthropist, adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia Law School, and a sessional (part-time) member of the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal.
Dr Lu received the Order of Australia medal in 2008 and a 40 Under 40 Award in 2017 for professional services and community investment. He holds masters and doctoral degrees in Law, is a Fellow of ANZIIF, and in 2018 was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
HBA Legal’s Managing Partner Brett Ablong said Dr Lu embodies all the values of the firm and should be seen as a true role model to other lawyers.
Media contact:
Sarah Tempest, HBA Legal, sarah.tempest@hbalegal.com, 0402 946 603
