New Partner at HBA Legal
Date: July 10, 2019
Media Release: Mario Raciti is the latest addition to the partnership team at HBA Legal.
The insurance law specialists elevated Raciti after four and a half years as a Senior Associate, and well over a decade’s experience in Professional Indemnity, Casualty, Dispute Resolution and Subrogated Recoveries.
Managing Director Brett Ablong said Raciti had been fundamental to the firm’s very successful public liability practice in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.
“Mario is a genuine expert in the defendant insurance litigation space and his negotiation skills mean he is a master at dealing with everything from the smallest to the largest of claims.
“Of course becoming a partner is not just about being an exceptional lawyer. When you get to this level, being a great lawyer is a given. But not all great lawyers make great partners,” Ablong said.
“At HBA, being a partner is genuinely about being a team player. We business plan as a team rather than in silos under each individual partner and there are definitely certain skills that are conducive to that environment.
“You have to be a good negotiator in the field and around the boardroom table with your peers: Mario is an asset in this regard and we look forward to the next chapter with him,” Ablong noted.
Raciti said: “I’m excited about what the future holds for me at HBA Legal. It’s the place where I can take my career to the next level and also continue to deliver quality service to our longstanding stable of loyal clients.
“Most firms today talk a lot about values and culture, but I don’t think they all live it day-to-day. At HBA everything we do is genuinely guided by our values and that’s exactly the type of organisation that I want to be a leader in…. largely because that way of operating aligns with my personal values. We do what we say we are going to do,” he said.
In addition, Associate Nik Stanisic has been promoted to Senior Associate. Nik joined HBA in 2015 as a Solicitor, and within 12 months was promoted to Associate. Nik works closely with Raciti.
Eastern States Office Manager Simone Joannou has become Chief of Staff for HBA Legal nationally, supporting co-founders and Directors Brett Ablong (Perth based) and Nathan Hepple (Sydney based).
Ends
About HBA Legal
HBA Legal formed in 2011 as a specialist insurance law firm, with offices in Sydney and Perth and a team of just 11 people. Today HBA services clients across Australia and overseas and has offices in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle, with a team of around 70.
HBA is one of Australia’s leading defendant-only insurance practices, forging the way in creative problem solving and commercially oriented solutions. At inception, HBA removed the shackles of bureaucracy and traditional thinking so often seen in big law firms, enabling true business partnerships with clients. It achieves this the ‘HBA Way’, following NewLaw principles pivoting on flexibility, accessibility and innovation.
HBA’s clients include underwriters, brokers, insurers, insureds, and large self-insured companies. They are car park operators, managers of shopping centres, cleaning companies (and their insurers), transport companies, one of Australia’s most high-profile supermarket giants, hospitals, aged care facilities, doctors, engineers, and accountants.
Media contact:
Sarah Tempest 0402 946 603 sarah.tempest@hbalegal.com