Acuiti Legal has promoted Jennifer Harris and Stephanie Fischl to senior associate. Harris has extensive experience in the property and finance sector, and advises on commercial property acquisitions, acts for borrowers and lenders and drafts construction contracts. Fischl is focused on the electricity industry, and has been providing advice on renewable energy projects.

Solicitor Melissa Holzberger has returned to commercial law firm Thomson Playford following 14 months in Scotland. Holzberger undertook a Master of Laws in Resources Law and Policy while in Scotland. Her studies focused on the petroleum and mining industries.

Gilshenan & Luton Lawyers has promoted Cecily Tucker and Kerrie Bolte to senior associate. Tucker is in the compensation insurance and administrative law section. Bolte specialises in superannuation. Stuart O’Neill has accepted the role of associate. O’Neill works in the firm’s business services section with a focus on taxation law.

Middletons Lawyers recently appointed Sophie Caples as a solicitor in its commercial litigation group, specialising in energy and resources. Sophie was previously with Allens Arthur Robinson.

Minter Ellison announced 51 new appointments last week, including one partner, Fred Kinmouth, and five special counsels. Fred Kinmouth has become a partner in the firm’s corporate section. New special counsels are: Samantha Downes, in the firm’s insurance and corporate risk section; Naomi Kelly and Kerrie O’Callaghan in construction, engineering and mining; Beverly Kennedy in real estate; and Gary Lanham in revenue. The other 45 were appointed as senior associates.

Perth commercial law firm, Jackson McDonald, has promoted Lisa Chighine, Melanie Mistilis and Miriam Power as to associate. Chighine and Power are members of the firm’s commercial litigation team. Chighine works mainly in the fields of commercial, local government and intellectual property law. Power specialises in commercial, industrial relations and defamation litigation. Mistilis specialises in energy law and competition policy.

Marcel Kalfus this month joined Holding Redlich as special counsel in the firm’s property, environment and construction group. He was formerly a senior partner at KNPW Lawyers. Other recent appointments are: Steven Kouris as a partner in the commercial dispute resolution group and Rachel Pauling as a senior associate, also in the property environment and construction group.

Perth barrister Ian Weldon took over as the new President of the Law Society of Western Australia on 1 January. Weldon replaced Elizabeth Heenan. He studied at Oxford and London and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1977. He migrated to Australia in 1986. Weldon has practised extensively in criminal law, as well as mining, personal injuries, probate, wills and trusts and family law. He is current author of the LexisNexis publication Criminal Law Western Australia.