Principal Ben Karalus and consultant Sally Morshead, as well as a junior lawyer and legal secretary, have all joined the national practice.

The new cohort of arrivals to Meridian joined the firm last week.

Mr Karalus, a “skilled insurance litigator and barrister with more than 18 years’ experience”, Meridian said in a statement, has joined the firm’s Melbourne office, while Ms Morshead will be based in the firm’s Sydney office.

The team’s arrival at Meridian marks the third cohort to come over from McCabes in recent times, after a team of 14 lawyers, plus support staff, moved across in mid-April, followed by another eight lawyers and five paralegals in late April, as first reported by Lawyers Weekly.

The news follows Meridian’s promotion of five to more senior roles and appointment of a new chief commercial officer, both in June 2022, here and here.

It also follows McCabes’ own run of high-profile hires of late, including having taken a team from HWL Ebsworth in late March and hiring four new principals in recent months.

Speaking about the newest additions to the firm, Meridian managing director Paul Baker said: “Ben and Sally are outstanding legal professionals, and I am thrilled they have chosen to join our insurance practice. Both have a stellar track record in their areas of expertise, and both have built a reputation synonymous with delivering exemplary legal services to clients.

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“It is an exciting time for our business.

“Our growth plans for our national insurance practice are being realised, and our insurance capabilities have expanded with the addition of CTP expertise to our business recently and now with the addition of a dedicated national recoveries practice.”

Elsewhere, consultant Monique Purcell has joined Meridian, in the new role of client relationships and strategy specialist. She will assist, the firm noted, in the “transition/integration process” for its bolstered team.

She brings, the firm added, over two decades of strategic client management expertise to the business.