Clients value, the firm said in a statement, “James’ breadth of expertise in coverage and defence of insurance matters, particularly in the areas of professional indemnity and employment practice liability”.

“Since joining the firm in 2013, James has been an avid contributor to thought leadership, regularly writing articles and presenting on insurance and coverage-related matters, often alongside clients,” it said.

Gilchrist Connell managing principal Richard Wood said: “One of the best parts of running a law firm is to see really good people coming through to our senior ranks. James’ promotion is a great example of that — he has long been a vital part of our practice in the important WA market and is a valued team member.”

Perth office head principal Deborah Templeman added: “We are delighted to have a fourth principal in our Perth office, from within our own ranks.

“The timing is excellent, given the period of rapid growth in Perth, which has increased in size by more than a third since 2020 to 35 people. James is very highly regarded by all stakeholders in our market, and we know they will be thrilled to see him in this new role.”

The promotion of Mr Duffy is the latest in a trend of internal principal promotions by the firm, with the principal cohort having grown 28 per cent since January 2021.

Of this 28 per cent, the firm said, 83 per cent were internal promotions, and the remaining 27 per cent were lateral recruits.

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Gilchrist Connell chief people officer Belinda Cohen noted: “We take pride in realising the potential of our people and are committed to nurturing the professional development and promotion of our colleagues.”