Hunter health and aged care lawyer, Catherine Henry, has taken out a top honour at the prestigious Australian Law Awards held on Friday (August 7) night.

The principal of Newcastle-based Catherine Henry Lawyers was named Regional-Suburban Lawyer of the Year.

Ms Henry was one of 10 finalists vying for the award. Her firm was also one of eight finalists for Regional-Suburban Law Firm of the Year Award.

She said she is humbled by the nominations and thrilled to have won over some very accomplished peers.

Ms Henry has pioneered bringing health, aged care law and elder law services, usually only available from capital city law firms, to regional NSW since returning to work in Newcastle more than a decade ago.

“It is really important that people who have experienced poor health care and aged care in regional areas have access to the highest quality representation to gain redress and justice,” Ms Henry said.

“Litigation is a way to hit poor operators and providers where it hurts – in their hip pockets – and thereby forcing positive change in healthcare standards,” she said.

She is continuing to expand and diversify her firm’s health law, aged care law and elder law services including developing a health disciplinary practice representing health professionals whose conduct has been questioned or prosecuted by health regulatory bodies. The firm is also doing work in challenging health decisions, preparing contracts for assisted reproduction, as well as health transactional work which give rise to both health and consumer law remedies. Expanded aged care and elder law services include aged care advocacy (accommodation disputes and challenging and negotiating aged care contracts) and financial elder abuse.

“We are representing more than 80 women who have received poor medical care from disgraced doctors – representing them individually rather than via a class action.”

“Some clients were rejected by capital city law firms but we are taking them on.”

“This year we have maintained our 100 per cent success rate in medical litigation cases thanks to my expert health law team.”

“Not many firms take on the confronting task of representing the frail aged, particularly in regional areas.”

Ms Henry said she is passionate about using the law to achieve health and aged care reform and to advocate vulnerable groups. She is also the Australian Lawyers Alliance national spokesperson on aged care and elder law.

The national award is not the only recent accolade for Ms Henry. She is one of only two lawyers in the Doyle’s Guide list of New South Wales’ top medical negligence and malpractice compensation lawyers that are based outside of Sydney. She has been recognised in the Guide three years running.

The Australian Law Awards is in its 20th year.