New litigation firm has niche in employment law

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8: Lawyer Juliana Snelling has signed up with a new law firm.

Ms Snelling has quit Mello, Jones and Martin — where she worked for more than 15 years — to set up Canterbury Law with barrister Paul Harshaw.

Ms Snelling said: “I’m very excited about a new partnership and a new firm — Paul’s practice and mine will complement each other beautifully.”

Ms Snelling, a specialist in general civil litigation with a focus on employment law, has joined forces with Mr Harshaw, who works in commercial and public law.

She said: “Canterbury is a boutique litigation firm with a niche in employment law — we’re both really looking forward to a new challenge.”

Ms Snelling added that employment law was a growth area in Bermuda as companies contracted in the wake of the global recession.

But she said: “It’s not just about redundancy and severance, though. There are a lot of mergers in the insurance industry going on and people want to protect their existing contracts of employment.”

Ms Snelling added that a small law firm in Bermuda could capitalize on conflicts of interest which affect larger practices.

She said: “We reap the benefits of conflict work — we’re already seeing the benefit of that.”

The new firm will officially be open for business on March 1, based in the Swan Building in Hamilton’s Victoria Street.

Ms Snelling is currently acting as a consultant to Harshaw & Co. to ensure a smooth transition into the new law firm.

Ms Snelling, 44, a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of St John’s College, Oxford, graduated with distinction in 1993 and was called to the bar of England & Wales the following year.

She earlier graduated with a BA in History with distinction from California’s Stanford University.

She became a member of the Bermuda Bar in 1995, joining Mello, Jones and Martin in 1996. She became only the second woman partner in the firm’s history in 2001.

UK business publication Corporation INTL awarded her a Global Award in Employment Law Excellence in 2010. Ms Snelling is a keen golfer, winning the Bermuda Ladies’ Stroke Play Golf Championship aged just 17 and successfully competed in junior tournaments abroad. She has served for several years on the Board of Trustees for Government golf courses and founded a scholarship for young Bermudians to attend golf school abroad. She has also served on the Treatment of Offenders Board, the Tax Appeals Tribunal, the professional conduct committee of the Bermuda Bar Association and on the Warwick Academy Alumni Association.

In addition, Ms Snelling is a volunteer lawyer at The Centre in Hamilton’s Angle Street and regularly takes on legal aid and pro bono cases. Mr Harshaw said: “Juliana is a very good fit with my existing practice. We complement each other in what we do. We will be able to cover for each other and support each other.

“I’ve been working on my own for more than three years and I’m looking forward to having another lawyer to work with.”.