Principal Lawyer and Founder of Cardillo Commercial Lawyers, Emilia Cardillo, has become one of the first female Accredited Specialists in Business Law in Newcastle.
Specialist Accreditation is a structured peer-to-peer assessment process enabling legal practitioners to be recognised for their expertise. Each year the Law Society of New South Wales runs the accreditation program for a select number of areas of law.
The program consists of meticulous assessments on both legal knowledge and its application in practice.
Specialist Accreditation Chair and Senior Vice President of The Law Society of NSW, Richard Harvey, said that the process of accreditation is rigorous, with the end results being a great asset to future clients.
“Specialist Accreditation is held by less than 6 per cent of the profession here in New South Wales. We are proud that Specialists Accreditation is such a rigorous process and getting accredited is just the start,” Richard said.
“When a specialist retains their accreditation year on year their clients know the value of the advice they receive.”
For accreditation to be conferred the candidate must pass all assessments. Lawyers must satisfy eligibility criteria when applying for the Specialist Accreditation program demonstrating that they practice predominately in the area in which they are applying for specialist accreditation.
As well as being the first female Accredited Specialist in Business Law in Newcastle, Emilia is one of only eight female Accredited Specialists in Business Law in New South Wales.
Emilia said that receiving accreditation is extremely rewarding, especially as a full time mum and business owner.
“Starting my own law firm while raising my young boys, aged 5 years and 3 years, has been such a great achievement in itself but it’s also extremely exciting to become the first female Accredited Specialist in Business Law in Newcastle,” she said.
“There are so many sources of information available for business owners and entrepreneurs that it can be difficult to cut through the noise to find quality advice. By becoming an Accredited Specialist in Business Law, I’m committing to provide a high level of quality advice and to constantly educate myself on the latest developments in Business Law.”
Emilia’s vision for Cardillo Commercial Lawyers is to create a dedicated practice supporting entrepreneurs at all stages of business and removing barriers to obtaining legal advice.
Her passion for helping entrepreneurs only increased once she launched her own e-commerce business selling children’s clothing, Royal Rhino, while on maternity leave with her second child in 2016.
“As an entrepreneur myself, I was so used to performing many roles within my online business. But only being focused on doing-it-all isn’t necessarily the most effective way to operate and grow. This is why I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs and business owners to use specialised and tailored legal advice to develop and support their business,” Emilia said.
Emilia said that a lot of people tend to be scared by the cost and taboo of legal advice, which has been something Cardillo Commercial Lawyers remain competitive about.
“There is a perception in the start-up phase that legal advice is costly and is something that can wait until further down the track when the business feels more established. However, with our legal market now being so competitive many commercial firms, such as Cardillo Commercial Lawyers, are now providing their clients with pricing clarity by offering fixed fee services,” she said.
“This price clarity along with practical and customised legal advice can help a business develop a strong foundation to deal with key issues such as engaging employees, cash flow management and minimising disputes.”
IMAGE | Emilia Cardillo becomes one of the first Accredited Specialist in Business Law in Newcastle.