By Peter Oglos.
Fox Sports Australia’s star legal counsel Calli Tsipidis has been named a finalist in two categories for the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards, with the Greek Australian expressing that the achievement is an incredible gesture for the hard work throughout her career.
The Australian Law Awards are the top national awards program for Australia’s legal profession and provides an unparalleled opportunity for people in the business of law.
Calli was named a finalist in two categories – In-House Lawyer of the Year and Rising Star of the Year. Speaking to The Greek Herald, Calli said the nomination for the award bolsters her hope that the work she is undergoing is “contributing to something worthwhile”.
“It’s nice to know that the work that I’m doing is being recognised, but that it’s also valued by the people around me, whether it’s my clients that I work with internally or externally or my peers in my team. It’s just a really lovely gesture to be recognised in that way,” Calli said to the The Greek Herald.
Boasting a life-long passion for sports since high school, Calli became a legal intern for the Football Federation Australia before eventually joining the Fox Sports Australia and Foxtel Group’s Legal Counsel team.
“When the opportunity came to work in-house, I was very excited, particularly as a big sports fan,” Calli said.
“Fox Sports was the right decision for me and I had done an internship for six months at FFA beforehand, which gave me really good insight into how lawyers can work well within a business that works in sports, and how they can contribute to that business and its end goal, and be valued members of that business as well.”
Calli was also named a finalist earlier this year in the Lawyers Weekly Corporate Counsel Awards 2021, for Sports and Entertainment Lawyer of the Year and the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards 2021, for Sports and Entertainment.
She says that being passionate at her job comes with being surrounded by like-minded people, who are “very supportive, collegiate and always back me and my passion.”
“It was a long path, but I think everything kind of led to me being where I am, which is fantastic.”
Calli said that she will continue to challenge herself and grow in the legal field, particularly in the ‘deal making’ part of the business.
“Ultimately, it would be amazing to be leading a legal team in an in-house sports media organisation, but I think I would really enjoy also being a commercial business partner to be able to keep that business side of it, not just the legal side of it,” Calli concluded.
Calli is also joined in the awards by Greek Australians Theo Kapodistrias, finalist for General Counsel of the Year, Elise Christou and Elleni Criticos, finalists for Law Student of the Year, George Bazouni, finalist for Managing Partner of the Year, Peter Katsoolis, finalist for Sole Practitioner of the Year and Olivia Boyages, finalist in the Private Practice category. The awards ceremony is set to be held on August 20.
