Greek-born lawyer Steven Sapountsis is the new president of the Law Institute of Victoria for 2016.
Mr Sapountsis is special counsel at Moores and has 32 years’ legal experience in litigation and regulatory and compliance work.
Mr Sapountsis emigrated to Australia with his family in 1961 from a village in northern Greece.
After attending Blackburn South High School, he studied economics and law at Monash University. He completed his articles at Dunstan and Lamb in Mitcham, and his first job was at the Brunswick firm Kossoulis Sapountsis and Co., where most of his clients were from the Greek community. Within a few years he was offered partnership at the firm.
At the LIV he was general manager of the Professional Standards Department (including management of litigation) until July 2006. He has undertaken regulatory work at high levels, including government legal policy matters and legislative interpretation and implementation.
Among Mr Sapountsis’ aims for his presidency at the LIV is furthering diversity in the legal profession and exploring practical ways to increase inclusion.
Meanwhile, the new president of the Victorian Bar Association, Paul Anastassiou QC, is also of Greek heritage.