10 minutes with… DBH Lawyers managing partner Amy Nikolovski
Amy Nikolovski is the managing partner of DBH Lawyers and an expert in personal injury claims and estate litigation. Business Insight asked her about leadership and the Doing Business in Heels initiative.
Why did you become a lawyer?
I became a lawyer out of a desire to help people. Coming from an immigrant background I really want to help people with legal issues especially for those living and working in a new country.
Helping people understand how the legal system works in Australia is a true passion of mine. My sisters and I were the first in our family to attend university, I experienced first-hand how powerful knowledge can be. That understanding inspired me to pursue a career where I could empower others—particularly those dealing with personal injuries—to navigate complex legal processes with confidence.
Over time, my interest also grew in helping individuals plan their estates proactively, ensuring their families are protected and cared for after an injury or following their passing.
You have been managing partner since 2021. What do you enjoy the most about leading a team?
I’m passionate about creating a positive working environment where team members thrive—because when our people succeed, so do our clients.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is creating pathways for others, particularly in supporting and advancing women into leadership. I’m proud to have played a part in identifying and promoting talented individuals, and in helping to increase the number of women in senior positions not traditionally held by women in our profession.
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You have implemented a number of changes that make it easier for staff to balance life with work. Why is this important?
As a mother of two young children, I understand firsthand the importance of genuine work-life balance.
I’m committed to creating an environment where talented individuals can care for their families without sacrificing career progression. By placing balance at the core of how we support our team, we retain compassionate, capable, and diligent professionals whose lived experiences make them exceptional lawyers and colleagues.
These qualities directly translate into stronger client relationships and better outcomes.
Hiring a good person is one thing. Retaining them is another. How do you keep talented staff and ensure they don’t leave for a higher-paying competitor?
The main thing is ensuring an excellent work culture, and our management team work hard to ensure DBH is a place people are wanting to come to each day. We have retention initiatives and bonus schemes as well as a thriving social club.
To reward staff with longevity in our team we have also added in additional special leave days (up to 8 days a year) and ensure we reward team members living our values. Increasingly we’re pleased to see a trend of talented staff helping to attract other great talent which means the culture is strong and our team is best placed to achieve even better results for our clients.
You’ve picked up a number of accolades both personally and for the firm. Why are these acknowledgements important to you professionally and personally?
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I think that it’s nice to be acknowledged for your hard work and helping to solve problems of others and its truly a team effort here.
What is good to see is that the external recognition via awards raises awareness of our firm and demonstrates how we sit amongst our industry which can help prospective clients find out about us and engage us to get them a fantastic outcome in a challenging time in their lives.
I am especially proud to have been recognised as a Top Managing Partner in Australia and New Zealand Award by Australasian Lawyer, in their 2025 Law Firm Leaders of the Year as it acknowledges the work I put into the team and culture here which leads to positive outcomes for our clients.
Also being acknowledged as a preeminent Lawyer by the prestigious Doyle’s Guide to Lawyers in 2024 in all areas of personal injury law I practice Motor Vehicle Accident Law, Workers Compensation Law, Public Liability Law.
The personal injury space in SA is changing – what should we know about the developments in the space?
The biggest change coming up in the personal injury space is in relation to workers compensation as the impairment assessment guidelines will be stricter from October 1 this year. These changes include increased thresholds and tests as well as making it more difficult to combine injuries in a single claim which may result in lower monetary compensation for some South Australians.
Our team are knowledgeable on these changes so are well positioned to explain them for those in need of this expertise due to an injury in SA.
Family law is another new space DBH has gone into recently. Why did you expand into that practice area and how do you approach it differently?
We have had a Family Law team since 2010, but expanding into family law was a natural progression for DBH Lawyers.
We saw a growing need among our clients for compassionate, practical legal advice during some of life’s most challenging moments—separation, parenting disputes, and financial uncertainty. Many of our existing clients were already seeking support in this area, and we knew we could offer a service that reflects the same care and integrity we bring to our other practice areas.
You’re a founding partner of Doing Business in Heels – tell me about that and some milestones the initiative has achieved recently.
Doing Business in Heels was born from a desire to create an inclusive, empowering space for women in business to connect, collaborate and grow.
As a founding partner, I’m proud of how the initiative has evolved into a thriving network that champions women across a wide range of industries—not just law.
Recently, we’ve hit some exciting milestones: we’ve hosted a record number of sold-out events, expanded our community to include emerging leaders and regional professionals, and partnered with impactful organisations like Villagehood Australia to support mothers returning to the workforce. These achievements reflect our core purpose—to lift each other up, create meaningful opportunities, and challenge the outdated idea that business success has a narrow definition.
We are so proud that in the past ten years via Doing Business in Heels we have helped raise over $200,000 for SA women’s charities and look forward to raising more for supporting our community members in need in coming years.
