Sydney lawyer Eden Winokur is the inaugural winner of the Australian Insurance Law Association’s (AILA) Ron Shorter Memorial Award.

The award was originally conceived by Mr Shorter, who died in February, as a way for young professionals in insurance law to improve their public speaking skills.

Before leaving work due to ill health last year, he was a practice manager at Colin Biggers & Paisley.

The award was run by the NSW chapter of AILA, and saw 21 applicants cut to three for the final stage, which was held late last month.

Mr Winokur won with his presentation on social media’s impact on insurance.

“It was a terrific experience,” he said. “It has given some great exposure to the industry and it was an excellent opportunity to work with and meet my peers.”

Mr Winokur, a lawyer with Kennedys, says “preparation and more preparation” is the key to confident public speaking.