Team size: 16

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

The greatest challenge (and blessing) of 2022 was the sheer volume of work that the team had to absorb as the sectors our organisation delivers across continued to boom in number. The volume of mega-transportation and power utilities projects coming to market has not abated, and we as an organisation are expanding into new fields including telecommunications, bus operations and renewable energy zones, amongst others. This has meant we have not only had to absorb increased workflow, but to upskill in new areas. Additionally, the ESG environment continues to require increased focus and resourcing, with expanding work on supply chain confidence and modern slavery, sustainability plans, critical asset cyber security, fairness of small business contract terms and psycho-social hazards in the workforce. Thus, retaining as much of the brilliant talent in my team as I am attracting highly skilled resources in a very tight market has been the key potential headwind in allowing us to manage these challenges.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

Given the nature of the projects we work on, I see upstream contracting remaining bespoke. I do, however, see real potential for AI to substantially manage the workflow of high-volume downstream procurement contracting over time, freeing up the team to work on higher-value and more complex technical deals.

I also see data analytics helping us gain a far more detailed understanding of legal spend, allowing us to more efficiently manage the cost of large matters.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

The first is empathy, or the ability to listen to and truly understand your stakeholders. You need to gather what they actually need from the legal team and want as their outcomes, rather than telling them what they want and what they should do. This means taking the time to really grasp the function of your company’s business – what you deliver, what your business’ clients’ drivers are and how your stakeholders deliver on these. This does not mean you will be magically giving the answer the business wants each time, but that you are far better positioned to explain why a ‘no’ or an alternative approach is the appropriate decision, understanding of the implications and the concerns this may give rise to.

The second is approachability and availability, which also requires resource capacity. You need people coming to you and your team often and early so that you can learn of, and can douse, burning embers before they become raging bushfires.

The third is a real interest in what your company is delivering. It is far easier to come to work every day, particularly with an unrelenting workflow, when you are excited about what your organisation creates or how it operates. Personally, I just like the tangibles. Seeing what we deliver is what works for me. The knowledge that we’re providing high quality transport and communication options, being part of the nation’s power transition, being part of the country’s manufacturing future, ensuring existing energy assets can operate to power the nation, playing critical roles in supporting the defence services of our nation – the list goes on.