General counsel and company secretary | Flinders Ports Holdings
‘Adam Cooper is a very experienced commercial general counsel and company secretary, heavily relied on by the executive at Flinders Ports Holdings, not just in respect of legal matters, but...
General counsel, Australia and New Zealand | Bauer Media
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Bauer has undertaken a number of small asset divestments over the...
General counsel and group executive, office of the CEO | Qantas Airways
General counsel and company secretary | Home Consortium
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? I played a critical role in one of the most significant...
General counsel | L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand
What does being “legally innovative” mean to you? Being legally innovative is a daily attitude and a practice. It means adopting a progressive mindset. It means being focused on the...
General counsel | Bosch Oceana (Australia and New Zealand)
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Bosch’s legal services team has been involved in significant research and...
General counsel and company secretary | Vocus Group
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Vocus has had a very exciting two to three year period....
Head of legal and company secretary, privacy officer | NOVA Entertainment
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Nova’s podcast partnership with Acast: at inception this strategic partnership created...
Senior legal counsel | Velocity Frequent Flyer
‘I would like to nominate Brooke Connell to be included in the GC Powerlist: Australia 2019. She is effectively responsible for the general counsel role at Velocity Frequent Flyer (which...
Group general counsel and group executive, legal and corporate affairs | Telstra
Have any new laws, regulations or judicial decisions greatly impacted your company’s business or your legal practice? The pace of technological change and innovation is transforming our industry. With this,...
Head of privacy | Rio Tinto
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Many people working in global data privacy law would provide exactly...
Chief operating officer and general counsel | Immediation
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? I am part of the Immediation senior executive team, together having...
General counsel | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? My team and I have managed over 170 content deals and...
Legal services executive – products and marketing | Telstra
‘Craig Emery has led a team through significant restructure and change, with a strong focus on the legal function supporting the strategic vision of the business into the future’.
Head of legal and company secretary | BT Australasia
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? For BT’s Australian business, we are very happy with the work...
Head of legal, corporate | Origin Energy
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The successful sale of Origin’s upstream business (Lattice Energy) to Beach...
Group general counsel and company secretary | ASX
‘One of the most important financial entities in the Australian economy, the ASX is the primary securities exchange in Australia and is one the world’s most notable, being listed amongst...
Group general counsel | AMP
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? 2018 and 2019 have been two of the busiest on record...
General counsel – Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand | Unilever
‘David Dwyer is general counsel of all of Unilever’s Southeast Asia and Australasian businesses, and is a member the legal leadership team and Southeast Asia leadership team. He manages the...
Group general counsel and head of legal | Aurizon Holdings
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The sale of Aurizon’s Intermodal Business to Linfox; Acacia Ridge Rail...
General counsel and corporate secretary | Sydney Water Corporation
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Legal advice and contractual and negotiation support for the rollout of...
Chief legal counsel, Pacific | Mercer
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Mercer’s acquisition of Evolve Intelligence, a talent strategy business in May...
General manager, legal – dispute resolution, retail and regulatory | Bank of Queensland
General counsel and company secretary | Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The GC division has implemented a dispute resolution protocol with major...
General counsel, Australia and New Zealand | Kimberly-Clark Australia
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Following a high-profile campaign by wastewater authorities and certain consumer advocates,...
General counsel | New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment
‘James Hebron now leads one of the largest government departments in New South Wales with the recent merger of the Department of Industry into DPE’.
Head of legal | TEG
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The acquisition of Ticketworld in the Philippines, the launch of TEG...
General counsel | EBOS Group
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? EBOS Group’s strategic focus includes investing for growth through M&A and...
General counsel and company secretary | The a2 Milk Company
‘Jaron McVicar joined The a2 Milk Company in November 2016 as its inaugural general counsel. Since that time he has built up a legal team of six lawyers and managed...
Group head – commercial, operations and technology legal | QBE Insurance group
In establishing a legal department from scratch, what were the main obstacles you had to overcome, and how did you successfully navigate these challenges? When I joined QBE almost five...
General counsel and general manager commercial affairs | HESTA Super
How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners? During a board strategy session I attended earlier in the year, I was struck by discussions around building...
General counsel, company secretary and general manager of property | NSW Ports
What do you predict will be the biggest change in the legal market in your sector over the next few years? I predict that as legal technology continues to grow...
Legal services executive – Enterprise | Telstra
‘Leads passionate causes within their teams, including the importance of mental health and well-being. [She has been a] key note presenter on tackling the challenges around progressing women in the...
General counsel and company secretary | Stockland
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Stockland is an active property developer, manager and operator, and over...
Associate general counsel and head of legal, Uber Asia Pacific | Uber
Director of corporate affairs and legal, APAC and ANZPI | Brown-Forman
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? From a corporate affairs perspective, ensuring the business maintains its freedom...
General counsel | Carnival Australia
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The planning, negotiation and application for ACCC authorisation of the proposed...
General counsel and executive general manager, external relations | ENGIE Australia and New Zealand (ANZ)
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The most important transactions in which I’ve been involved over the...
General counsel | Yara Australia
‘Leigh Holder is an exceptionally capable general counsel and has led the process of integrating the Yara Pilbara Group into the broader Yara International Group. This has involved a wide...
Group general counsel and external relations director | Lion
Executive general manager, people, communications and governance | Caltex Australia
Group general counsel | Orica
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Amongst many others, one of the most important matters I’ve been...
Group general counsel and company secretary | Charter Hall Group
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? With over 28 years’ experience in property investment and funds management,...
Group general counsel | Smile Solutions Group
Have any new laws, regulations or judicial decisions impacted your company’s business or your legal practice? Yes. These include new laws regarding use of intravenous sedation and general anaesthesia, new...
General counsel and company secretary, Australia and New Zealand | AIA Australia
As a member of AIA’s executive committee in Australia and New Zealand – what unique attributes do lawyers bring to this level of management? Historically, the role of general counsel...
General counsel Australia | Coca-Cola Amatil
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Of note in recent times for me personally is my key...
General counsel – legal and contracts | Thales Australia
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? I lead a team of 30 legal counsel, commercial managers and...
Group general counsel | Avid Property Group
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Since its separation from Investa Property Group, AVID Property Group (AVID)...
Manager legal and governance | Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
What legal and management trends do you see having an impact in your market? Getting flexible working arrangements right is the key to promoting productivity in teams. I am a...
Group general counsel and member of the executive committee | Tabcorp Holdings
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? I recently changed roles, so most of the matters relate to...
Senior legal counsel | WesTrac
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? As the regional counsel responsible for Western Australia, I have negotiated...
General counsel and company secretary | Nine Entertainment
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Amongst many others, Nine acquiring the rights to the Australian Open...
Director – commercialisation, legal and IP | CSIRO’s Data61
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Firstly, the merger of NICTA with CSIRO’s Digital Productivity Flagship to...
General counsel | Nearmap
‘I would like to nominate Robert Tran to be included in this GC Powerlist. Tran is the general counsel for Nearmap, a fast growing ASX listed company recently admitted to...
General counsel and company secretary | Vend
How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners? Deeply embed yourself in the business and don’t be “just the lawyer”. Jump into the trenches with the...
Corporate counsel | Penske transportation Group International
What are the most important transactions and litigation that you have been involved in during the last two years? Due diligence, project funding, debt restructuring for the development and construction...
General counsel and company secretary | REA Group
How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners? At REA, lawyers are allocated to a line of business within the Group. For example, one lawyer is...
Manager – legal and commercial | Idemitsu Australia Reseources
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro: Project lead on the ongoing development of a...
Group executive, general counsel | Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
How do you demonstrate the value of your team’s work to the business? The team is closely aligned to our board and executive team and their dedicated strategy of proactively...
General manager – legal | Wesfarmers
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The acquisition of Catch Group Holdings Limited in June 2019 for...
General manager – legal | Virgin Australia
‘Since commencing operations in 2000, Virgin Australia Group has developed into a real alternative to Qantas. Selected as the acting chief legal officer for the Group while Dayna Field was...
Group general counsel | Incitec Pivot
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? I have provided leadership and advice in relation to group issues...
General counsel and company secretary | Winc | Officemax + Staples + Corporate Express
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The office products sector has undergone rapid consolidation in recent years,...
Vice president and general counsel Asia Pacific and chief of staff to the CEO | ResMed
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? Acquisitions in Australia and Korea and corporate restructures in Asia Pacific....
General counsel and compliance officer | Svitzer
‘Vivian Faraj was appointed general counsel for Svitzer Australia in July 2016. She is responsible for providing legal advice to the board of directors and senior management, as well as...
Senior legal counsel and company secretary | Munich Re
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? January 2018 was interesting, with my employer being served with a...
General counsel and head of risk and compliance | Hub24
‘[She is] instrumental in driving strategy. Hub24 is a next-generation service with state-of-the art portfolio management, transaction, and reporting solutions for licensees, financial advisors, accountants, stockbrokers, and institutions’.
Vice president legal, Australia and New Zealand | Carlton & United Breweries
What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years? The A$16bn acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries by Asahi Group...
Since first being published as The Corporate Counsel 100, The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist series has grown exponentially since its beginnings in 2013. It started by covering four of the world’s most established legal markets, and whilst the core objective of the publication – highlighting the most capable, outstanding and innovative in-house counsel in a jurisdiction – has remained the same, the reach and scope of the GC Powerlist has since become almost unrecognisable. Now present in a vast array of jurisdictions and with a portfolio of 70 unique editions, the GC Powerlist series has gone from strength to strength and has been firmly established as the ‘go-to’ title that assesses and features leading corporate counsel across the globe.
Not content to rest on our laurels, we at The Legal 500 are evolving the GC Powerlist series even further, deepening our commitment to ensuring not only the widest geographical coverage, but to highlight and explore issues and challenges at the forefront of the minds of leading in-house lawyers. Therefore, this and future editions of the GC Powerlist will have a very different look to their predecessors. Instead of profiling individual counsel or in-house legal teams, more incisive insights from in-house thought leaders on the topics of the day will be featured extensively throughout our new look GC Powerlist publications.
This new look entails the publication of Q&A transcripts regarding legal and business challenges, comment pieces on specific industry or regulatory affairs, more detailed analysis as to where the market is heading and content related to soft-skills, work ethic and business relationships that general counsel utilise. This new format will not only provide more thought leadership and insight, but provide more clarity on what is driving legal business forward in each market that we cover.
This brings me to Australia. I have personally covered the Australian in-house legal market for almost five years, which has allowed me to become familiar with the deep pool of in-house legal talent that exists across various industries and levels of seniority within the country. If my work on this year’s Guide to Australia’s Rising Stars provided evidence of Australia’s immense in-house talent at a more junior level, then the standard of this year’s GC Powerlist: Australia serves to confirm the quality and depth of the country’s senior in-house counsel in the present.
It was my pleasure to speak to and extensively interview Australia-based counsel spanning Fortune Global 500 companies, domestic business titans and organisations at the cutting edge of technology and the future of work, each with their own priorities and challenges. I would like to thank our sponsors – Gilbert + Tobin, Johnson Winter & Slattery and McCullough Robertson – for supporting this publication. I’d also like to thank our extensive network of law firm partners and in-house counsel in the region whose opinions we canvassed during the course of the research phase. Of course, feedback is valuable and welcomed, so if there are any comments or suggestions please feel free to get in touch with these.
Last but not least, I would like to congratulate all those featured in this year’s list. Their selection means they have been identified as in-house counsel who are amongst the standard bearers of the profession, and as specialists who confront and manage commercial and legal challenges in a way that marks them as market leaders. They are not only talented legal practitioners, but instrumental partners to and crucial components of their respective organisations, demonstrably helping them drive success and move business forward.
With significant regulatory changes coming into effect and the spotlight staying firmly on culture, ethics and one’s social licence to operate, compliance remains a critical issue for Australian businesses.
Regulators have had a political mandate to be more active, which has created an increasingly sharper focus on sustainable and socially acceptable business conduct, with unethical behaviour being publically pursued and punished.
The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry revealed sweeping shortcomings among many industry participants sparking political and regulatory action to restore trust in the financial sector. Regulators now have the resources to increase investigative activity, resulting in an increase in prosecutions and civil penalty proceedings. The publicity surrounding these activities means corporate behaviour, culture and compliance remain a key focus for boards and senior management across all sectors.
The Australian Government has also announced new legislation to better expose corporate misconduct with proposed reforms to enhance protection and rights for whistleblowers and a comprehensive review of Australia’s white-collar crime laws.
The increased scrutiny on Australian businesses is throwing more challenges at general counsel who are already operating across an ever broadening spectrum of business issues. The role of the general counsel today is not just about delivering legal advice. They are also responsible for compliance, business risk, governance, operations and regulatory issues; bringing legal knowledge and business acumen to help businesses navigate through future risks and opportunities.
Like the private sector, many general counsel are also feeling the pressure to do more with less as they balance a tightening budget and expanding mandate. It is therefore no surprise that technology and innovation are increasingly becoming a priority for general counsel looking for ways to deliver quality legal work faster and more cost effectively. Technology will free in-house lawyers to focus on business critical issues, leaving the low value legal work behind. This is likely to serve as a further catalyst for the general counsel role to continue evolving to be less about legal advice and more focused on strategically steering the business forward.
The Legal 500 GC Powerlist is one of the few industry directories that recognises the talent of Australia’s corporate counsel as they navigate these industry changes. As a proud sponsor of the 2019 GC Powerlist, Johnson Winter & Slattery is pleased to play a small part in highlighting the critical role in-house counsel play in the achievements of their organisations. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our clients as we both seek to deliver greater value to the business community. Congratulations to those ranked in this year’s The Legal 500 GC Powerlist.
About Johnson Winter & Slattery
Johnson Winter & Slattery is an independent national Australian law firm with over 60 partners and offices across Australia. We advise major Australian and international corporations and investment funds on their most challenging transactions and disputes within Australia and surrounding regions.
An appropriate blend of legal know-how and commercial acumen lies at the heart of effective and valuable legal counsel. Through working closely with clients, getting to know their business, and appreciating their commercial parameters and objectives, Johnson Winter & Slattery ensures its approach is tailored to deliver cost-effective commercial outcomes. A partnership ethos of service, technical excellence and collaboration ensures the most relevant specialist expertise and experience is brought to bear on every assignment.
McCullough Robertson wholeheartedly congratulates all individuals on being named part of the GC Powerlist: Australia for 2019.
This accolade reflects the instrumental role each of you play in your organisation, particularly in a time of endless disruption – both internally and in the external business landscape.
With ever changing business priorities and expectations, the role and skillset of the general counsel is evolving. Increasingly, the job description includes the responsibility of more than just the “day job” of purely legal work. You are required to be part of general business considerations, be mindful of new technology to improve process efficiency, and sustainably lead teams of high-performing lawyers. The role requires you to be a well-rounded professional, with skills beyond legal technical excellence.
McCullough Robertson is firmly committed to supporting the holistic growth and development of legal professionals through our executive education program, tomorrow’s GC. Australia’s first-to-market course focuses on equipping the leaders of tomorrow with the soft skills and knowledge required to thrive in their role – now and into the future.
Over the 12 month program of professional coaching and upskilling, participants work with industry leading facilitators on areas such as personal leadership and wellbeing, unlocking the potential of teams, enterprise leadership, and managing disruption through innovation and project management.
For further information or to register your interest in being part of tomorrow’s GC visit:
www.mccullough.com.au/tomorrowsgc/
Again, congratulations to all individuals listed in the GC Powerlist. It is a great accomplishment and you should be extremely proud of your efforts. We look forward to watching you continue to flourish and inspire in your vitally important role.
For the third consecutive year, Legal 500 partnered with Red Legal Iberoamericana to celebrate the very best in-house counsel from across Europe who dedicate their efforts to the vibrant region of Latin America. In fact, these lawyers possess a unique set of skills that enables them to navigate the challenges and diversity of Latin America in an agile and well-versed manner.
The event took place at the Hotel Wellington in the elegant city of Madrid, Spain, on 7th November 2024. Attendees were welcomed by Sara Maggi, senior editor — research and content at Legal 500, who congratulated all the powerlisters for their contributions to business across Latin America and emphasised the importance of recognising such exceptional lawyers.
Julio Veloso, partner at Broseta Abogados, then took the stage. After offering his congratulations, he invited Alejandro Sainz, senior partner at Sainz Abogados, to join him on stage. They reiterated their pride in sponsoring this research and publication, which recognises unmatched talent.
Santiago González Pérez, vice president and senior employment counsel for EMEA at American Express, shared an in-house perspective on the challenges of working in-house and managing client expectations while operating in a business environment. He also highlighted the importance of being recognised by such prestigious publications.
The evening continued with a cocktail reception featuring drinks and canapés, alongside networking opportunities between talented peers. The event was a great success, and we look forward to next year, as we continue to recognise the efforts of Latin American specialists based across Europe.