What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Over the past 18 months, Jarden has built the foundations for a premium investment bank in Australia with domestic talent hires, robust operational processes, proven technology, and a strong workplace culture. We have set up offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide and have built our technology, legal, regulatory and governance policies, procedures, and framework from scratch. Jarden has quickly established our position in the market and is on track to expand our footprint further in Australia. The mission for my team is to help protect, lead, and grow the Australian business by promoting and monitoring enhanced risk and compliance culture throughout the firm. The legal team has a key role to play in setting and maintaining the right culture which is critical to the long-term success of a financial services firm like Jarden. In my view, the legal team is in a unique position to interpret, apply and implement complex legal and regulatory requirements for business and management. It has been a true privilege to lead the legal team from the start at Jarden. Together, we have achieved an incredible feat of establishing a full-service investment bank in a record time. It has been an exhilarating journey so far and I look forward to much more as Jarden goes from strength to strength.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel? 

For a business that was set up during the pandemic, Jarden has had to incorporate remote working into our DNA from the start. Inducting over 50 percent of our employees in a newly established business remotely during various lockdowns in multiple locations has been both rewarding and challenging. It has opened up new avenues of cooperation and understanding across the firm. We all had to be resourceful to reach out to each other more than before and to try to make up for lack of physical contact. Whilst we have all had our fair share of ‘zoom fatigue’ during the pandemic, virtual conferencing capabilities meant that we could stay connected and get things done. It is critical for the general counsel to have a finger on the pulse of the business at all times. The pandemic does not change this. In fact, the lack of regular physical interaction meant that I had to be even more proactive in engaging with the business at all levels to understand the latest business trends, concerns, and challenges. Making it easier and quicker for the legal team to collaborate within the team and across different functions in the business is a priority area for me. I see technology as a tool to assist, and not as means of replacing, people.