Team size: Four

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

As general counsel of Sydney Fish Market (SFM), I provide legal and commercial support for the redevelopment of the new Sydney Fish Market and surrounding precinct, undertaken by SFM, Infrastructure NSW and Multiplex as a State Significant Development for NSW. The new Sydney Fish Market at Blackwattle Bay on Sydney Harbour will be within the NSW Government’s ‘The Bays’ urban regeneration precinct.

Development of the new Sydney Fish Market comes at a transformative and critical period in SFM’s life, having evolved from its privatisation around 25 years ago into the successful commercial enterprise it is today.

The project has raised several complex legal issues, including real property, contract law, construction law, leasing, environmental law, litigation and dispute resolution. For example, throughout 2022, I have been focused on ensuring that the new site will be fit for purpose and that all existing SFM tenants have an opportunity to be part of the success of the new Sydney Fish Market.

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

Like many other emerging tech tools, I am excited about the potential for AI platforms such as ChatGPT to make life easier for general counsel.

General counsel typically are both time and resource-poor, so we always look for new and innovative ways to support our businesses.

General counsel are also often called upon to digest vast information quickly. I can see AI tools becoming increasingly crucial in helping to isolate critical pieces of data leading to more relevant and focused advice.

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

If you truly enjoy working in the industry that your business is operating in, and if you think it can make a valuable contribution to the ongoing success of the company, then that is the most important thing.

Other things like working out what the role will look like and getting the proper support, all those things can come along as you get into the role.

But suppose you are really interested in the type of business you will operate in. In that case, you will take the time to learn everything about that business and the corresponding ecosystem.

If one does that, it sets you up for success. It also helps to try and position oneself in the right way within the business.

That means setting boundaries around the types of things that you are doing and the types of things that you are not doing, which can be hard to enforce from time to time because people always try and get you to do a little bit more than what you are supposed to do. That is a challenge that you need to manage.

The skills I needed to learn were separate from legislation, case law, or legal principles. They were about emotional intelligence, trust and understanding what my role was concerning the organisation, understanding how other people viewed the service that I was providing, and how I could better align myself to the business.