About

United States multinational Mondelēz International is one of the largest food manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand with five manufacturing plants in the region that house a portfolio of brands including Cadbury, Oreo and belVita. Since 2011 the legal function at Mondelēz Australia and New Zealand has been spearheaded by chief counsel, Karen Perret. Perret was general counsel for the iconic chocolate company Cadbury Australia and New Zealand when it was acquired by Mondelēz (previously Kraft Foods) in 2009 and played an integral role in ensuring Cadbury integrated smoothly into the new business structure. Supporting Perret is counsel Brendon Fong who has full legal responsibility for the company’s Foods business units and displays particular skills in covering legal matters relating to sales and marketing, intellectual property protection and food, competition and consumer law. Significant achievements the team has been involved in include overseeing the company’s title of “Official Confectionery Partner” to the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and the sale of most of Mondelēz International’s grocery business in Australia and New Zealand to Bega Cheese for $460m AUD in 2017. Members of the legal team are currently handling matters relating to a new $20m AUD investment in for the transformation of Mondelēz’s flagship chocolate plant in Claremont, Tasmania with the aim of making it a globally cost competitive centre of excellence for chocolate manufacturing.