What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  
 
During the year prior to my parental leave, I represented two Australian Unity entities in a case before the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Despite not having a background in litigation, this matter allowed me to learn about litigation processes, evidentiary requirements, and tactics.   
 
I have been fortunate enough to support Australian Unity with its capital-raising initiatives in recent years, which have proven to be both innovative and challenging. In 2015, Australian Unity issued Australia’s first simple corporate bond, followed by a subsequent issuance in 2019. These matters were both challenging and rewarding, as they required the team to interpret and implement new provisions in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and, from a commercial standpoint, helped Australian Unity build its reputation in the capital markets.  
 
I was also part of the team that assisted Australian Unity in raising capital through the issuance of mutual capital instruments (MCI). The process of issuing MCIs was quite lengthy, involving government advocacy, amendments to Australian Unity’s constitution, and the eventual issuance of Australia’s inaugural MCIs in 2020, followed by another issuance in 2021. It was an honour to support Australian Unity in accessing equity capital, something it had previously been constrained from doing as a mutual entity. The legal challenges encountered during these matters served to refine my legal and commercial skills, which was a bonus.  
 
What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?  
 
It is important to me to know that my work is making a positive social impact on the community. As a commercial lawyer, I spend most of my time buried in contracts and legislation, which can sometimes make it hard to see the positive effects of my work on society. However, I am privileged to work at an organisation like Australian Unity, an organisation that prides itself on the social value it provides to the community.  
 
Much of my work supports the community and creates social value, whether it involves preparing finance agreements to fund critical social infrastructure like hospitals or facilitating investments in funds that hold social infrastructure assets. I have also assisted Australian Unity with the preparation of various editions of its award-winning ‘Our Impact’ report, which highlights Australian Unity’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) achievements.