In-Person Event |
Jackson McDonald Offices
Level 17,
225 St Georges Terrace,
Perth Western Australia
Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC AustraliaAs an in-house lawyer, your success hinges on your ability to navigate complex relationships, balance legal obligations with business priorities, and communicate effectively with time-poor, results-driven stakeholders. But what if you could elevate your communication skills to not only inform but also captivate, influence, and build lasting trust?
Join us for The Art of Client Whispering – Building Trust Through Effective Communication, a highly practical and interactive panel session designed to equip you with the tools to enhance your influence, keep stakeholders engaged, and deliver legal advice that truly resonates.
Led by facilitator Irene Kuo, this session will explore how to master key communication challenges, including how to say "no" without damaging relationships, uncover what truly drives your stakeholders, and ensure everyone walks away from a conversation with crystal-clear understanding. Featuring insights from Frances Hoskins, Belinda Wong (with more expert panelists to be announced), you’ll also gain strategies to adapt to modern communication challenges—like managing short attention spans in a world dominated by social media.
Why Attend?
+ Unlock the secret to saying "no" without losing trust
+ Learn how to keep your audience engaged and make legal advice accessible
+ Gain strategies for navigating short attention spans and fast-paced environments
+ Ensure clarity in every conversation, avoiding misinterpretation or confusion
This session goes beyond theory, offering real-world examples, practical tips, and opportunities to engage with industry leaders and peers. Whether you're looking to refine your communication skills or build stronger relationships with your stakeholders, this session will arm you with the confidence and tools you need to communicate like a trusted advisor.
Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your communication skills and elevate your influence within your organisation.
Speakers
Belinda Wong, Partner | Projects, Infrastructure + Construction, Jackson McDonald
Belinda is a Partner in the Construction team at Jackson McDonald and has had decades of experience advising and representing multinational and national entities on their construction projects. As well as providing front-end contract and risk management advice, Belinda has advised on complex international and local arbitrations, large-scale litigation, adjudications under Security of Payment legislation, and mediations. She has acted in both federal and state jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of WA, the Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, and the High Court.
Belinda's representation extends across a diverse range of sectors, including major mining, resources, engineering, construction, and property development companies. She has provided legal services in projects across diverse jurisdictions, having been involved in large-scale construction and resource projects in Australia, the Philippines, India, and Indonesia.
Belinda is widely regarded and recognised for her expertise and dedication to delivering results and was named the Women Lawyers of Western Australia’s 2023 Woman Lawyer of the Year, as well as being a finalist for the Law Society of Western Australia’s 2023 Lawyer of the Year.
She is also an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion as the National Vice-President of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association, a board member of Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services Inc. and a committee member of Women Lawyers of Western Australia.
Frances Hoskins, General Counsel, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Frances Hoskins is General Counsel the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), an organisation whose mission is to understand and protect our tropical marine environment. She leads a team of nine very talented and dedicated lawyers and support staff, recognised as the Small Legal Team of the Year in 2022 at the Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards.
She has focused on building a culture in the team of high performance, flexibility, and a strong culture. She works hard on providing legal leadership that empowers each member of her diverse team to do their best work, and finding ways to communicate in ways that resonate with her colleagues. She is always interested in honing communication skills to build influence, connect with colleagues and showcase the value of her inhouse legal team. 
Chris Cleave, Senior Manager of Contracts and Procurement, Fortescue
Chris Cleave is the Senior Manager of Contracts and Procurement at Fortescue. With over 20 years of experience, Chris has mastered the art of navigating contracts and procurement from both contractor and owner perspectives. His work spans across Australia and Southeast Asia, collaborating with diverse teams to tackle complex challenges. Chris thrives on the intricate task of aligning technical and legal requirements, ensuring both sides communicate effectively to achieve seamless project outcomes. His focus on building mutual understanding has consistently delivered results that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Facilitator:
Irene Kuo, President, ACC Australia WA Division
Irene Kuo is a Legal Manager with over 18 years of experience, specialising in front-end procurement and construction contracts and negotiations, Artificial Intelligence, Legal Technology, and Legal Operations.
Previously at Fortescue Ltd, she played a key role in establishing AI frameworks and supporting the development of new mines and renewable energy projects. Irene is recognised for her proactive, innovative, and strategic approach in both legal and commercial roles. As the Western Australian Divisional President of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Australia, she continues to promote community, collaboration, and diversity among in-house lawyers. Her dedication to legal technology and inclusion earned her the Asian Australian Lawyers Association Diversity Leader award in February 2024.
Notes
*Competitor Exclusion – ACC Australia Partner’s may request that representative/s of a competitor organisation/s registered for the event be excluded, and ACC Australia reserves the right to make the final decision as to whether a registration is rejected. As a guide, a competitor organisation could be defined as a rival organisation of similar size to the host Corporate Partner, with an established practice, product or service in the area being showcased by the Corporate Partner’s at the event. Please provide a brief statement as to why you have deemed an organisation to be a competitor, in support of any request to ACC Australia to reject a registration.
CLE
Sponsored By
