In-Person Event
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Level 6,
Brookfield Place Tower 2
Perth Western Australia 6000
Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC AustraliaDoors open at 4:00pm for 4:30pm start; Networking and refreshments from 5:30pm.
Join us for an enlightening panel discussion as the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Australia WA Division and The Piddington Society present "Meet the GCs."
This event brings together some of Western Australia’s most esteemed in-house lawyers to delve into the complexities of managing responses to high-stakes situations.
Aimed at in-house lawyers, solicitors aspiring to transition into in-house roles, and law students, this session, facilitated by Felicity McLeish, Senior Solicitor, Wright Prospecting, will explore the multifaceted challenges faced by General Counsels (GCs) in the aftermath of a crisis. Our distinguished panellists, Jessica Dyer, General Counsel, Alinta Energy, Emma Soactar, General Counsel, Gold Corporation, and Paul Shillington, General Counsel, will share their insights on:
- Crisis Management: Strategies and approaches for handling the aftermath of significant challenges.
- Internal Collaboration: How GCs engage with various departments within their organisations to navigate crises.
- External Partnerships: The dynamics of working with external lawyers during and after a crisis.
- Ethical Considerations: The ethical dilemmas and decisions that GCs encounter in these high-stakes situations.
This event promises to provide valuable perspectives and practical advice for those looking to understand the complex role of a GC (and in-house lawyers more broadly) in crisis situations.
Attendees are eligible for 1 CPD point, 0.5 in CA2 (Professional Skills) and 0.5 in CA3 (Ethics and Professional Responsibility).
Speakers
Jessica Dyer, General Counsel, Alinta Energy
Emma Soactar, General Manager Corporate Governance and General Counsel, Gold Corporation
Emma joined Gold Corporation in March 2022 and was appointed Acting General Counsel in October 2023. In February 2024, Emma was appointed General Manager Corporate Governance and General Counsel.
Prior to joining Gold Corporation, Emma worked in private practice at Corrs Chambers Westgarth in the Property and Infrastructure team, and regularly advises the business on regulatory compliance, strategic issues and corporate governance.
Emma leads the legal and information management teams at The Perth Mint, and is heavily involved in the corporate strategy and associated projects. She has recently completed the AICD Company Directors Course, and has held board positions as director and company secretary for two Perth based not-for-profits.
Paul Shillington, General Counsel and Head of Governance & Assurance, Mitsui E&P Australia
Paul Shillington is the General Counsel and Head of Governance & Assurance at Mitsui E&P in Australia. Paul has legal and executive management expertise gained over many years in the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors, both as a general counsel and as a partner with international law firms. Paul’s experience extends to cross-border M&A, joint ventures and partnering, legal and contracting strategy, risk management, major procurement, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance and corporate governance.
Prior to joining Mitsui E&P, Paul was a partner at Hogan Lovells and MinterEllison, and held general counsel roles with Fortescue, Quadrant Energy and Oryx Petroleum. Paul has worked on projects through the Asia Pacific region, Iraq, Lebanon, and West and North Africa, based out of Perth, Paris and Geneva.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Facilitator
Felicity McLeish, Senior Solicitor, Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd
Felicity McLeish has worked as in in-house lawyer for over a decade and is currently a Senior Solicitor at Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd. In this role she manages complex litigation over iron ore royalties and tenements and previously was a commercial litigator at Clayton Utz. Felicity is also the Immediate Past President of the WA Division of ACC Australia.
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.