Lawyers on Boards: Getting Board Ready
Explore the many career benefits for lawyers serving on boards, how to create a plan to get on a board, and what a board CV should look like. Gain the skills to make the most of a board position through strategic thinking, governance skills, risks strategy, and what makes a good board paper. Avoid potential risks by delving into conflicts of interest, privilege & insurance issues. Gain practical insights from experienced lawyers & directors that you can apply in your career on boards. WEB243N59Z
Description
Attend and earn 4 CPD units including:
3 units in Practice Management & Business Skill
1 unit in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair: Kirsten Mander, Chair, Legalsuper; Non-Executive Director, Peninsula Health
Practice Management & Business Skills
1.00pm to 2.00pm The Benefits of Going on a Board & Seizing an Opportunity When it Arises
- Reasons to consider a board role & the benefits for your career in law
- Setting a plan: Where do you want to go? Which board is right for you?
- Steps to take to get onto a board: marketing yourself and understanding and demonstrating the skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the company
- Turning your profile into a board CV: mistakes to avoid and a sample board CV
Presented by Ruth Medd, Executive Chair, Women on Boards; Chair, Australian Health & Science Institute; Australian Chocolate Company
Practice Management & Business Skills
2.00pm to 3.00pm Essential Skills Required to Make the Most of a Board Position: Strategy, Governance & Risk
- Thinking strategically
- Understanding the job & the relevant legislation: the company constitution; powers of directors; and delegation of powers
- Governance processes: strategy, business plans, appointments & delegations, policies, monitoring & oversight, and the delegation framework
- Risk strategy: assessing, avoiding, minimising, managing or expanding risk
- What makes a good board or committee paper: what to include or not include
- Separating the roles of lawyer and director
Presented by John Edstein, Chair, Macquarie Investment Management Limited; Director, Perpetual Equity Investment Company; Director & Counsel, Walsh Bay Partners
3.00pm to 3.15pm Afternoon Break
Professional Skills
3.15pm to 4.15pm How to Avoid Legal, Ethical, Commercial & Career Risks as a Lawyer on a Board
- Potential conflicts of interest between lawyer directors, law firms and the organisation
- The dangers of blurring the line between acting as a Director or as a Lawyer
- Protecting legal professional privilege
- Insurance considerations; strategies for mitigating risk before you’re in a sticky spot
Presented by Sonia Petering, Principal, Sonia Petering Lawyer; Chair, Qantm IP Ltd; Chair Vitrafy Life Sciences Ltd; Non-Executive Director, TAL Life Australia
Practice Management & Business Skills
4.15pm to 5.15pm Lessons from the Boardroom: War Stories, Insights & Guidance from Board Members
Facilitator
Kirsten Mander, Chair, Legalsuper; Non-Executive Director, Peninsula Health
Panelists
Catherine Leach, CEO, LeachLegal
Steven Cole, Managing Director, Cole Corporate; Non-Executive Chairman, Neometals Ltd; Non-Executive Director, Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd; Non-Executive Chairman, Queen Elizabeth 11 Medical Centre Trust, and Non-Executive Director, Primobius GmbH
Presenters
Kirsten Mander
Kirsten Mander is an experienced director, executive and lawyer. She has over 30 years' experience in the financial services, health and minerals sectors within Australia and internationally. She is currently chair of legalsuper, the superannuation fund for Australia’s legal community, and a director of Peninsula Health and chair of its Audit and Risk and MePACS Committees. She was formerly chair of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority, the International Women’s Development Agency and a director on various boards including the Law Institute of Victoria and chair of its Ethics Committee. Prior to this she had over 20 years’ experience as a senior executive, general counsel & company secretary for a number of Australia's top companies in various sectors, namely Australian Unity, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, TRUenergy, Smorgon Steel Group and Western Mining, working throughout Australasia, Asia and the former Soviet Union. She holds a Master of Laws from Melbourne University and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Governance Institute of Australia.
Ruth Medd
Ruth is an experienced director; Chair of Women on Boards, Health and Sciences Institute Pty Ltd and the Australian Chocolate Pty Ltd as well as Trustee, NSW Historic Houses Trust and a Board Member, National Foundation for Australian Women. Ruth is a Certified Practicing Accountant and former IT professional. As a founder of Women on Boards with Claire Braund she has been instrumental in supporting many thousands of women to become board members. She maintains wide interests, including in the start-up sector and angel investing as well as her other board and committee roles. Ruth was previously the chair of Australian Ethical Superannuation, a member of the NSW Casino Control Authority and a director of the Infants Home at Ashfield.
John Edstein
John Edstein has more than 40 years of experience as a legal practitioner. His primary practice areas have been superannuation, life insurance and trusts and the tax aspects of those areas. He was a partner in the Tax and Superannuation Group of King & Wood Mallesons (formerly Mallesons Stephen Jaques) from 1990 to 2012 and was National Practice Team Leader of that group from 2006 to 2011. He is an Emeritus Member of the Law Council of Australia Superannuation Committee, is a member of the Tax Institute of Australia and a Chartered Tax Adviser, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Since retiring from KWM, John’s roles have included: July 2013 to present: director and chair (appointed November 2017) of Macquarie Investment Management Ltd; September 2014 to present: director of Perpetual Equity Investment Company Ltd, a listed investment company on the ASX; November 2017 to present: Special Counsel (part time) of Walsh Bay Partners Pty Ltd, a financial advisory firm exclusively for January 2013 to September 2014: director and chair (appointed January 2014) of The Trust Company (Superannuation) Limited; and October 2013 to December 2020, director of Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd, the trustee of Rest Industry Super.
Sonia Petering
Sonia runs her own broadly based commercial legal practice with a particular specialty in representing landowners of native vegetation in their negotiations with ASX listed and other companies on native vegetation offset agreements. Sonia is also an experienced non executive director and Chair in various highly regulated sectors including professional services, financial services, insurance, biotechnology and healthcare. Currently, she is Chair of ASX listed QantmIP Limited (ASX:QIP); Chair of Vitrafy Life Sciences Pty Ltd and a non executive director of TAL Dai Ichi Life Australia Pty Ltd. Sonia is also a member of the University of Melbourne Law School Foundation. Sonia is a member of and chairs various board committees - including Remuneration and Audit and Risk Committees. Sonia has previously served as Chair of Virtus Health Ltd, Rural Finance Corporation, and board member of Transport Accident Commission and Cuscal. Sonia served as a member of the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry with Justice Bernard Teague and Professor John Catford, submitting their final report to the Governor of Victoria in August 2014. Sonia completed her law and commerce degrees (LLB and B. Com) at the University of Melbourne. In other roles, Sonia recently assisted the State Government of Victoria Minister for Water as one of the members of the selection panel for the 18 Water Corporation Board appointments interviewing many aspiring board members. Sonia is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and a member of Chief Executive Women and Law Institute of Victoria.
Catherine Leach
Catherine Leach, CEO of Leach Legal, is an entrepreneur and legal professional with a passion for governance and business innovation. Her leadership has expanded Leach Legal into a national firm and one of Australia's largest solely female-founded and owned law firms. Catherine serves as the Governance Director of the Asia Pacific Regional Council for the global NFP Entrepreneur's Organization (EO). She oversees governance across eight countries, comprising 16 separate boards within the EO structure. Additionally, she is a member of the EO Global Governance Standing Committee, responsible for policy-making and serving as a disciplinary tribunal for its 18,000 members in 76 countries. Catherine was formerly a board member and President for the EO Perth Chapter. Her focus is on entrepreneurship, leadership, and management, backed by practical insights gained from interactions with and exposure to global EO members, including owners of businesses such as Spanx, Royal Selangor, Trivago, and Red Balloon. With a Masters in Family Law, Catherine practices as a Family Lawyer specializing in representing business owners, and her experience as a founder and business owner provides a pragmatic perspective on company issues. Currently, Catherine is the Deputy Chair of the Family Law Section 2024 National Conference and an active member of LawAustralasia and Business Women Australia. A frequent voice in national media, Catherine regularly shares insights on relationships, family law, divorce, human behaviour, leadership, and entrepreneurship through various national and international platforms and presents at national and international seminars and conferences.
Steven Cole
Steven Cole has over 40 years of professional, corporate and business experience through senior legal consultancy, as well as a range of executive management and non executive appointments. His extensive boardroom and board sub-committee experience includes ASX listed, statutory, proprietary and NFP organisations covering the industrial, financial, educational, professional services, agribusiness, health, local government and resources sectors. Steven's professional qualifications include Llb (hons)- University of Western Australia; AICD Company Directors Diploma and Fellow and Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania - Corporate Governance Program 2010 and Harvard Business School Corporate Governance Program 2015. Steven is a sought after speaker and presenter at industry and professional conferences and seminars in Australasia and Asia as well as having authored publications and journal articles on emerging governance related issues. Steven's continuing board appointments include Chair of Neometals Limited (ASX listed – battery materials recycling); Non-Executive Director of Matrix Composites and Engineering Limited (ASX listed – subsea industrial buoyance); Chair of Primobius GmbH (a German based JV company); Chair of an intergenerational investment trust; Non-Executive Director of Yourttoolkit.com Ltd (a NFP/charitable organisation addressing family and domestic violence and coercive control).