IN THIS ISSUE Kate Jenkins: championing change as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner Inspiration, innovation & integrity: Victor Chu’s lessons in leadership Lawyer to founder: alumni who are changing the world through tech LEADING FROM THE FRONT Former partner Michael Shaw on life as general counsel at the Royal Bank of Scotland ALUMNI 2017 Contents Features 10 Cutting to the Chase Reflections from former senior partner Lord Gold 12 The 3 ‘I’s of Leadership Victor Chu shares his key ingredients to leadership 15 Artificial Intelligence: The Client Perspective 16 A Champion for Change Kate Jenkins’ journey as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner 18 The Rainbow Connection Pioneering LGBTI inclusion with Justin D’Agostino 20 Leading from the Front A CHAMPION Cover story: Michael Shaw BRIGHTFOR CHANGE NEW TECH 1621 24 Leading by Example Anthony Kearns on leadership and clients’ challenges 26 Being in Charge Effective leadership strategies with Kate Muir 28 Lawyer to Founder Tan Le and Srin Madipalli’s paths to success 31 Welcome Back Why two alumni returned to the firm 32 A Chat with Snap’s Lawyer Welcome to the 2017 edition of Alumni Matters. Insights with tech lawyer David Lewis 40 Supporting the Rule of Law I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to find out A look into our pro bono and citizenship initiatives about the inspiring paths taken by members of Regulars the Herbert Smith Freehills Alumni Network. 04 Welcome from the Senior Partner 05 Getting Together: Alumni events As alumni chairman, I am continually impressed by the determination We can all take heart from these inspirational stories which showcase 34 Firm Highlights of our alumni to succeed in their chosen endeavours. Many are the diversity of our alumni. As a firm, we strive to create a diverse, 36 A View from...Qatar leaders in their fields, including those who have ventured beyond the high-performing culture throughout our offices globally. Not only are LEADING FROM 39 10 Questions with...Sylvia Schenk law and founded their own enterprises. Here we present a selection we a leading law firm in establishing an inclusive working environment THE FRONT of profiles that demonstrate their unique approaches to leadership. for everyone, we are also recognised for embracing digital innovations, 20 42 In Memoriam including artificial intelligence, when acting for clients. Former partner Michael Shaw, our cover story, reflects back on his early martial arts lessons as the formative period that eventually led There are currently over 4,500 alumni spread across 56 countries to his current role as general counsel at the Royal Bank of Scotland. and it has been another busy year with events taking place Despite Lord Gold’s retirement from his role as senior partner of across the world. Alumni gatherings have taken place in Brisbane, Herbert Smith, his reputation as a pre-eminent litigator provided the Hong Kong, Melbourne, Paris, Perth, Singapore and Sydney. I was perfect foundation to start his own strategic litigation consultancy. personally delighted to see another huge turnout at the Grand Kate Jenkins, a Freehills partner in the employment practice for 20 Reunion: London 2017. The evening was held at the Spanish years, discusses her appointment as Australia’s sex discrimination themed Aqua Nueva which, incidentally, was founded by commissioner and efforts to advance gender equality in all areas Herbert Smith Freehills alumnus David Yeo. of life. Alumni Matters celebrates the accomplishments of our incredibly Elsewhere, we celebrate the entrepreneurial spirits of our former talented people – past and present. I hope it will inspire you to stay colleagues. Tan Le, CEO of leading bioinformatics firm EMOTIV, in touch with both the firm and the alumni network. arrived in Australia as a four-year-old refugee fleeing Vietnam. Her immigrant status would ultimately instil in her an uncompromising will to succeed. Like many entrepreneurs, Srin Madipalli’s inspiration behind Accomable, an online platform for accessible travel, was born from personal experience as a wheelchair user. Both Tan and Srin BEING IN A CHAT WITH faced significant challenges but were motivated to make people’s John Farr CHARGE SNAP’S LAWYER lives better through their technology start-ups. Alumni Chairman 26 32 2 ALUMNI MATTERS 2017 HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS 3 From the Senior Partner GETTING TOGETHER The theme of this year’s Alumni Matters – leadership – is one that I, like many of us, A collection of photographs from alumni events held across the globe over the past year. have thought much about over the course of my career, and especially in my current role. Many different theories exist about leadership and what makes good leaders. Leadership does not come in one form, but is about helping people to achieve their goals. 10-Year Trainee Anniversary, London Inculcating leadership, whether formal or connection with the firm does not end the informal, at all levels is key to helping us moment they leave. They have made their achieve our strategy of being the best at what mark, contributed to our progress and, we do and a group of people all are proud in parallel with others, have helped define to be part of. We have made huge progress what the firm represents. We want our in the past three years and are well placed alumni to be proud of their part in shaping to capitalise on the opportunities arising both the history and the future development in the rapidly changing legal sector. As a of Herbert Smith Freehills. firm we have strong leadership including in Our relationship with former colleagues is our innovative approach to delivering legal also important because those of us still at services, notably through our Alternative the firm are the next generation of alumni Legal Services (ALT), which now employs ourselves. How we respect our alumni will 350 people in the ALT centres across eight set the tone for how the current generation jurisdictions (including the first of its kind in the firm will in time be respected for their with Mandarin speaking lawyers). We talk contributions. When each of us looks back about a culture of empowerment, which is at our time with the firm, we will want to Creativity and Leadership Women’s Lunch, Melbourne not yet as fully embedded as we think it can have made our contributions and to aim to be, that supports our people taking initiatives hand down to those following us a stronger and showing leadership. firm than the one we joined. That principle We are also delighted when Herbert Smith has pervaded our culture through past Freehills people continue to demonstrate generations and I hope will continue I, and others in the firm’s formal leadership leadership as they move on in their lives and into the future. team, strongly believe that effective careers – as the examples of alumni in the leadership is as much about encouraging following pages amply demonstrate. others to be leaders at all levels of the By nurturing leadership, we aim to offer the organisation as it is about setting the opportunity for staff to pursue their potential direction. Everyone has the capacity and the both inside the firm and after they leave. James Palmer potential to be a good leader with suitable We share in their success wherever they are Senior Partner support and training. This is what we aspire and whatever they are doing. But their to encourage at Herbert Smith Freehills. Credits Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this publication Alumni Reception, Singapore Editors: Rishi Chopra, Brooke Donato Alumni Matters is published by Herbert Smith may be reproduced in any form without prior Deputy Editor: Kym Somers Freehills. The opinions expressed in it are those consent of the publishers. Contributors: Humphrey Keenlyside, of the individual contributors and not necessarily Simon Rhodes, Madeleine Swain those of the firm. Every effort has been made Photography: Michael Chung, to ensure the information in this magazine is Guillaume de Fenoyl, Marcus Jamieson-Pond, correct at the time of print. The next edition Martin Joppen, Ade Kehinde, Graham Lee, of Alumni Matters will be published in Richard Michalak, Darren Paterson, late 2018. Bernard Shaw, Jesse Spezza, Terran Tang, Caroline Teo, Elleni Toumpas, Theresa Wu Alumni Matters We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Alumni enquiries Alumni Matters. Please recycle it, or pass it on UK, EMEA and US: +44 20 7466 6444 to another alumnus once you have finished Australia and Asia: +61 3 9288 1846 reading it. [email protected] HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM © Herbert Smith Freehills LLP 2017 / 2835R 4 ALUMNI MATTERS 2017 HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS 5 Alumni Reunion, Perth Banking & Finance Alumni Reception, London Energy Alumni Reception, London Alumni Reception, Melbourne Alumni Reunion, Sydney 6 ALUMNI MATTERS 2017 HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS 7 Grand Reunion, London 25-Year Trainee Anniversary, London Alumni & Internal Party, Paris Former Partners Reunion, Sydney Sonya Leydecker’s Retirement Party, London 8 ALUMNI MATTERS 2017 HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS 9 Many lawyers, especially partners, worry became a Conservative peer in the House what they might do after they leave a career of Lords. “The problem is in law. They often feel that they still have Thirdly, David was appointed as a “corporate plenty to contribute, but are not sure whether that for change monitor” by the U.S. Department of Justice their skills are transferable. Of course, some (DOJ) after BAE, Britain’s largest arms to happen, there are happy to fully retire, and enjoy working on company, had been fined $400m by the DOJ their golf skills. No such anxieties, however, to settle allegations of bribery. In that role, needs to be a for a former senior partner of Herbert Smith David not only monitored the company’s (legacy), David Gold, who hit the ground progress to reform its governance and ethics, ‘burning platform’, running when he retired from the firm in he also assisted the company with its change February 2011.