Industry Event

Baker & McKenzie recently hosted Group Captain Catherine McGregor AM, Australia's most prominent transgender woman, speaking about her life in and outside of the military. Catherine is a speech writer and strategic adviser to the Chief of the Air Force. Her career in the Australian Regular Army spans 40 years, during which she has held a variety of regimental and staff appointments. She is also a published author and well-known political and cricket commentator.

For the third consecutive year, global law firm K&L Gates has carried out its annual Global Day of Service. The event is a week-long volunteer effort by its partners and staff focused on serving more than 70 charitable organisations in cities and regions across five continents in which the firm has offices. Partners and staff from each of the firm’s offices worldwide volunteer around the theme of “Caring for our global neighbourhood: one world, one mission.” K&L Gates' teams in Australia assisted a number of charities including: the Ronald McDonald House Charities (Melbourne); The Aboriginal Literacy Foundation (Melbourne), Pioneer Clubhouse (Sydney), Manna Inc (Perth), Red Cross (Brisbane) and Brisbane Youth Services (Brisbane).

K&L Gates' Perth office recently hosted a high-profile line up of inspiring leaders at a special women's networking morning tea. The list included former Governor-General of Australia the Honourable Quentin Bryce AD CVO; former UN Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Gertrude Mongella; Tanzanian Goodwill Ambassador for Tourism in Australia Dr Casta Tungaraza; and former Senior Vice-President of Hewlett Packard, Diana Bell.

The Hon. Tony Abbott MP was there to officially launch Gerard Henderson’s book, Santamaria: A Most Unusual Man. Bob Santamaria was a mentor to the current PM, who said at the event: “launching this book is an act of piety towards my tribe. It is an act of piety towards someone who was for some years almost a father to me. He helped to shape me, he helped to shape us.” The event, which was hosted by ABL senior partner, Mark Leibler, and co-hosted by Melbourne University Publishing, was a huge success with close to 100 people attending. That same week, Julia Gillard, now Chancellor of online education provider Dūcere, was a guest speaker at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce/ Young Business Forum (YBF) event, which was hosted by ABL lawyer Rebecca Zwier and attended by 110 YBF members.

As part of Arnold Bloch Leibler’s recognition of National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week and commitment to reconciliation, the firm is once again supporting AIME’s National Hoodie Day today. ABL staff members are wearing AIME hoodies to raise awareness for this important organisation, which provides a structured education program for Indigenous kids. AIME has had remarkable success with its students finishing school and transitioning through to university at the same rate as every Australian child – effectively closing the gap in educational outcomes. Every limited edition hoodie sold goes straight back into the program and brings AIME closer to working with 10,000 Indigenous kids nationally across Australia by 2018. https://aimementoring.com/about/aime/

Holding Redlich chief executive officer Clarence Kunnel takes part in the 2015 Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Melbourne, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is the sixth year that Mr Kunnel has taken part, one of six people who have participated in all Victorian Sleepouts. Over the past six years he has raised more than $36,000. “This annual event has had an enormous impact on raising awareness about homelessness – a problem that exists Australia-wide,” Mr Kunnel said. “What we experience by taking part is only a fragment of what life must be like on the streets – but with so many influential leaders from the community taking part it is such an important awareness and money-raising initiative.”

Corrs partners take part in CEO Sleepout

Clayton Utz supports Vinnies CEO Sleepout with $20,000+ fundraising effort

More than 430 of the legal industry’s finest filled the ballroom at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel for the 2015 Australasian Law Awards. MC'd by Australian comedian Tom Gleeson the event was a roaring success, celebrating the outstanding achievements of the legal profession over the last twelve months. Congratulations to all of the night’s award winners and a big thank you to event partner FTI Consulting, all the award sponsors, finalists and everyone who attended for making it such a huge success.