Alumni

Our people are an important part of our culture. This culture includes an extensive network of alumni who have gone on to have a diverse and vibrant range of careers and achievements. If you are an alumnus of the firm, we invite you to join the Freehills Alumni Program.

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Alumni in profile

Mike Ferraro

Mike Ferraro returned to the partnership in 2010, after leaving the firm in 2007 to take up the role of Chief Legal Counsel at BHP Billiton.

Describe your previous role.

As Chief Legal Counsel for BHP Billiton, I was responsible for all the legal needs of BHP Billiton globally. BHP Billiton has significant resource investments and activities in many countries, such as Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada and corporate locations in London, Melbourne, Singapore and The Hague.

It has been truly a global role. BHP Billiton lawyers are in 15 locations and the challenge was always around creating and maintaining one team culture and coping with different time zones and communication.
Approximately half my time was spent on major matters for the organization such as M&A transactions, anti-trust, significant litigation and the balance of managing the team globally, supported by many highly skilled and capable people.

As expected, the role involved significant travel on a regular basis. For example, over two years I was in London about 12 times and also spent time in Vancouver, Singapore, Phoenix, New York, Johannesburg, The Hague, Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Taipei, in addition to domestic travel.

What were the most interesting aspects of your job?

The diverse range of issues I had to deal with on a daily basis. On any one day I could be dealing with stock exchange disclosures, major contract reviews, developments in a piece of litigation, anti trust issues and M&A, in addition to the myriad of management issues that would need to be addressed.

Overwhelmingly though, was the opportunity to develop a global perspective. Understanding the business and geo political issues faced in many countries and by people in BHP Billiton has broadened my horizons. Working with people who had such broad knowledge and experience was insightful and not to be taken for granted. Refining my management and leadership skills was also very valuable. A large corporate like BHP Billiton functions differently to a partnership—it has to, and l learnt many things that l had not previously had the opportunity to develop and implement.

What are some important insights you have developed over your career?

It’s all about the people (nothing new here). The objective is to employ the very best people, keep them engaged, create an environment that develops their careers and makes them a key part of your organisation, where they are fully supported and can learn from both their mistakes and achievements.

It’s also important to keep things simple. An organization needs to stick to what it is really good at and focus on that and not be distracted by other opportunities and stuff (which I call treadmill noise) which merely distracts it from being the very best in its core activities.

What do you get up to when you are not at work?

In the last two years l have not have had much of a normal life, having travelled so much so that I just look forward to doing what people would ordinarily do on a daily basis like watching my children play sport, spending time with the family—just being there is great. I like to exercise so am regularly riding a bike and walk 1–2 hours a day at the moment. Catching up with friends has also been a priority the last few months.

What are you most looking forward to about re-joining Freehills?

In some respects returning to Freehills is like coming home. I was previously there for 17 years and enjoyed it very much. It has great people, a great culture, great clients and is well placed for the future.

I am sure though that both Freehills and I have changed since I have been away, and I look forward to adapting to that change and bringing to the organization some of that knowledge and skills I have developed in my time at BHP Billiton.

Deanna Constable

General Counsel, Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd

What did you specialise in at Freehills?

I was in the Corporate team and my focus was on resources. In the early 1990s there was a huge rationalisation of the resources industry and I worked closely with Philip Christensen and Al Donald doing a lot of M&A work with mining assets. When we came off the highs of that work flow, we had continuing roles in operational matters and joint venture governance and advisory work. I became a bit of an expert in unincorporated joint venture structures and went on to work on matters outside the resources sector, including the Vodafone/Optus 3G roll out which was done as a UJV.

What are some fond memories you have of Freehills?

I have many fond memories and I really enjoyed my time at Freehills. Originally I was employed by Parker & Parker, Perth which merged with Freehills’ Perth office. I remember being quite sad at the time as it was the end of quite an institution in the Perth legal market with a history going back to 1868. The transition was pretty smooth, however, and opened up an opportunity for me to move to the Sydney office, which I did pretty soon after the merger.

That coincided with the rationalisation period I mentioned, which turned out to be a very intense and exciting time for me as a lawyer. I travelled to London and South Africa and ran transactions with international stakeholders from across the globe.

Philip was always good at celebrating ‘the team’ and our successes so I have fond memories of deal closure celebrations. They were an important reward for amazing team effort and appreciated by all who were lucky enough to be on the receiving end.

Describe your new role.

I’m the General Counsel at Mitsubishi Development. Mitsubishi Development is a wholly owned Australian subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation which, in turn, is an international trading company headquartered in Japan. Mitsubishi Development was a long standing client of mine while at Freehills and, following a secondment to Mitsubishi, I decided to take up an in-house role. This had been a goal of mine and was designed to coincide with the start of our young family. During my secondment I was attracted, and still am, to the wide variety of legal activities and issues that arise. I also undertake a management role in respect of our team of four lawyers, which spans actions such as allocating the work as it comes in, providing a second opinion to other lawyers in the team and coming up with efficiencies to ensure that the business gets the most out of the legal function.

What are some interesting aspects of your job?

I have been fortunate to come into a position which allows me to flex my management muscle – in a sense, working as a partner to manage a small legal practice. I was ready for that challenge and the role I now have dovetails nicely. In that vein, I have become a trusted adviser to the CEO which gives me an insight into his approach to company matters and the political issues he faces when dealing with our parent in Tokyo.

I also project manage a strategic change initiative which we began in late 2008 which has taken me into a new area and exposed me to new change management tools which are valuable both within the legal practice and beyond. The opportunity to be involved in business strategy and workshops is a common in-house draw card and, I have to say, true in circumstances where you can enter an in-house role at a relatively senior level.

On the legal front, I get to work on a variety of matters including U3O8 marketing agreements, joint venture disputes, M&A, infrastructure access and development, corporate financing, compliance, OHS diligence for senior management – the list goes on. Of course, it is not possible to be an expert in all these areas, but you do get pretty good at quickly targeting the issues, identifying what can be done in-house and developing relationships with external lawyers which can be called upon when needed.

What are some important attitudes/insights you have developed over your career?

I’ve learnt to listen. This insight came from Al Donald. Al was always calm when he entered a meeting - listened first and talked later. Without him knowing it, he taught me to read the room and understand other people’s agendas—always be contemplative not reactive. I’ve learnt to check myself because I used to be too vocal, too early. It’s good to be a wise sage at the end. That said, this is still a work in progress for me!

Being in a predominantly Japanese-centric company, I’ve learnt the importance of cultural differences and the need to understand how these differences impact upon the way in which we communicate and negotiate. The Japanese, for example, prefer a ‘no surprises’ approach to decision making so I have learnt to prepare and forewarn decision makers of the legal advice to come and work with them to ensure that they understand it clearly and have explored all the options for resolution of the issue before they enter the negotiation room. This is not really about ‘becoming Japanese’ but, instead, about understanding the paradigm of the person across the table and communicating in a way that resonates with them.

Finally, I’ve learnt to be a bit selfish about my time. As a junior lawyer with few ties, working long and hard to obtain experience, prove your worth and make your mark is a necessary rite of passage. As I have progressed through the phases of my career, however, I have made a point of trying to set some clear and fair rules about when I will work and when I will be available – including how I will use my Blackberry! The Japanese work hard and long all the time but seem to have no issues in me laying down some ground rules that allow me to introduce some balance in my life. Admittedly, I have one client who are somewhat beholden to me (where else will they go?), and yet the contrasts in our working practices are not barriers to my success in the company. I work hard when I have to, and don’t answer emails on the weekends.

What do you get up to when you are not at work?

I have two small children, aged 4 and 7 and my weekends are devoted to them and my husband. I’ve rediscovered swinging from branches and bike riding as a consequence. I’m very protective of this time with them. I have this crazy notion that I’ll hit the gym at 5.45am each morning but that is a bit hit and miss and I rely on the crazy-paced time with the kids to ease my conscience about how much exercise I get. Ask me in 5 years time and I’m sure I will still be having the same struggle! Such is life.

Denis Byrne

Denis is a Brisbane-based company director and has 27 years of commercial law experience, specialising in the corporate, infrastructure and resource areas. Denis was at Freehills from 1989 to 1997. We caught up with Denis to talk about his career.

What did you specialise in at Freehills?

I practised commercial law, mainly in the M&A area. I helped set up the Brisbane office with Elizabeth Nosworthy and Jim Doyle 20 years ago. It was an exciting time and there were many challenges in getting the office off the ground.

What was your most memorable lesson from Freehills?

That you can simultaneously retain high integrity and strong professionalism, while meeting the demands of a busy commercial practice. Freehills has always been an eclectic group of talented lawyers with diverse skills and different backgrounds. I’ve learnt that this mix is really beneficial for a good workplace.

Describe your new role.

I’ve been the Chairman of Stanwell Corporation since 2006. I work in the energy industry and our core business is in coal-fired and hydro power. It is a challenging business and a demanding role. It’s my job to steer the corporation, through the Board, and oversee its strategy and business planning. I also need to be mindful of shareholders wishes and remain consistent with the state government’s energy policies.

What are some interesting aspects of your job?

As a non-executive director I came in as an outsider to the energy business. Being a lawyer is my core skill and I’ve had a rapid learning curve. It’s interesting to be on the client side and my job is a balancing act between enhancing our shareholders’ investment and working closely with the government. I have to ensure that the Board is an effective contributor, that we set strategic objectives and keep on top of key risk areas.

What are some important attitudes/insights you have developed over your career?

I’ve worked a long time in corporate governance and serving the legal profession as state and federal president. Between 1997 and 2007 I was a member of the Australian Takeovers Panel and during that time also served as a member of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel. Through my career I have learnt that good ethics are a hallmark of a good director and chairman, and that it is important to be an effective listener with shareholders, directors, management and the Board, as you can learn from others around you.

Common sense is also very important—ethical and moral rules which are underpinned by a strong sense of common sense. It is important to see the early warning signs of risks but also to see gains and opportunities when they come your way.

What do you get up to when you are not at work?

I am intensely involved in my children’s lives. We are good friends. I like reading, music, walking, theatre and opera. It is so important to have balance and quality in your life. I am encouraged by Generation Y because of their flexible attitudes to work. They are making alternative career choices and trying different things out which is good, as people will enter the business world as more well-rounded individuals.

Kelly O'Dwyer MP

Federal Member for Higgins

A little about what you have been doing since you left Freehills

After leaving Freehills I worked as a senior adviser to the Federal Treasurer, the Hon. Peter Costello MP for four years. I specifically advised on corporate law, competition law, foreign investment and microeconomic reform. After the 2007 election, I went to work as an executive at the National Australia Bank in their new Private and Institutional Wealth Division. In December 2009 I was elected as the Federal Member for Higgins.

What did you specialise in at Freehills?

I was a mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Freehills.

What was your most memorable lesson from Freehills?

That hard work will get you to where you want to go, and that attention to detail is as important as the big picture.

Describe your new role.

I am a member of the House of Representatives representing the constituents of Higgins. Higgins is a seat with a long and proud history, having been served by two Prime Ministers and a Federal Treasurer.

What are some interesting aspects of your job?

Two elections in less than 12 months has been interesting! More seriously, I really enjoy the diverse group of people I come into contact with in my job, from people living in housing commission accommodation, to small business people, as well as captains of industry. I enjoy the challenge of thinking through complex problems, as well as being able to communicate complex ideas succinctly in high pressure environments.

What are some important attitudes/insights you have developed over your career?

Treat everyone with respect. Build a team around you of the best and brightest. Demonstrate leadership through initiative and hard work.

What do you get up to when you are not at work?

When I am not at work and not on the telephone, I like to unwind by reading, jogging (slowly) along the Yarra, or catching up with friends and family. I also like to potter around in my small garden that seems to thrive on my benign neglect.