What it means to be General Counsel in 2024

In this instalment of "The Evolving Role of In-House Legal," we engage in a conversation with Michael Guilday, Cicely Sylow, Ricki Fitzgerald, John Downes, Howard Edelman and Justin Coss, exploring the changing expectations of General Counsels and their teams. We delve into how advancements in technology and data have significantly expanded their sphere of responsibility.

Meet the speakers:

Cicely Sylow is an experienced inhouse legal leader with over 15 years’ of legal experience gained at highly reputable domestic and international law firms in Australia. In her current role she is responsible for managing the legal function of a market leading Australian company with global reach. 

Howard Edelman is the General Counsel + Company Secretary of A2B Australia Limited (formerly known as Cabcharge) and brings almost 30 years of corporate and commercial experience across various industries, including technology, financial services, manufacturing, infrastructure and retail. He previously worked as General Counsel and Company Secretary at Real Pet Food Company, CSG Limited, AUB Group Limited, CIMB Australia and iSoft Group Limited. He has held senior roles with AustralianSuper and Super Retail Group and worked for the law firms Skadden Arps and Allens, specialising in corporate law. Howard is a Director and General Counsel for the Australia Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and is President of ACC NSW.

Justin Coss Group General Counsel & Company Secretary at Noumi Limited and Immediate Past President of ACC Australia.

Jon Downes is General Counsel at MinterEllison, one of Australia's largest law firms.  Jon manages a team of lawyers and support staff to provide legal, company secretarial, compliance and a range of other services to the firm.

Jon has spent over 20 years in in-house roles, having started his career in private practice at what is now Hogan Lovells, in London, before joining what is now Allens Linklaters in Sydney and then moving in-house.

Jon is also a Board member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and Vice President of ACC Australia.

Michael Guilday is General Counsel and Head of Property at Sydney Fish Market.  As member of the Executive Group, he is responsible for the Legal and Property Functions at Sydney Fish Market, including executive level strategic decision making in relation to commercial, operations, legal and ESG aspects of the iconic Sydney Fish Market.

Ricki Fitzgerald is a senior lawyer and leader with extensive private and in-house Government experience. She has a broad generalist skillset and expertise in commercial matters, corporate governance, employment law and insurance.