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Award wins boost a law firm’s global profile
Having walked away with the Technology Partner of the Year award last year, this Corrs Chambers Westgarth lawyer said the victory raised the law firm’s profile in Australian and global markets.
Malavika Santhebennur
James North, head of technology, media, and telecommunications at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and one of the winners at Lawyers Weekly’s 2021 Partner of the Year Awards, said the award was recognition of his and his team’s efforts, and demonstrated that “we’re considered the forefront of the industry”.
“We always find it really important to win awards like this one and receive recognition so we can engage with international law firms.”
Indeed, Mr North and his team would include award wins like this in their pitch documents to new local and international clients when they are pursuing deals or handling disputes and are asked to submit a proposal.
“We would reference the awards in those documents as part of putting ourselves forward as a suitable firm,” he said.
“We also tend to reference awards in our resumes and on our personal and firm’s social media accounts.”
Mr North practises in the converging fields of telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT), and has experience in strategic commercial transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, outsourcing, and product rollouts, as well as disputes in the TMT sector.
“I’m fascinated by technology and its legal implications. I’m interested in the innovation it brings, and how it impacts society, as well as how new disruptive technology creates new business models,” he said.
“This could include increasing regulation around data and how it’s used in our economy, privacy reforms, and increasing obligations on business and government to protect data against cyber attacks. It’s a very fast-paced environment and things are changing very quickly, so it’s always interesting.”
The Technology Partner of the Year award aims to recognise a partner (or partner equivalent) who has advised on matters relating to technology (including cybersecurity) for a diverse range of individual clients and companies, and has continuously adapted to the rapid pace of technological change while ensuring effective outcomes for their clients.
Lawyers Weekly is calling on the law profession to lodge their submissions for the 2022 Partner of the Year Awards by Friday, 20 May (with the black-tie awards ceremony to be held on Thursday, 28 July 2022 at The Star in Sydney).
In his submission, Mr North also focused on his commitment to mentoring and the technical and professional development of junior lawyers within his team, while encouraging and assisting junior lawyers in his team to read widely and follow policy developments in Australia and overseas to broaden their knowledge.
“I believe successful lawyers are those who are able to work across converging sectors of TMT, and have a role to play in influencing public policy debate,” he said.
Outside of his work as a firm partner, Mr North is a regular contributor to internal and external seminars on TMT-related topics. For example, in 2020 he presented on topics such as artificial intelligence and corporate decision-making as part of a University of Sydney webinar.
Mr North advised candidates pondering submitting in this year’s awards program to focus on doing quality work, becoming involved in leading transactions and “ground-breaking” dispute work.
“If you're involved in the best transactions and the most difficult dispute related matters, then clients will recognise that. Once you've built those client relationships and have that independent validation, all you really need to do is put that forward in your submission, and tell that story,” he said.
Moreover, Mr North underscored the importance of demonstrating honesty and authenticity in submissions.
“I think where some people may go wrong is that they may oversell themselves or paint a picture of their work that's not real,” he observed.
“You also often find younger lawyers are a little bit bashful and reticent in coming forward and seeking out those awards, and that's a mistake as well.”
In addition, including external referees like clients and other members of the legal profession (including other lawyers) “gives your application a whole lot of additional credibility”, Mr North concluded.
Raise your profile in the Australian and international law community by contesting for the Technology Partner of the Year award at the 2022 Partner of the Year Awards. Submit your entry or nominate a colleague by Friday, 20 May to be in the running.
For more information about the awards, including the categories, click here.
