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University of Sydney’s GC to speak at Corporate Counsel Summit 2025
Olivia Perks, general counsel at the University of Sydney, will discuss how law departments can help reverse cultural decline.
Lawyers Weekly
The seventh annual Corporate Counsel Summit, hosted by Lawyers Weekly with principal partners Lawyers on Demand (LOD) and Consilio, offers Australia’s in-house counsel practical tools and strategies for career and business success.
The premier one-day event features an impressive speaker line-up, including the likes of Shannon Finch, group general counsel and group executive at Westpac Group, Rama Lingard, head of legal for Australasia at Mastercard, and Cameron Loughlin, legal director for Australia and New Zealand at Uber, among others.
With a wealth of experience, Olivia Perks, general counsel at the University of Sydney, joins the unparalleled line-up of legal and business minds speaking at the summit.
Perks will be joined by Danielle Corden, general counsel at Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne, to explore the mandate of corporate counsel to enforce legal and ethical standards against entrenched cultural behaviour.
Perks will refer to the recent PwC scandal and ensuing parliamentary inquiry as a focal point throughout the session.
Currently serving as general counsel at the University of Sydney, Perks oversees a multifaceted portfolio that includes the legal services team, trusts office, policy and compliance unit, and audit function.
Throughout her 25 years of experience as a commercial lawyer, Perks has been dedicated to legal innovation, with a focus on developing human-centred legal solutions that prioritise user experience.
At the Corporate Counsel Summit, Perks will discuss how legal professionals can prioritise values-based decision making while shifting the balance of power within organisations to foster transparency, raise accountability, and promote integrity and wellbeing.
Her session will also delve into the scope and limits of legal privilege in corporate communications, strategies for amplifying legal voices to engage leadership in compliance, and the impact of Right to Disconnect laws on workplace culture, employee rights, and organisational practices.
In addition to her legal career, Perks is committed to empowering the next generation of business leaders by facilitating a unit of study in the University of Sydney’s MBA program.
She also holds a position as a non-executive director at Westmead Fertility Centre, a social enterprise dedicated to providing accessible and high-quality IVF services.
The summit will be held on Thursday, 8 May 2025, at The Star in Sydney for an unrivalled leadership forum set to propel Australia’s in-house community to endless opportunities. Click here to buy tickets.
For more information on the agenda, click here.
To see the full list of speakers, click here.
Click here to learn more about the Corporate Counsel Summit.
