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Law Squared names former head of KPMG Law as its new CLO
Australia-founded NewLaw firm Law Squared, which in the past year has opened offices in the UK and New Zealand, has appointed the former head of KPMG Law in Australia to the newly created role of chief legal officer.
Jerome Doraisamy
Kate Marshall (pictured) has been appointed as the chief legal officer of Law Squared to support the international NewLaw firm’s next phase of growth and oversee management of the firm’s legal practice groups.
She commences in her role at Law Squared following a six-month career break.
Law Squared founder Demetrio Zema (also pictured) said that the appointment of a CLO for the firm was a critical and highly personal one for him.
“I founded Law Squared with the ambitious mission to change the legal profession for the better. It was imperative that we find a CLO who would not only bring extensive leadership and legal skills but be aligned with my vision to create change,” he explained.
“In Kate, we have found the perfect person.”
Mr Zema will continue to lead the firm as its director and chief executive.
The news follows the firm’s opening in Auckland in early September, which also saw the launch of the firm’s privacy and cyber practice group.
It also follows the firm’s expansion into London in July of last year and its hiring of three new lawyers across its Australian and UK offices in late April.
Speaking about her new role, Ms Marshall said: “I want to work with good people, play an active role in driving innovation and change, and influence the strategic direction of the business.
“I have been aware of Law Squared for some time and am enormously impressed by the firm’s success in building a true alternative to traditional law firms for in-house counsel and business leaders to consider.”
“I believe there are better ways to provide legal services, yet few firms have moved the needle on innovation, lawyer wellbeing, or true client centricity,” Ms Marshall continued.
“Removing time as a metric of billing and performance, along with the traditional hierarchy structures, Law Squared has forged a unique business model and vision that I am wholeheartedly aligned with.”
Nino Ficca, who chairs the firm’s advisory board, echoed this: “Demetrio has done a tremendous job building an exceptional team and a culture unlike any other law firm.
“As an advisory board, we believe now is the right time to bring in another experienced operator with sage commercial judgement and a shared vision. We are confident in Kate’s ability to have a positive impact on Law Squared, our people, our clients and on the profession more broadly.”
Law Squared has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, and Auckland.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
You can email Jerome at:
