CEOInterviews.AISydney Law School Distinguished Alumni Series: In conversation with Law School alumna Georgia Dawson

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Simon Bronet0:21

Good morning my name is Simon Bronet, I am the dean and head of Sydney Law School, and it's my pleasure to welcome you here. I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. Very delighted today to welcome Georgia Dawson, winner of the 2023 alumni award for international achievement. She is senior partner at Freshfields, with a background in international regulatory investigations, complex litigation, and human rights. She's a graduate of Sydney and Cambridge. I'll hand over to Nicole Abedi.

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Nicole Abedi5:06

Thank you Simon for that lovely introduction. I'd like to acknowledge the Gadigal. Congratulations Georgia on the award. To start, you didn't always want to be a lawyer. You decided after discussions with your career counselor. You started law here in the late 1990s and enjoyed it. What did you enjoy the most?

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Georgia Dawson5:54

It's a good question. We were really lucky to have amazing lecturers, authors of textbooks, leading minds. I loved solving problems, using legal tools to come up with solutions. That's what I particularly enjoyed.

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Nicole Abedi6:35

You were here in the late '90s at the old law school on Philip Street. What was it like studying there? What are some memories?

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Georgia Dawson6:48

The building was tired, living underground wasn't ideal, but being in the city seeing barristers going to court made you feel part of the community. Limited gathering spaces. I realized the difference when I did a six-month exchange to Queens University in Canada, where students lived on campus. Also notable: Kingston has 12 prisons, so we were warned about prisoners on day release. The sense of constant community was different.

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Nicole Abedi8:34

Would you recommend the exchange experience to current law students?

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Georgia Dawson8:44

Absolutely. I'm addicted to travel. Scrimped and saved or borrowed money to backpack. The Sydney law program to Queens with three other Australians was amazing. Forced to recognize similarities and differences between legal systems. I took courses on indigenous issues in Canada, interesting parallels with Australia. Also learned about different career paths. I flew from 32 degrees to minus 32. Canadians are the nicest people – a bus driver diverted the route to drop me at the youth hostel. So if you get the chance, do it.

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Nicole Abedi11:17

You're one of a crop of highly talented Australian lawyers working in London and around the world. You've said Australian legal education is very good. What makes it so good?

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Georgia Dawson11:54

It's a combination of theory and practice. We learn cases and legal theories but also have opportunities to apply them to live situations. The College of Law gives practical experience. In other countries, less focus on practical application, so Australian students are further up the readiness curve. Also the can-do mindset of Australian graduates is attractive to employers.

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Nicole Abedi12:52

You worked as a paralegal at Freehills in your last years. Was that valuable?

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Georgia Dawson13:14

Absolutely. I had several part-time jobs: swimming teaching, library shelving, and three law-related jobs. First at Middleton Mo Bevans on a large litigation case doing document review – tedious but gave me understanding of being on a big project. Then in barristers' chambers doing research, loved the drama and personalities. Then at Freehills in knowledge management working on precedents. These experiences gave me a sense of how different parts of a business contribute to a good outcome for a client.

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Nicole Abedi15:17

In 2002 you went to Vietnam on a law-related aid program. What was that?

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Georgia Dawson15:41

It was an Australian government-funded project through AusAID. I applied to work in Hanoi. Vietnam was pivoting from a command economy to a market economy, training lawyers and judges on the rule of law. I helped an NGO linked to Hanoi National University devise programs from commune level to the National Assembly. I went to communes for training on water rights, domestic violence, etc. The officials would come in from the fields, get training, then go back. Also lectured at Hanoi National University on legal ethics; only question I got was how much I was paid.

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Nicole Abedi17:55

You did an MPhil in International Relations at Cambridge. Why not an LLM? Were you thinking of moving away from law?

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Georgia Dawson18:21

I was considering pivoting to government work. I had applied to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and got a job offer while at Cambridge. So yes, I was thinking of diplomatic work. But I met my English husband at Cambridge, and it was easier to return to law.

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Nicole Abedi19:01

In 2004 you started at Freshfields in London. Five years in London, then seven in Hong Kong. What sort of work? How did you enjoy it?

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Georgia Dawson19:36

It was amazing. I had a fantastic mentor in Sydney who marked up my work with red pen. Eventually I got it. In Australia the work was domestic. In London it was multi-jurisdictional from day one. I worked on a case about a fraud on the state finances in Brunei by Prince Jeffri, $250 million. We had to get freezing orders around the world, dealing with artworks, palaces. Very interesting. Also banking litigation and regulatory investigations. In 2009 we moved to Hong Kong because of the financial crisis and China's boom.

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Nicole Abedi22:28

What differences did you notice practicing in Asia versus London?

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Georgia Dawson23:03

The cases in Hong Kong were fascinating – massive fraud, contracts that became irrelevant after signing. About 80% of my practice was financial litigation and regulatory work. The facts were always spectacular.

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Nicole Abedi23:54

You became managing partner in Asia in 2012, then senior partner in 2020. Did you always have that ambition?

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Georgia Dawson24:08

Not really. I often advise junior lawyers to be more deliberate about career development. My career kind of happened. I love new challenges, focused on learning and doing my best, hoping to be recognized. I wasn't focused on becoming senior partner.

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Nicole Abedi25:27

What qualities does a good litigator need?

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Georgia Dawson25:42

You need to be incredibly organized, have strong communication skills, be a really good listener, and be tenacious because litigation takes years.

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Nicole Abedi26:46

You became managing partner in Asia from 2012 to 2020. How did you enjoy that first leadership role?

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Georgia Dawson27:01

It was hard. I became a partner while on maternity leave with three kids under three. Then asked to be managing partner for a couple of hundred lawyers and 30 partners. I was very young compared to those I managed, not prepared. I was overwhelmed initially. More senior partners mentored me on advocacy and influence, which are key in partnerships.

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Nicole Abedi29:32

You were elected senior partner in September 2020. How did you decide to run and how did the campaign work?

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Georgia Dawson29:58

I decided 24-48 hours before the deadline because I hoped someone else would run. No one else stepped up, and I thought about my daughter who kept trying for class captain – I had to set an example. It was a contested election between two of us. Campaigning virtually during COVID, trying to connect with senior partners I'd never met in person. I put myself forward with a proposal for change. I was convinced I would lose – first woman, first litigator, first person in Asia, significantly younger. But I rolled the dice.

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Nicole Abedi33:10

You received a lot of support and encouragement.

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Georgia Dawson33:15

Yes, many people pushed me to have a go. I didn't prepare an acceptance speech. When the chair rang with the result, I was shocked.

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Nicole Abedi34:01

You were the first woman to lead a Magic Circle firm. Also a litigator, not from M&A. When you got the job, you received emails from all over the world. Tell us about that.

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Georgia Dawson34:40

My inbox exploded with messages, mainly from women and also men with daughters, saying how pleased they were to see this change and the opportunity for women to progress to senior roles.

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Nicole Abedi35:12

You received gendered press, e.g., the Times article calling it a 'legal bake off' and ending with 'Vital Statistics'. How did you feel?

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Georgia Dawson36:16

Disappointing. It could have been an opportunity to present a different message to women readers. Other journalists wrote more helpfully.

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Nicole Abedi36:59

Diversity and inclusion was a pillar of your campaign. Tell us about your measures for gender parity and LGBT+ community.

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Georgia Dawson37:29

My job is to ensure the firm remains relevant with the best talent. You need diverse perspectives for problem solving. We set targets rather than quotas: minimum 40% of new partners women. We've exceeded that each year. It requires management focus – asking department leaders why the talent pipeline isn't diverse. Last year 48% women. Still work to do; globally 28% women. For LGBT+, my uncle's experience motivated me. We do pro bono work for asylum seekers.

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Nicole Abedi40:54

You're passionate about pro bono. Can you give an example with the LGBTQ community?

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Georgia Dawson41:08

My pro bono interest started at Redfern Legal Centre at Sydney Uni. In Hong Kong, we ran refugee cases for LGBT+ members from Africa escaping persecution. The success rate is very low, but we succeeded in a few, giving them a chance to start a new life. We also created an app for refugee applicants to know their rights, translated into multiple languages.

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Nicole Abedi43:19

Final question: your favorite book is Leo Africanus. What's it about and why do you love it?

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Georgia Dawson43:33

It's beautifully written with exotic imagery. My youngest son is named Leo as a result.

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Nicole Abedi43:48

Thank you Georgia for speaking to us. Congratulations again on an exceptional career.

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Simon Bronet44:17

At Sydney Law School we are incredibly proud of our alumni. Please join me in thanking Georgia. If you have any questions, please come and chat. Thank you.