Alumni News

We congratulate Jack Ford (Sydney partner until 1995) who was awarded an OAM (the Medal of the Order of Australia) in June for his services to community health. Jack has served as Chair of the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation (SCHF) and Director of Sydney Children's Hospitals Network.

“To be nationally recognized and honoured by my country is one of the proudest moments of my life and I shall treasure it always.

I salute past and present staff and board members of Randwick and Westmead Children’s Hospitals and their Foundation, with whom I’ve been privileged to work for more than 25 years. They are the heroes and deserve all the recognition.

I thank my family and friends for supporting me, especially my wife Sally and children Daisy, Laura and Elliot as well as those who participated in my nomination."

Jack says about his time at Ashurst:

“My years as a partner were the most satisfying and happy work years of my life. I was fortunate not only to do some great work but also accomplish that with fantastic work colleagues senior and junior."

Sabina Pacifico (Milan Trainee Lawyer until 2022) was recently appointed Legal Counsel at Danish shipping and logistics company A.P Moller - Maersk. Sabina joins the Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs team at Maersk after two years as an Associate in the Antitrust, Competition and Trade Department of an international law firm in Rome.

Congratulations on your new role Sabina! What do you think are the biggest challenges facing your industry today?

Simply put, I would mention the current geopolitical obstacles and the achievement of decarbonization goals.

And how are you enjoying life in Copenhagen so far?

I am bidding farewell to a wonderful summer, which has made my first months in the city much easier, but I am also excited to see what Copenhagen has to offer during winter times. The bicycle is now my favourite means of transport and I will soon start my Danish classes!

Philipp Weber (Luxembourg Corporate Transactions Associate until 2021) was recently appointed as Legal Counsel and Director in the asset management division at the multinational investment bank UBS. Philipp joins UBS after two years as Legal Counsel and Assistant Vice President at the global asset management company T. Rowe Price.

Sam Day (Sydney Lawyer until 2023) joined National Australia Bank as Legal Counsel in August in the bank’s corporate & institutional markets division. Sam was previously a lawyer in the Financial Markets team at Australian multinational and financial services company, Westpac.

Michael McLaws (Sydney Legal Project Manager until 2019) has been appointed as Legal Counsel at global mining giant, Rio Tinto. Since his tenure at Ashurst, Michael has built an impressive legal career with roles at IBM Australia and Seqwater, the Queensland Government’s bulk water supply authority and one of Australia’s largest water utilities.

Congratulations Michael! Please tell us a bit about your new role at Rio Tinto.

Thank you! I’m one of four lawyers from Rio Tinto’s Legal, Governance and Corporate Affairs team providing dedicated legal support to Rio Tinto’s Energy & Climate team (RTEC). I provide legal and strategic counsel in support of a global portfolio of decarbonisation and climate change projects and their delivery.

What excites you most about this position?

It is too hard to pick my number one, but I do have a top three.

Firstly, it is the excitement of working at the forefront of development and technology innovation in the mining industry. Many of the projects I support are novel and industry leading.

Secondly, is getting to work with, learn from, and be mentored by some of the smartest people I have ever met. Many of my colleagues are experts in their fields, passionate about making a positive impact, and leaving a respected legacy.

Third and finally, it is working with a renowned multinational on global projects that matter. As an Australian-Canadian and dual qualified lawyer, I am living my dream working globally as an international lawyer.

Geoffrey Pickerill (London partner until 1983) recently completed a remarkable 2,000-mile motorcycle journey from Land's End to John O'Groats and back, raising over £3,700 for charity. Geoffrey, who began riding motorbikes nearly 60 years ago, teamed up with a friend for this final long ride, covering all their own expenses to ensure that every penny raised went to their chosen causes, Rotary Club of Newton Abbot and Newton Abbot Community Shed.

Well done Geoffrey! Could you share some of the highlights from your journey?

We asked other Rotary members for help with accommodation and were delighted to receive a welcome – and a warm meal – from them along the way. After our stay in Glasgow (sadly we were forced to try several whiskies the night before!), tradition demanded that we be piped off the premises so our host put on his tam o’shanter and played “Scotland the Brave” on his bagpipes as we rode down his drive – what fun!

Getting to John O’Groats was obviously an achievement, but in reality it was not until I was home and watching the weather forecast map on the television that I suddenly said to my wife (Rayner – also a former Ashurst employee) “Wow – I’ve been all the way up there – and back!”

We wore tabards declaring our trip and many times were stopped by people wanting to make a donation. One old man whilst driving out of a service station stopped and asked if we took cash ? Yes ! He produced three pound coins – how nice!

What were the biggest challenges you faced on the road?

The weather inevitably. The sun shone both at Land’s End and at John O’Groats, but on the way down from JOG back to Inverness it poured with rain and was very windy. With rain on the outside of the visor, the windshield, and the instruments visibility can be very poor, and a biker is only too well aware of the reduction in adhesion with only two tyres on a very wet road. Fortunately all was well. I suppose I should also admit to various aches and pains from riding in one position for a long way….I celebrated my 76th birthday the day before we reached John O’Groats!

How did it feel to combine your passion for motorbiking with such a meaningful cause?

Having ridden Route 66 in the USA (Chicago to Santa Monica) and in much of Europe, I should be thinking of retiring from biking, but this ride seemed to be a good way both of celebrating a long biking career and contributing to two worthwhile causes. Our Rotary club has paid out some £32,000 over several months to some 50 good causes, so I know that it is worthwhile, and I reminded myself of this when it was wet and windy!

Donate to '100 Year Bikers, The Last Long Ride'.