Two of Queensland’s most experienced commercial law Partners will lead the discussion on successful working relationships with external advisers at next week’s Queensland Law Society In‑house Lawyers Breakfast in Brisbane.
Jamie Doran, Partner at Clayton Utz, and Brendan Clark, Partner at MinterEllison, are part of the four-practitioner panel at the 25 March event at Customs House, with registrations closing on Friday.
They will bring insights drawn from decades advising major corporates and all levels of government, and unpack what each side values in the partnership, how to align expectations from the start and how to ensure advice supports organisational objectives.
Joining Mr Doran and Mr Clark on the panel will be QLS President Peter Jolly, who will bring a profession‑wide lens to the discussion, and Sophie Evans, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary at Cement Australia, will speak to what in‑house teams value most from their external advisers.
The session will be chaired by Phil Ware, Chair of the Queensland Law Society’s In‑house Counsel Committee and General Counsel at Stanwell Corporation, who will guide the panel through key themes such as:
• How commercial and in‑house counsel define a successful partnership;
• Establishing clear scopes of work and managing expectations from the outset;
• Budgeting practices, including identifying and addressing cost creep;
• Best‑practice communication, transparency and accountability;
• The shift from adviser to strategic partner in external legal service delivery.
The discussion is expected to offer practical guidance on building relationships that are efficient, transparent and aligned with organisational strategy.
The event is the first for 2026 and continues the momentum of the In‑house Lawyers Breakfast Series, which has become a key forum for Queensland’s in-house community to exchange ideas and strengthen professional connections.
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