35 Years of Leadership: Michael Whalley, former WLG Kemmler Award Recipient
Michael Whalley
Retired from Minter Ellison
Former WLG Key Contact Partner, Publications Editor and Kemmler Award Recipient
How did you first get involved with WLG, and what led you to take on a leadership position?
My law firm, Minter Ellison, became the Australian member of World Law Group in the early 1990’s. At that time, I was the London resident partner of the firm and was accordingly asked to attend the European meetings of the WLG and to maintain our links with the various European member firms. It was a rewarding association, creating enduring relationships with many leading lawyers in the member firms.
With one of my partners, we developed the idea of creating an international guide to business acquisitions to which all member firms of WLG could contribute their particular jurisdiction’s expertise. The publisher Kluwer readily agreed to publish the guide. Its success encouraged me to suggest other publishing ideas to help promote the WLG network and to demonstrate the strong international links that it could offer clients of individual member firms. We ultimately published five significant handbooks on diverse topics including employment laws, civil procedure, securities laws and employee share schemes, along with an enhanced second edition of Business Acquisitions.
As editor of many of WLG's guidebooks, how did that role help build your global network and impact your practice?
My role as general editor for the WLG publishing program put me in touch with the subject specialists from each of the member firms, not just the nominated partner representative. It enabled the exchange of ideas and the dissemination of knowledge about each firm’s real expertise in these subjects, creating a deeper and wider network within WLG and between member firms’ partners.
My own practice covered both business acquisitions and employee share schemes, and it was a pleasure to be able to identify and to work with the corresponding partners in those practice areas in other member firms.
How did serving as a Key Contact Partner influence your firm's relationship with the network?
Although based in London, I was part of a specific group of partners in a number of the offices of my firm who had responsibility for WLG relationships. Our knowledge of, and friendships with, many partners of the member firms enabled us to proselytize and promote those individuals, and their firms, to our own partners, ensuring that we made the best use of the WLG network for the benefit of our clients.
As one of the international partners of the firm, I was often the first port of call for inquiries from within my firm as to which firms could be used in other jurisdictions when a particular client matter arose which needed advice in that jurisdiction. Being able to make those introductions on a personal level contributed to, and enhanced, the level of confidence placed in the client referrals we were able to make.
As we reflect upon our growth during our 35th anniversary, tell us about the changes you've seen in the network during the years you have been involved and what leads you to believe our best days are ahead of us.
Minter Ellison was a relatively early joiner of WLG, when there were only a small number of jurisdictions represented by member firms. Throughout my then nearly 20 years of involvement with WLG, I watched with pride as it grew to what I understand is now over 60 firms in 92 countries. Despite this growth, WLG has managed to maintain the quality of its members and continue to ensure that every member firm can have confidence in the others.
Clients require their lawyers to be advisers as well as experts, and our ability to call on a wide-ranging network of trusted international firms can only enhance the trust and confidence that clients place in us. That is good for us and helps to guarantee the future success of WLG.