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BigLaw firm Pinsent Masons has bolstered its Australian technology, media, and telecommunications practice, appointing an experienced special counsel.
Simon McDonald has been appointed as a special counsel to Pinsent Masons, adding to its growing Australian TMT space.
With over 20 years of experience in both in-house and private practice roles, McDonald brings extensive expertise to his new position.
This includes more than seven years serving as a senior in-house executive at global tech firm IBM, where he held several regional general counsel roles alongside senior risk and compliance leadership duties throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
In his most recent role, McDonald served as IBM’s senior counsel and compliance officer for the Asia-Pacific and Japan regions, where he acted as a key adviser to the C-suite on compliance risk.
Prior to these assignments, McDonald held the position of regional general counsel for IBM in India and south Asia, operating out of Bangalore, following a similar leadership tenure overseeing legal and risk operations for the technology giant across the Australia and New Zealand markets.
His professional background also encompasses senior legal roles at CA Technologies, as well as foundational experience gained in the private practice of a global legal firm.
It’s not the first major appointment Pinsent Masosn has made this year, with the firm electing long-serving employee John Maciver as its next senior partner starting in October.
Also, in July, the firm named Hayley Harris as its inaugural global chief knowledge and AI adoption officer.
Talking about his appointment, McDonald outlined his eagerness to join a firm with such a high reputation on an international scale.
“Joining a firm with such a premier reputation built in Europe, and with real ambition to grow that same strength across Asia-Pacific, feels like a natural next step … I’m looking forward to bringing that regional, cross-sector experience to clients here in Sydney and across the region,” McDonald said.
Veronica Scott, who serves as the Australian TMT practice co-head and global co-lead of technology and digital markets at Pinsent Masons, remarked that the addition of McDonald represented a significant strategic milestone, offering a unique and valuable capability to the firm’s clientele.
“Simon’s mix of in-house and private practice experience, and his track record as both a regional general counsel and senior risk executive for global technology companies in growth markets across Asia, means he is alive to current challenges faced by in-house counsel and will be able to take a holistic approach to advising organisations on digital and data and transformation risks, including in AI adoption as well as dealing with broader governance and compliance issues,” Scott said.
McDonald’s professional track record includes acting as a trusted adviser to CEOs and executive boards, navigating complex commercial and regulatory landscapes across a diverse array of sectors, such as energy, government, financial services, and telecommunications.
James Arnott, who serves as the Australian TMT practice co-head at Pinsent Masons, noted that McDonald’s professional background ensures he is exceptionally well-positioned to offer proactive guidance to the firm’s clients regarding fast-moving industry developments.
“Simon will support our clients to anticipate and respond to evolving and converging risks, enabling our clients to engage in responsible innovation and to meet the challenges of a fast-moving tech environment,” Arnott said.
Jonathan Kirsop, who leads the firm’s global TMT practice, noted McDonald’s arrival at a pivotal moment, as the Australian market takes a proactive stance in legislative efforts regarding critical technology, data, and privacy matters.
“We have recently seen the Australian government move to restrict access to social media for under 16s and start to plan regulations around the use of AI and the building of data centres,” Kirsop said.
“This is clearly an area that organisations operating in Australia will need to be across and be able to respond to in a way that makes commercial sense for that organisation.
“Simon’s background will allow him to be a natural partner to these organisations.”
McDonald will be based in Sydney, leading the TMT practice, having joined the firm at the start of last week.
