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Law Squared names former head of KPMG Law as its new CLO
Australia-founded NewLaw firm Law Squared, which in the past year has opened offices in the UK and New Zealand, has appointed the former head of KPMG Law in Australia to the newly created role of chief legal officer.
Jerome Doraisamy
Kate Marshall (pictured) has been appointed as the chief legal officer of Law Squared to support the international NewLaw firm’s next phase of growth and oversee management of the firm’s legal practice groups.
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She brings, the firm said in a statement, more than 25 years of legal partnership experience, including at Clayton Utz, Middletons, K&L Gates, and KPMG Australia. She also served most recently as head of KPMG Law in Australia.
She commences in her role at Law Squared following a six-month career break.
Law Squared founder Demetrio Zema (also pictured) said that the appointment of a CLO for the firm was a critical and highly personal one for him.
“I founded Law Squared with the ambitious mission to change the legal profession for the better. It was imperative that we find a CLO who would not only bring extensive leadership and legal skills but be aligned with my vision to create change,” he explained.
“In Kate, we have found the perfect person.”
Mr Zema will continue to lead the firm as its director and chief executive.
The news follows the firm’s opening in Auckland in early September, which also saw the launch of the firm’s privacy and cyber practice group.
It also follows the firm’s expansion into London in July of last year and its hiring of three new lawyers across its Australian and UK offices in late April.
Speaking about her new role, Ms Marshall said: “I want to work with good people, play an active role in driving innovation and change, and influence the strategic direction of the business.
“I have been aware of Law Squared for some time and am enormously impressed by the firm’s success in building a true alternative to traditional law firms for in-house counsel and business leaders to consider.”
“I believe there are better ways to provide legal services, yet few firms have moved the needle on innovation, lawyer wellbeing, or true client centricity,” Ms Marshall continued.
“Removing time as a metric of billing and performance, along with the traditional hierarchy structures, Law Squared has forged a unique business model and vision that I am wholeheartedly aligned with.”
Nino Ficca, who chairs the firm’s advisory board, echoed this: “Demetrio has done a tremendous job building an exceptional team and a culture unlike any other law firm.
“As an advisory board, we believe now is the right time to bring in another experienced operator with sage commercial judgement and a shared vision. We are confident in Kate’s ability to have a positive impact on Law Squared, our people, our clients and on the profession more broadly.”
Law Squared has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, and Auckland.
