Chapter 4: First Dip into In-House

Gerry’s first step out of private practice came in an unexpected way, through a distant relative running a biotech start-up developing monoclonal antibodies for dogs and cats. What began as an in-house legal role quickly grew broader. Gerry found herself overseeing corporate operations, negotiating leases, building IT systems, even stepping in as company secretary alongside the CFO. The start-up soon flipped into an Irish public company and listed on NASDAQ, drawing numerous US-based investors. It was a whirlwind of board meetings, fundraising rounds, and international travel, an experience Gerry describes as both exhilarating and exhausting. When the company was eventually bought out by a major player, her lawyer’s instinct had already secured her protection: a contract that guaranteed a generous payout alongside the value of her shares.

After that chapter closed, Gerry dabbled in consulting before joining Orica. ‘Start-ups are agile and exciting,’ she says, ‘but you’re always looking for your next round of money and that can be draining.’ Orica, by contrast, offered the stability of a blue-chip ASX company, with the trade-off of slower-moving systems and stricter policies. Yet Gerry never lost her taste for creativity and agility. Even within a corporate giant, she carved out space to lead new initiatives, champion emerging issues like AI governance and data privacy, and pursue board roles that let her keep stretching beyond the lawyer’s box.

Chapter 5: Ancora Imparo

True to her stance of being more than just a lawyer, Gerry has sat on the Australian Biotechnology Association Board, joined the Swinburne University Council—where she pushed for the law school to stand out by producing technologically savvy lawyers—and served a decade on the Hawthorn Football Club Foundation Board. Each role gave her fresh perspectives and, just as importantly, reminded her that the best leaders never stop learning. Her study record is just as impressive. Gerry completed a Master’s in Intellectual Property Law, followed by the Applied Corporate Governance program through the Governance Institute of Australia, and later Swinburne’s Master of Corporate Governance. Looking back, she laughs that she has been living out Monash’s own motto, Ancora Imparo (‘I am still learning’) without even realising it.

These experiences have also shaped how she sees her own future. While she is about to begin a new chapter at Yarra Trams, she laughs at the idea of staying put for 15 years. Instead, she envisions a portfolio career, serving as a non-executive director, sitting on boards, and consulting across industries. What excites her most is preparing for the issues directors will face in the next decade: AI governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and sustainability. ‘Being able to look ahead and know what’s going to happen is what’s going to get you ahead,’ she reflects, pointing to the gaps in AI regulation and the lessons from high-profile cybersecurity breaches. Even as technology transforms the profession by speeding up due diligence or reshaping discovery, Gerry is certain that lawyers will still be needed. ‘AI can do the grunt work,’ she says, ‘but people will always need lawyers who can think, advise, and connect.’

Chapter 6: Industry Changes and Leadership

The appeal of in-house life was becoming clear to us as Gerry spoke. She explained that traditionally, law students don’t move straight into in-house roles as companies usually prefer people who have completed structured graduate programs in firms. ‘In-house lawyers need to be quite independent,’ she says. ‘You also have to be prepared to really know the business inside out.’

Still, Gerry is quick to remind us that a law degree doesn’t lock you into practice. ‘It’s a fantastic background for any career,’ she reflects, pointing to friends who went into investment banking and even her own brother, now leading engagement at Monash University. At the same time, she’s seen classmates from the 1990s rise to become Supreme Court and County Court judges. The variety left my team glancing at each other, quietly wondering where our own degrees might take us years from now, especially with an industry that is slowly becoming more inclusive.

She’s noticed some encouraging changes. ‘There are definitely more women in leadership positions now,’ she says. Junior lawyers, too, are more likely to speak up than to tolerate the treatment she once endured. But the challenges haven’t disappeared. ‘Mental health is still a big issue,’ she warns, urging firms to prioritise wellbeing and for young lawyers to set boundaries. ‘Don’t just say yes all the time—you can say yes, but with conditions.’

When we asked about women feeling pressure to emulate masculine energy to lead, Gerry shook her head. ‘I deliberately stay away from that. It doesn’t feel authentic. The best leaders are kind leaders.’ To her, kindness doesn’t mean weakness. She recalls the painful responsibility of making staff redundant during COVID: ‘It was one of the worst days of my career, but I tried to do it honestly and with support—making sure people had what they needed around them.’

Chapter 7: A Message for Those Still Growing

For Gerry, leadership and ‘lawyer-ing’ comes down to honesty, boundaries, and clarity of purpose. She reminds us that you become a better lawyer (and a better person) when you have balance outside of work. ‘These are the things that make you you too,’ she says, pointing to the joy she finds in watching her kids’ games, walking her dogs, or cooking and baking. If law hadn’t worked out, she laughs, she probably would have been a chef.

When asked which chapter of her life she would recommend for students to read if her story were a book, Gerry points to the last decade, that is, her transition from private practice into general counsel and leadership roles. This is where she grew into the vision that there is always something beyond the law. And, fittingly for an article titled When I Grow Up, she leaves us with one final piece of advice: ‘Always think about the legacy you want to leave, because that’s what will guide you through your career.’