The Counsel Podcast is back for Season 5! In this opening episode, Mel Storey shares a deeply personal update: leaving her role as Head of Legal (APAC) at Pax8 to step into self-employment for the very first time.

Mel reflects on:

Why she chose to resign after 15 years in the law

The breadcrumb trail of signs that told her it was time for a reset

What it feels like to de-institutionalise from corporate life

The messy but exciting process of building a portfolio career

How this podcast planted the seed for coaching, content and speaking

What’s coming up in Season 5, including incredible guests and honest solo episodes

This is an honest behind-the-scenes look at career change, identity and learning to back yourself even when you don’t have the whole map.

Resources and Links:

Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code Big Sis Energy for a special discount)

All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram & TikTok: @theinhouselawyer

Subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes featuring in-house leaders, founders and lawyers taking unconventional paths.

James d'Apice is a commercial and litigation lawyer who recently launched a new law firm, Gravamen.

James is also passionate about sharing engaging and nuanced legal updates through his video series 'Coffee and a Case Note' which you can find wherever you get your social media fix.

Mel gets the inside scoop from James on everything from rap battles to his new law firm and working with external counsel.

Connect with James:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdapice/

Instagram: @coffeeandacasenote

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram & TikTok: @theinhouselawyer

About Our Guest:

Elisabeth Flett is the General Counsel and Company Secretary of Cancer Council NSW.

Elisabeth and Mel discuss finding purpose and passion in your career, including Elisabeth's break from the law to study veterinary science and what drew her back to legal practice. Elisabeth was recently awarded 2023 General Counsel of the Year by the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Connect with Elisabeth:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabethflett/

Instagram: @the.me.shaped.lawyer

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram & TikTok: @theinhouselawyer

About Our Guest:

Yosr Hamza is Head of Legal and Director of Legal and Compliance at Gartner.

In addition to her work as a lawyer and business advisor, Yosr is a proud caregiver and advocate for her son, who lives with a rare disease.

Connect with Yosr:

Blog: https://docket.acc.com/author/yosr-hamza

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosrhamza/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

Support:

Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you also to InCounsel for supporting this episode. Visit incounsel.com.au for more.

Cate Bennett is currently Global General Counsel & Company Secretary for Movember, a Not-For-Profit operating across six jurisdictions with a focus on men's health.

Cate also has a background in the public sector, having worked across public transport, justice and health services

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health working across mental health & suicide prevention as well as prostate and testicular cancer support.

To see more of their work, and to donate or get involved, visit their website https://au.movember.com/about/testicular-cancer

Connect with Cate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catebennett/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/?feedType=following

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you to InCounsel for supporting this episode too. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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BONUS EPISODE WHILE MEL DISTRACTS HERSELF FROM PRE-TRAVEL COVID TEST ANXIETY.... (UPDATE: NEGATIVE COVID - OFF TO THE US!)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

@veecon

https://veecon.co/

NFT projects (DYOR, not financial advice)

- VeeFriends

- EveryDay Sloths

- World Of Women

- Boss Beauties

- Dapper Dinos

NFT resources:

- OpenSea.io (NFT ebay)

Legal Tech conference:

- https://www.legalops.fm/

- https://www.lexcheck.com/

- https://ironcladapp.com/journal/contract-management/what-is-contract-management/

- https://www.amazon.com.au/Tomorrows-Lawyers-Introduction-Your-Future/dp/019966806X

- https://www.amazon.com.au/World-Without-Work-Technology-Automation/dp/0141986808/ref=asc_df_0141986808/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463879774783&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4152845110137765068&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9069264&hvtargid=pla-919268624784&psc=1

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-podcast

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

TikTok: @theinhouselawyer

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this season. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you to InCounsel for supporting this season too. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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Dave is currently Founder & CEO of drop-in social audio platform, Longtime, as well as Co-Founder of first-contact messaging tool, Chatclub.

Prior to starting Longtime & Chatclub, Dave led the APAC commercial team at Megaport (ASX: MP1) where he and Mel cultivated a collaborative relationship between the sales and legal teams based on mutual respect and trust.

He also served as a Founding Board Member of Fintech Australia from 2015-2018.

Dave has worked in sales, growth and commercial roles since graduating from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Biotechnology Innovation (Hons).

Connect with Dave:

Website: Hey.me/dave

Also, check out https://longtime.live/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-podcast

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

www.counselpodcast.com for more resources and episodes

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you to InCounsel for supporting this episode too. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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Emma Lilley is the Sole Legal Counsel (UK&I) at SD Worx, the Founder of In-house Potter Blog and Instagram community and a O Shaped Lawyer Future Board member.

Mel originally connected with Emma on Instagram. She creates content for aspiring solicitors and shares her unique career journey so that the next generation come into the law with a greater awareness of in house practice and how to forge a less traditional pathway after law school.

Connect with Emma:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-lilley-0441ba82/

Instagram: @inhousepotter

Website: https://inhousepotter.com/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-podcast

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

www.counselpodcast.com for more resources and episodes

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you to InCounsel for supporting this episode too. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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Calli is Legal Counsel at Foxtel Group, working across the FOX SPORTS Australia, Kayo Sports, BINGE, Flash and Foxtel brands.

She advises the sports content and production, sales, partnerships, digital product and marketing teams, and was a key stakeholder supporting the build and launch of Flash, BINGE, Kayo Freebies and Pay-Per-View on Kayo.

Calli was named the 'Rising Star of the Year - In House' and 'In House Lawyer of the Year' at the Lawyers Weekly - Women In Law Awards 2021. Calli was also a Finalist across multiple categories in the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards, Corporate Counsel Awards and 30 Under 30 Awards in 2021.

Calli has proudly served as Chair of the CAMLA Young Lawyers Committee in 2020 and 2021.

Connect with Calli:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callitsipidis/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-podcast

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

www.counselpodcast.com for more resources and episodes

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you to InCounsel for supporting this episode too. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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Chris is General Counsel at Ironclad, Inc., the venture-backed startup that helps in-house lawyers create, understand, and control their contracts—all from one intuitive, powerful platform.

He draws on his years of experience as a corporate attorney and public servant to help shape and carry out the strategic vision of the company.

As the company’s chief counsel, he is responsible for a broad range of legal, regulatory, and policy matters.

Chris spent most of his career between private law practice, politics, and government. Following law school, he worked as a litigator at the San Francisco-based law firm, Morrison Foerster. After litigating a high-profile educational inequality case, he took a leave of absence to join the 2008 Obama campaign as the Deputy Finance Director of Northern California. Shortly after the President was elected, Chris returned to his hometown Sacramento to serve as the then-Mayor’s Senior Advisor and Counsel, before moving to DC to serve in the Obama Administration. After stints in both the White House and Department of Justice, Chris moved back to the Bay Area and joined the law firm of Keker, Van Nest & Peters. There, he served as a litigator and trial lawyer, handling a wide range of criminal, civil, and regulatory cases.

After four years at KVP, Chris left to join OpenGov and served as its Head of Business Development and Counsel. After OpenGov, Chris spent three years at GoFundMe serving as their General Counsel. While at GoFundMe, Chris became the Founder and President of GoFundMe.org (formerly the Direct Impact Fund), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by natural and manmade disasters and social movements like TIME’S UP and Equal Pay Day. In its first year, the charity raised over $33 million from over 180,000 donors.

Chris received a degree in Philosophy from San Diego State University, where he graduated magna cum laude. After spending a year as a fellow in the California State Senate, he started working on his law degree at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he graduated in 2005.

Chris served as a law clerk for Judge Susan Illston, a Federal District Court Judge for the Northern District of California. He currently lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two young sons.

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Connect with Chris:

Twitter: @chrisjyoung

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyoungattorney/

Connect with Mel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theinhouselawyer/

Counsel Podcast page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-podcast

Instagram: @theinhouselawyer

www.counselpodcast.com for more resources and episodes.

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Thank you to Markster for supporting this episode. Visit markster.com.au or email [email protected].

Thank you also to InCounsel for supporting this episode. Visit incounsel.com.au.

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