Deloitte: Australia Gets New General Counsel

By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Effective from 1 September 2012, Rachel Besley will be the  new General Counsel for Deloitte Australia. As Associate General Counsel, Mrs Besley has been responsible for the commercial and corporate teams in Deloitte’s in-house legal team.  Together with 18 lawyers and other professionals, she has provided legal advice on industrial relations matters, negotiated a broad range of commercial and government contracts, and handled the firm’s transactions and structuring, new products and services, leases, bank facilities, company secretarial functions and intellectual property.

Mrs Besley has practised law for over 15 years and is known for her deep expertise in contract, employment, corporate, intellectual property and partnership law, her commercial approach to problem solving, and her talent for building relationships and developing others

Leslie Moore, the winner of the International Tax Review Editor’s Choice Award 2012 for general counsels, will retire to pursue a career as a writer on 31 August. Currently Associate General Counsel, Mrs Besley will be the Secretary to the Deloitte Board, and will continue as a member of the firm’s Innovation Council and the lead for the firm’s Inspiring Women’s initiative in Deloitte’s internal service lines.