General Counsel & Company Secretary of Cronos Australia Ltd, Lior Harel, talks about the benefits of working in house, distribution of medicinal cannabis products, and the joy of going back into the office.
So why in house?
In house has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of the business, as well as the ability to help direct the growth strategy of the company. When I was in private practice at Arnold Bloch Leibler the work was very much transactional. You would complete a piece of work, the client was (usually!) happy with the result, but then you would rarely get a deeper understanding of how the work you did actually impacted the business over the longer term.
For me, in house represents the best balance in terms of using legal skills within a broader corporate framework. I really enjoy being part of a business and watching it grow, not only from a legal and compliance perspective, but as part of the management team which allows me to have input on the strategy and the direction of the company.
What are you up to at the moment?
Cronos Australia is committed to providing Australian patients access to the highest quality medicinal cannabis products. Some of the products we supply to patients are sourced from overseas suppliers, and right now we are spending considerable time on our own brand development initiatives which is really exciting.
Medicinal cannabis is an extremely regulated space, and much of my time is spent navigating legislation and related compliance requirements. There is also a lot of corporate work involved with being listed on the ASX, and the typical array of commercial agreements (such as supply and manufacture agreements) that keep me busy!
Most memorable moments in law?
During my career I’ve been very fortunate to be exposed to high quality work, be it through my time in private practice at ABL, or senior in house roles including being the Chief Legal Officer of SEEK.com.au.
Funnily enough, I actually still get a kick out of being a lawyer when I can help family and friends with the little things that only a lawyer can do (like witness a Stat Dec or review and understand a mortgage!)
Over the journey, I’ve worked on some fairly significant transactions. The one that stands out is the listing of a Chinese company on the New York Stock Exchange. I was heavily involved in the project which went for some 18 months. That was a very rewarding experience, and provided a real sense of achievement for me and the team when the listing finally happened.
How has Covid-19 changed the way you work?
Look, I think that Zoom chats and video chats are going to be the way of the future. I often wonder if anyone will bother picking up the telephone anymore unless they can see someone on the screen! Jokes aside there is something to it – you can create a real connection and intimacy via a video chat that you wouldn’t ordinarily get on a ‘standard’ phone call.
In addition, I think there will be a little more flexibility around hours of work and places of work. For me personally, I am incredibly glad to be back in the office after 10 or so weeks at home. I had really missed the fun that comes from bantering with my co-workers and having that comradery back has really been welcomed! A lot of people are talking about the death of the office, but in my view the value of human face-to-face interactions can’t be underestimated. It’s a great way to build staff morale.
Working from home yes or no?
Yes sometimes, but certainly not all the time. For me, I’m thrilled to have settled into our lovely new office in South Yarra.
What has gotten you through the past ten weeks?
Far too much chocolate! One of the things I miss most about the lockdown is organised group exercises like yoga so I’m really looking forward to seeing that return.
But you know working from home has had the added benefit of allowing me to see my kids a lot more – a one-year-old and a three-year-old! Being able to do daily childcare drop offs, and to be there for bath and bedtime every night was really something that I enjoyed.