In Principio_S1 2018_WEB

A L U M N I U P D A T E I N P R I N C I P I O | 2 9 FROM FREO TO HONG KONG’S HIGH COURT Hong Kong is the epicentre of business, foreign investment, culture and arts, and features more skyscrapers surrounding Victoria Harbour than the New York borough of Manhattan. Amid the bright lights, Michael Robbins is working on some of the most challenging litigation cases in Hong Kong’s High Court – many of which require his skills in Chinese law. BACHELOR OF LAWS/BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (2008) SCHOOL OF LAW, FREMANTLE Graduating from Notre Dame’s Fremantle Campus in 2008 with a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science, I worked as a solicitor in Perth for a few years before undertaking a Master of Laws at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Having completed my Master’s, I was offered a job as a Deputy Counsel at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Hong Kong. At that time, living in Hong Kong wasn't really on my radar, but the job opportunity was too good to turn down, so I jumped at it without hesitation. I am currently working as a Senior Associate at Dorsey & Whitney (a US based corporate law firm) in the dispute resolution practice group and handle anything from Hong Kong litigation in the High Court of Hong Kong to international arbitration applying Chinese law. Working in Hong Kong is great because there are plenty of like-minded young professionals from all over the world working here as well. Having international colleagues and counterparts creates a working environment in which you can learn from different perspectives and further your own professional development. Apart from learning the black letter law, the two best skills I came out of law school equipped with were my analytical skills and legal research skills. You’re obviously never going to know all the law, but being able to use analytical skills to solve any problem that has presented itself, means that you can get the job done at the end even if you don't know the answer at the start. BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS The ‘big ideas’ boom has seen the growth of boutique cafés, online shopfronts and innovative business ideas developed by fresh-out-of-uni graduates. Samantha Cook , co-founder of TWIYO Capital, is doing her small bit to help bring these new initiatives to life – and help them succeed. BACHELOR OF COMMERCE/BACHELOR OF ARTS (2009) SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, SYDNEY I was a foundation student at Notre Dame’s Sydney Campus, graduating in 2009 with a double degree in Commerce and Arts. During my time at Notre Dame, I was active in campus life, first setting up the inaugural Student Association – which provided an independent voice for students – then becoming Vice President of the association. This experience instilled a sense of social justice paired with the exhilaration of building something new. This drove me to be the founding CEO of One Disease, a national not-for-profit which seeks to eliminate neglected diseases in Australia, starting with crusted scabies in East Arnhem Land. I was honoured to have been selected as one of the 100Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review and Westpac Bank, along with Young People’s Human Rights Medal Finalist by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Post this tenure, I married my now husband Stuart Cook and took a year off to travel the world for our honeymoon. It was during this time that we set-up TWIYO (‘The World is Your Oyster’) Capital, our own angel investing and venture capital firm. TWIYO typically takes an active role in all of its investments using our experience and networks. We believe that ‘The World Is Your Oyster’ and want to partner with businesses, technology and individuals hoping to make positive change to the world and the people and families they touch along the way. Notre Dame has given me such an enriching educational and leadership experience. The willingness to guide and recognise the student voice as part of the learning journey gave me the confidence to exhibit that same compassionate voice to community members, clients and other business leaders. For more information: www.twiyocapital.com