Jon Downes
General counsel, Sydney
With 20 years' general counsel experience and 10 years in leading law firms, I oversee legal and regulatory issues at MinterEllison. My wealth of experience, understanding of professional services, risk management approach, and keen interest in legal operations and AI contribute to delivering value to clients while upholding integrity and excellence.

Outside MinterEllison, my commitment to social responsibility led me to help establish the Association of Corporate Counsel's (ACC) Pro Bono Committee in 2020, which I chair. I am a member of the Board of ACC Australia, a former President of the ACC NSW chapter, and a member of the ACC NSW Executive Committee. Additionally, I serve as a Director of Law Firms Australia.

Career highlights

Prior to becoming General Counsel at MinterEllison in October 2022, I held various regional General Counsel roles for multi-nationals. I started my legal career at Hogan Lovells in London and later moved to Allens Linklaters in Sydney. With extensive experience in IPOs, M&A transactions, regulatory investigations, corporate governance, risk management, government relations, and employment disputes to large scale litigation, I now oversee a team of legal, compliance professionals, and the secretariat at MinterEllison.