Daisy Mallett’s (Joye 1997) career path has been anything but linear. Initially aspiring to be a foreign correspondent journalist, she was surprised to find herself drawn to the law during her time at the University of Sydney.
After exploring various aspects of the legal field, including youth justice work and international law, Daisy landed a coveted spot in the graduate program at prestigious corporate law firm Freshfields in London. There, she honed her skills in international arbitration, working on high-stakes cases involving investor-state disputes. Her persistence and enthusiasm caught the attention of her superiors, leading to a two-and-a-half-year stint working in the firm’s Paris office, which was the headquarters for its international arbitration team.
One of Daisy’s career highlights was acting on a case for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, helping to delimit the border between North and South Sudan through international arbitration. The complex historical and geopolitical context of the case captivated her, and was an excellent example of the arbitration process being used in a novel way to settle long and entrenched differences between two parties.
Seeking a return to Australia, Daisy joined King & Wood Mallesons, where she continued her focus on international arbitration while also taking on domestic litigation work for largely foreign clients. Her diverse experience and adaptability proved invaluable as she built a successful career, culminating in an appointment as partner of the firm in 2017. Daisy built up an interesting and international practice, acting on commercial, WTO and investment disputes, advising on climate-related litigation, anti-bribery and corruption, and modern slavery compliance and supply chain risks.
In 2022, Daisy left the partnership at Mallesons in 2022 to set up independently, serving as international arbitrator and advising on domestic and international disputes, with a particular focus on disputes arising out of the context of the Paris Agreement and in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the energy transition.
Daisy has always had a deep interest in social justice, stemming from her university experiences volunteering with reading programs at local high schools and working with the NSW youth drug pilot program. Daisy remembers a case that she was involved in which went to the House of Lords in the UK, establishing that evidence obtained by the use of torture was not admissible as evidence in the UK. Daisy also served on the board of Social Ventures Australia for eight years, gaining insights into the social sector and working with others dedicated to shifting the dial on the pressing issues of equity and social justice in Australian communities.
Daisy’s extraordinary CV is a testament to the power of persistence, passion and a willingness to embrace new challenges, be it an internship at the Guardian in London or a working on book on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Her ability to navigate the complexities of the legal field and her commitment to making a positive impact have shaped a truly remarkable career.
Daisy candidly shares the challenges of balancing a career and a young family of three children. She recognises she is fortunate to have a stimulating career but explains that there are constant trade-offs and a need for significant support to make it work. Daisy’s experience is that it requires prioritising, accepting imperfection and a lot of help from other people, and being prepared for the intensity of the constant juggle between family and career. Her hard-earned wisdom is that there are many chapters in life; different chapters will have different demands from career and family; and not all chapters will be a perfect balance no matter how hard we strive to achieve that elusive goal.
Daisy credits her time at Ascham with instilling in her a deep reverence for excellence and the value of hard work. She says the School’s high expectations, where excelling was the norm rather than the exception, served her incredibly well throughout her career. Ascham also emphasised the importance of women being able to support themselves financially, a lesson Daisy has carried with her and hopes to impart to her own daughter. This ethos of independence and self-reliance has been a guiding principle for Daisy in reconciling the responsibilities of work and family life.
Alexandra Wenderoth (Beer 1993)
Image: Daisey Mallet (Joye 1997)
