Kala Sonni Email & Phone Number

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

• Having worked with VLI for over a decade, I re-joined the company as a member of the executive team in 2016, and since this point, have evolved the multi-jurisdictional competence of Legal Services with a focus on both.
• Contributed to the profitability of the business, realising cost savings while protecting the business by influencing risk and contract management and reducing external legal expenses by 75%;
• Play an proactive role in driving revenue and profit growth, with key indicatives including improved T&A negotiations and streamlined contracting methods to support sales and procurement teams;
• Led a portfolio of complex M&A activity, including the strategic acquisition of well-respected brands such as Tyton, SMV, Juganaut, PitTop and Unirod;
• Transformed Legal Services into a business partnering capability, empowered by a culture that promotes work life balance and where staff feel valued and heard.

Newcastle, Australia

• I served as a secondee at a large corporation, 60% of the week, I contributed to strategic planning, attended board meetings and provided trusted advice across corporate and commercial law. During this period, I.
• Championed a balanced commercial approach to legal advice with no compromise to service quality, feeding directly into the culture and working methods of the newly established partnership;
• Successfully represented clients across a range of complex Supreme Court actions, including contractual, anti-competition disputes, allegations of breaches of contract and misleading/deceptive conduct;
• Forged a reputation for settling warranty claims without pecuniary or reputational damage and ahead of court proceeding, connecting with individuals across parties to reach an agreement.

Newcastle, Australia

• Joining the leading legal service provider to the Australian insurance industry, I provided legal services to large commercial clients as both a relationship manager and on-site secondee. My principal areas of practice.
• Won and retained a corporate client as exclusive legal service provider by championing a more balance commercial/legal approach to services, delivering significant billings per annum;
• Partnered with the Dept. of Natural Resources & Mines across multiple investigations into mine incidents, representing clients to ensure no prosecution for a breach of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999;
• Protected the legal integrity of large corporate businesses, coaching multiple aged care executive member on corporate governance, and commercial clients on introduction of PPSA laws.

Sydney, Australia

I joined VLI to support a portfolio of M&A transactions and built the business’ inaugural internal legal capability.

Debt Litigation/ Recovery - Dispute Resolution

Master Of Laws - Llm, Corporate And Commercial Law, Distinction In Advanced Legal Research And Writing

Postgraduate Diploma In Legal Practice, Distinction: Advanced Legal Research And Writing

Bachelor Of Laws - Llb, Corporate & Commercial Law