21 May 2007
Key Points:
Alexandra Wedutenko
"There’s always a way to deal with anything – you have to understand what your client wants, where the other side can and can’t go, and then move forward."
Alexandra Wedutenko is a new partner in our Government practice in Canberra, focusing on procurement, particularly select sourcing, business process re-engineering and regulatory work. Her practical approach has come from many years of experience with highly complex Government transactions that throw up a plethora of interesting and difficult policy, legal and commercial issues.
"My clients are large organisations that want to go from A to Z – for example, that might involve privatisation or outsourcing – and I help them do it in a practical, legally sound and economically viable way.
As my clients are making some fundamental changes, there will be multiple stakeholders, often with some emotional commitment to the organisation, and coming from many different viewpoints. I like the challenge of it all, and also the range of technical subject matters apart from the law that must be dealt with."
Although Alexandra’s practice is mostly with Government, she has worked on the other side with private sector clients, which she says has given her some important insights.
"If you can appreciate both sides’ positions, you then know what you can negotiate on, what you can give up on, what we get in return, and what the other side’s pressure points are. You’re then much more likely to get a win-win result out of it."
Does the boxercise help in any of this?
"Well currently I’m only partner in the Canberra office who attends - it’s great exercise - but I’m really more of a hockey player because I like the team commitment. I’ve been playing hockey with ANU since my uni days, usually centre-half or inside forward, because I like to get involved in everything!"
