Social impact bonds panelist Jeremy King wins Pro Bono Partner of the Year 2017 award
31 May 2017Jeremy King, Partner and Chairman of Pro Bono & Community at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, has been crowned Pro Bono Partner of the Year at the annual Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year awards.
Since taking over as chair of Corrs’ national pro bono program in February 2016, Jeremy has played a critical role in the firm’s pro bono policy, strategy, communications, and workplace giving program. Under Jeremy’s leadership, a key focus of the pro bono program has been dedicated to working in the field of social finance and impact investment. Now entering the financial mainstream, impact investment offers financial products like private equity impact funds, direct investment in social enterprises, and social impact bonds. While still in its infancy in Australia, all indications are that impact investment is an area that is set to grow and Corrs has been at the forefront of much of the activity to date. Corrs’ work in the social finance and impact investment area has included: Advised National Australia Bank and ACSO on a social impact investment for Corrective Services NSW focusing on recidivism. This was the first time that an Australian bank had invested directly in a social impact investment, and the first time that ACSO had participated in the market at all. This was the third social impact investment that reached contractual close in Australia, with the program potentially running for 10 years and having an immensely positive impact on the lives of approximately 4,000 parolees. Advised a successful bidder to the Queensland State Government in its pilot social impact bond program in the area of recidivism, and a successful bidder to the Victorian State Government in its pilot SIB program in the area of children leaving out of home care. Acted for social enterprise start-ups on each of their capital structuring and Series A fundraising; one in the area of STEM education, and one in the area of disability services. Advised the NSW Federation of Housing Associations on its report to the Federal Treasury for an affordable housing financial intermediary, Australia’s equivalent to the Housing Finance Corporation in the UK. Jeremy joins a panel in the Festival’s Impact School on Wednesday 19 July discussing the role of Social Impact Bonds in addressing homelessness.
Jeremy King appears in the panel session ‘Social Impact Bonds and Financing Sustainable Impact’ in Impact School on Wednesday 19 July.
More at corrs.com.au/news/corrs-partner-jeremy-king-named-australias-pro-bono-partner-of-the-year