Chronicle 2019

Receives Susan Ditchburn Young Alumna Award WONG Janie 1997

By Sarah Tennant 1997

J anie Wong 1997, recipient of the 2019 Susan Ditchburn Young Alumna award, exemplifies the characteristics of an Old Girl who is truly making a difference in the lives of others. At Havergal, Janie attended both as a day student and a boarder. She played an active role every year, making sure everyone felt welcome in the boarding school. In her final year, she was a natural as boarder captain. She always had time for others and still does! Her humble nature, generosity and ability to make each one of us feel special are just a few of the qualities that set Janie apart. After graduating from Havergal, she attended Queen’s University and received a BA in psychology. During her second year, she attended Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England. She went on to study business administration and then law at the University of Hong Kong. Janie’s interest in the law led her to specialize in the areas of international arbitration, complex commercial litigation and cross-border investigations, with an emphasis on Asia. She has been shortlisted for numerous professional awards, including “Rising Star” in Dispute Resolution

(Litigation) at the China Law & Practice Awards in 2015. At Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in 2016, she was awarded the Talkington Mentoring Award. This award is given annually to honour a lawyer who has made a significant contribution to helping more junior lawyers find success and gratification in the practice of law at the firm. Co-workers say, “She demonstrates a consistent commitment to promoting ongoing learning and growth among junior lawyers and to motivating and inspiring them.” While at Orrick, she made critical connections and through pro bono work, participated in efforts to help local lawyers set up a national bar in Myanmar and develop Myanmar’s legal framework. She has had the experience of mentoring Myanmar’s lawyers, as opposed to just coming in and setting things up for them. She has also travelled to the country to visit orphanages, and helped to make local connections so that the foreign founders could explore how to set up a non-profit organization locally. Janie currently practices law with Addleshaw

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