Our Story
We prevent you from going "43° below"
The term "43° below" is a sailing term used in the world-famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. As a competitor, if you find yourself "43° below", you are lost.
Our mission is to help you avoid going "43° below" by turning operational, ethical and AI complexity into calm, consistent practices that manage risk, strengthen their teams and improve the quality of legal services.
Chantal McNaught
Founder and Director
Chantal McNaught helps principled law firm leaders turn operational, regulatory and technology complexity into calm, consistent practice. With nearly 15 years in legal, including experience practising on the Gold Coast, she brings a grounded understanding of the pressures behind the work: professional responsibility, client trust, team capability, and the weight of decisions that too often sit with one person. A PhD Candidate in Law (Bond University), Chantal researches how lawyers can navigate the conflicts between law as a profession and law as a business in an age of technological change.
Chantal is also a writer, speaker and workshop facilitator, known for making complex ideas useful, human and actionable. Her aim is to help lawyers build firms they can trust, teams they can support, and legal services they can be proud to provide in a rapidly changing legal profession.
Through 43° Below, Chantal works with boutique and mid-sized firms to build practical systems, proportionate risk frameworks and clear operational rhythms. Her work spans AML and compliance readiness, process design, delegation and supervision, responsible AI adoption, and confidential strategic advisory support. She is especially interested in helping firms use technology with discernment, so it strengthens professional judgement rather than undermining it.
Wenee Derricott-Yap
Founder
Wenee Derricott-Yap co-founded 43° Below and helped shape its early work in AI literacy and responsible technology adoption. A lawyer, educator and AI enablement specialist, she brought practical insight into how legal professionals can build confidence with emerging technology while protecting professional judgement. Her contributions have helped establish 43° Below's thoughtful, capability-led approach.
Come Work With Us!
Get in touch with your ideas for collaboration or if you're seeking a new adventure in this emerging field to help law firm leaders.