“I am old enough to have been practising during the dot com bubble “tech wreck” of the late 90s and the GFC of 10 years ago. I have never seen anything like the current crisis.”
And with that, we set the scene for our latest profile with Colin – a senior commercial contacts lawyer and former general counsel who, like many of us, is navigating the COVID-19 crisis for both his clients and his own practice.
It’s a story we hear quite often here at InCounsel – elite, city-lawyers who’ve given up the hustle and bustle of our nation’s capitals to practice and live a more balanced life in coastal or rural towns.
It’s a transition that can bring enormous rewards, yet has its own challenges, which became very real during our sit down with competition and regulatory specialist, Cicely in late 2019.
Here’s how it when down.
Word of mouth recommendations work like magic. Last year one of our clients suggested we get in touch with Evan – a former top tier senior associate, now based in Delhi, India. He’d been freelancing remotely for Australian firms, carving out a unique offering at a cost-effective rate.
Since then we’ve introduced Evan to a growing number of clients to work on commercial, general corporate and M&A matters, with great results.
Until recently, our interactions were limited to phone calls and email, yet his professionalism, responsiveness and integrity were clearly evident.
We caught up for coffee during his brief visit back to Sydney, and we’re delighted to report he makes for excellent company too!
Here’s his story.
It’s refreshing (and all too rare) to see young lawyers branch out on their own at the pre-senior associate level.
They’re not only brave, but have the confidence to back themselves knowing that their smarts and training have given them more than enough know-how to deliver excellent value to clients, unbound by the modus operandi of the traditional law firm model.
Anne is a unicorn among her peers. Smart, capable and building a solid practice that balances work and life in a way that most lawyers have never experienced.
Here’s her story.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness a former supervising partner get the best of a small army of partners, SA’s and juniors on the other side of the negotiating table, and think: “gee… the other side are paying for all that!”.
Meeting Peter reminded me of that encounter and how time in the market, a global perspective and a range of experience in reputable firms and legal departments can create a powerful combination of expertise and commerciality that clients long for and trust.
Having trained at King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney and London, Peter then spent 15+ years in senior, general counsel roles at ISL Marketing in Switzerland and at Lion in Melbourne and Sydney, before branching out solo to leverage his GC heritage to deliver strategic commercial solutions for his clients.
We sat down with Peter to learn more about his journey.
Listening to war stories over a hot drink, and learning from the most experienced lawyers in their sectors is something we cherish at InCounsel.
Last week we sat with Mark, who has spent over 25 years as a Partner specialising in insurance, risk and litigation in some of Australia’s leading insurance practices.
Mark now brings his expertise and 14 years worth of inclusions and recommendations in Best Lawyers: Australia and Asia Pacific Legal 500 for insurance law into his sole practice firm, which he launched in July this year.
We covered a lot of territory, but here’s a brief snapshot.
"Best legal related snippets I have read/watched in ages."
— Caroline Ferguson, Business Transformation Manager at Simpson Grierson.
