Why did you choose to work at DLA Piper?

DLA Piper was already one of the largest firms in the world when I joined as a trainee in 2012 but was very young firm in the Australian market. Back then, I chose DLA Piper as I thought it would afford me the unique opportunity of ‘big firm’ experience (by learning from and working with more experts in more locations than any other firm), but in an environment that enabled me to contribute meaningfully to the firm’s development as it sought to establish itself in this market. This unique combination is also why I never left and am proud of having played a part in strengthening our M&A and capital markets capability in Australia and around the world. The unique opportunity remains the same, but how you choose to contribute meaningfully is up to you.

Is there anything you would like to highlight about your experiences at DLA Piper?

I have always felt part of a global community (rather than simply part of a local office). The firm offers international travel opportunities at all career stages. I was lucky to have participated in some of these. Highlights for me include a six-month secondment to the Hong Kong office as part of my trainee program, working in the Brisbane office in the early stages of my career, and travelling to London, Paris, and Germany as part of our new partner induction program. Apart from travel, I feel incredibly connected with my colleagues around the world as our M&A and capital markets team often works across time zones to navigate international laws and conventions for multinational clients. 

What has surprised you most about DLA Piper?

The seamless coordination and entrepreneurial spirit that runs across our global network, particularly given our size and the perceived ‘late adopter’ nature of law firms. Our advantage isn’t our large geographic footprint, but rather that we harness our platform to coordinate and seamlessly deliver solutions for our clients across countries and areas of law. And in delivering these solutions, we are constantly trying to innovate to improve the user experience for our clients. In particular, the firm fosters innovation at an organisation-level and also an environment at a team and individual-level to encourage us all to improve how we as a law firm can do business better for our clients as well as ourselves.