With the rise of global law firms, the opportunities for lawyers – at every level – to work and travel are growing. Law firms are expanding existing secondment programs for young lawyers and are increasingly supportive of partner transfers.

Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) global head of energy Simon Currie recently moved Down Under, relocating from London to Sydney in January with his wife, Rosie, and three children.

“I would say [I’m feeling] a combination of excited and scared … I’m probably the most senior person who has relocated within the firm – certainly, with this kind of relocation.

“I had support from all levels to make it as easy as possible. I couldn’t ask for better support than I’ve had from our London and Sydney offices and everyone in between,” he says.

Mr Currie says he felt fortunate that his role at the firm had brought him to Australia previously. “I am very lucky in that I know virtually all of the partners and colleagues on the ground,” he says.

Mr Currie’s favourite thing about living in Sydney is catching the ferry to work – and his kids are over the moon about finally having a pool in their backyard.
“What I say to people is, ‘You wouldn’t want to die not knowing’.

You really do only live once. We could be happy in London for the rest of our lives, but we want[ed] to give [Sydney] a try,” he explains.

Going global

Mr Currie says it is vital that senior people understand the firm globally by moving around the network. “Meeting at a partners’ conference is no substitute for working together or being together,” he says.

Mr Currie describes NRF as a relatively new brand, the result of multiple mergers with law firms that span Canada, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and the US.

“[Our firm] is young but it’s only going to work if the people get to know each other,” he says.

Law degrees are very transportable these days, according to Mr Currie, and international experience in law, while not essential, is highly regarded in the commercial, banking, M&A and finance areas.

“I think for many of us, it’s also just fun. It’s challenging having to think about things differently all the time,” he says.

“Now, that’s not going to suit everyone [but] for the people who want to [travel] the opportunities are out there.”

Mr Currie believes relocations give lawyers a much broader view of the way things can be done, saying: “There is no perfect lawyer; there is no perfect person; but … seeing [how] other people … do things [is] how most of us learn.”

Far, far away

He says one of the challenges of moving to Australia is having a global role for a non Australian business.

He admits it was “slightly scary” to be so far away from the firm’s headquarters but says he did not at all feel that he was missing the action by living in Australia.

“For me, who focuses on the energy and infrastructure space, it’s a very exciting time to come here because you have all the proposed privatisations,” he says.

Mr Currie’s colleagues in London say it was a smart move on his part to relocate just as the Australian federal government started offering incentives to the states to privatise existing infrastructure and invest in green infrastructure.

“I said [to my colleagues], ‘Yes, of course. I knew all about that. That’s exactly why I was going!’ [while] very quickly trying to read up about the privatisations,” he jokes.

“I think it’s going to be a very interesting year ... for the lawyers in this space,” he says.

Mr Currie explains that the centre of the world’s economy has shifted into Australia’s time zone: “It used to be Europe, then it was America and now we’re talking about it being Asia [so] you don’t feel like you’re away from the action.

“Okay, you’re not in London or New York, but London and New York aren’t in the Asia Pacific,” he says.

Mr Currie adds that as long as he can show he is still relevant, clients will not really mind where he lives.

“As a client said to me today, the world continues to shrink. In many cases, people don’t know where you are and they don’t really care where you are as long as you can provide them the service that they need,” he says.

The inside scoop

Many lawyers climbing the ranks to partner opt for a temporary placement with a client as a way to gain new insights, skills and contacts.

Maddocks senior associate Krista Weymouth went on secondment to the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Canberra for one month in January last year.

“Maddocks most definitely encourages secondments,” said Ms Weymouth. “They want us to understand our clients by learning their side of the business."
The firm helped her find accommodation in Canberra and made sure other lawyers could cover her ongoing work.\

“I lived in an apartment organised by Maddocks. It was conveniently close to the DHS office so it was just a short walk to work. It was also close by the Maddocks office in Canberra so I could pop in and see the team there,” she says.

Ms Weymouth also completed a part time secondment at the Department of Environment and Primary Industries last year.

Many large firms in Australia have similar programs. DLA Piper, for instance, sends graduates and lawyers to the US, the UK and Asia. The firm even has a dedicated international mobility team in place to support all secondees.

King & Wood Mallesons often ‘loans’ lawyers to charitable organisations, including the NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre, Human Rights Law Resource Centre and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service, to help the firm meet pro bono targets.

Clayton Utz draws on international professional networks, including Lex Mundi and the Pacific Rim Advisory Council, to provide international secondment opportunities for the firm’s solicitors.

For less experienced lawyers, secondments to external offices present an invaluable networking opportunity and can facilitate knowledge building about processes from a client’s perspective.

Ms Weymouth says she would definitely recommend a secondment to other lawyers: “Secondments are a great way to gain insight into the way clients and other business work and develop and build on your current skills and relationships – and it’s a chance to experience a new city too!”

Her secondment opened doors to new business for Maddocks and gave her a deeper understanding of her client’s needs, she adds.

“The secondment … helps you learn how to better work with clients … I’ve gained a real understanding of the way clients … prefer to brief, be briefed and how best to approach matters.

“Working at DHS gave me insight into the way they work in terms of … processes and procedures relating to working with external lawyers such as Maddocks,” she adds.

Ms Weymouth agrees with Mr Currie that nothing compares to face-to-face contact: “My secondment allowed me to develop relationships quicker because I was dealing with [my clients] personally,” she says, “[while] at Maddocks I may otherwise have only dealt with them via email or over the phone."