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‘We want to continue to evolve’: HSF
As a new year begins, the HSF executive partner said that the firm will continue to work on culture and hybrid working in an “ongoing” way.
Lauren Croft
In a conversation with Lawyers Weekly, Herbert Smith Freehills Australia and Asia executive partner Andrew Pike spoke about the firm’s priorities moving into a new year and the headline issues BigLaw firms should be focusing on.
“We will also continue to prioritise our people. We have invested heavily in our talented people throughout the pandemic and we will be doubling down on this in the coming period. While some things have changed as a result of the pandemic, many of the basics have remained the same. Our people want to develop their careers and they do that through working with the best partners on the best work for our leading clients. We remained focused on that.”
According to Mr Pike, now is a better time than ever to “re-evaluate” the firm’s employee value proposition, and said that in order to create the best experience possible for their staff, HSF is “focused on listening to them, now more than ever.”
“We aim to cultivate an environment where they feel comfortable enough to authentically speak to their experience, both what is working and what is not. In terms of the type of work we are focused on, going into the new year, we see three areas as likely to drive activity for us: private capital, energy transition and ESG. We’re coming at these from a position of strength and will continue to build upon our market-leading client work in these areas,” he added.
“Our firm already has the largest dedicated private equity legal team in Australia and is a leader in the Asia-Pacific [region] for venture capital work. The momentum behind energy transition and broader ESG themes continues to grow. Clients need both deep sector expertise and broad problem solvers as they navigate the future. We have these skills in spades.”
Last year, HSF continued to work on enhancing its approach to hybrid working — with this likely to continue throughout this year.
“We want to continue to evolve and co-create solutions that work for our people and our clients. This work is ongoing, and rightly so. With the pandemic, corporate Australia has experienced the biggest disruption to the way we work in generations, and you should never assume you have got the response right from day one.
“I think the discussion is no longer as binary as ‘in-office’ days and ‘working-from-home’ days. It is about creating more flexibility within a day and across a week, in a way that works best for individual teams and our clients. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, which underscores the importance of listening and responding to our people. Team-based conversations are also key,” Mr Pike added.
“We are focused on enhancing our culture and maintaining our unique office vibrancy, ensuring that our people can continue to connect, collaborate and learn in a way that suits them, our teams and our clients.”
And in terms of legal challenges for the legal profession moving forward, Mr Pike emphasised that he remains “optimistic about the outlook for our firm, and the industry more broadly”.
“The legal profession has shown its ability to be resilient and to adapt to changing circumstances. This will need to continue as we navigate economic uncertainty and a changing global landscape. Our global platform and great people are well-placed to do this.
“The competition for talent remains robust and we need to stay at the top of our game. That’s why we are focused on fostering a collaborative and respectful culture and providing great opportunities for our people,” he concluded.
“We pride ourselves on our strong brand in the market and our employee value proposition centres around attracting the best people in the market, giving them challenging work and great learning opportunities that will benefit them throughout their careers. I don’t think there has been a better time to work at HSF. We are match-fit, resilient and primed for the year ahead.”
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
