Leah Hewish joined Clyde & Co as one of its inaugural Australian employees when the firm ventured into the legal market Down Under in 2012. Since then, she has remained at the global law firm and has steadily advanced through the ranks during her tenure.

For numerous lawyers, the idea of remaining at the same law firm for the entirety of their career is often an overlooked possibility and not given much thought when envisioning their legal career paths.

In a recent discussion with Lawyers Weekly, she discussed the importance of lawyers giving more significant consideration towards advancing their legal careers within the same firm. Drawing from her personal experiences, she highlighted the professional development, enhanced expertise, and strengthened client relationships that can emerge from such a career choice.

What is the benefit?

Hewish shared how she joined the global law firm when it first entered the Australian legal market. This experience has provided her with a unique opportunity to progress her career and flourish in tandem with the firm’s market profile.

“I joined a firm that had a strong international market presence, but that was essentially a start-up in Australia – it was an exciting and collaborative experience and one that has meant that my career has developed alongside the profile of the firm in the market,” she said.

She expressed that the ability to grow within the law firm has been a beneficial experience: “Growing with a firm, and in a practice group that I helped to build, has been a remarkable apprenticeship. As I now move into partnership, I am benefited by having a long history with the firm.”

Working at a law firm for a significant amount of time has proven highly advantageous and instrumental in shaping her into the lawyer she is. This experience has provided her with valuable insights into the firm’s internal operations and allowed her to develop robust relationships with both clients and colleagues.

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“Tenure means that I understand ways of working within the firm, have developed broader networks internationally and have had time to develop strong client relationships,” she said.

“It has also meant that I have been able to take advantage of longer-term secondments within clients, which have given me a more tangible understanding of the context in which our clients seek our advice.”

The mindset you need to adopt

Hewish acknowledged that there can be a multitude of reasons why lawyers remain with or depart from a law firm and revealed her gratitude for finding a law firm where she wishes to continue her professional growth and development.

“There are many factors that will influence a person to stay with or leave an employer, not all of them professional. I have been lucky in that I have received immense support from the firm for my professional and personal choices,” she said.

She also disclosed how finding a firm that offers substantial personal support and proactively invests in the future of its staff can significantly enhance a lawyer’s desire to remain committed to said company.

“I also benefited from working for partners who proactively invested in my career, including support through secondments and client engagement initiatives. This experience, along with generous family support, including long periods of parental leave and flexible working, have meant that I have had a happy, productive, and exciting career to date,” she said.

However, Hewish revealed that she is realistic about the fact that not everyone will have this experience, and she offered advice for individuals facing this circumstance.

“But this will not be the experience of everyone. If not, I say gain the experience you can with the position you have, and always search for a role and colleagues that support you professionally and personally,” she said.

She went on: “There are so many ways that a person can use their law degree or work as a lawyer outside of private practice. But if working in private practice is what a person wants for their career, I would advise that they look for a firm that aligns with their professional values and offers career development alongside work that they are interested in.”

“There is no ‘mindset’ to adopt to stay with a single employer – but you must ensure you are staying with the right employer for you.”

What are the steps needed to achieve this?

For those seeking a successful long-term career at a singular law firm, Hewish offers practical steps to ensure this longevity, in which she emphasises the importance of learning to decline certain opportunities, even though it can be difficult.

“While I don’t like to say no to an opportunity, staying with the same firm over the course of one’s career means doing just that!

“It can be tough at times to balance the impression that ‘the grass is greener’ elsewhere with the necessary long-term thinking and commitment to build a practice within a firm,” she said.

She explained that while turning down these opportunities can be a tough decision, being in the right firm can lead to more significant long-term benefits compared to the immediate advantages of switching firms.

“At the time the opportunity arises, it may feel like you are missing out; however, if you have found the right firm that you can grow with, the long-term benefits I have described above often outweigh what appears to be immediate benefits of changing firms,” she said.

“Everyone will need different kinds of support from a firm over the course of their career, so it’s important to evaluate and assess your situation carefully.”

Hewish also stressed the importance of aligning oneself with a supportive individual who shares a similar dedication to the organisation and is willing to actively contribute to one’s professional advancement, particularly for those aspiring to foster long-term relationships within a specific company.

“Also, if longevity with a particular firm is your goal, it is imperative to find an advocate – someone who shares your commitment to the work you do and will invest in your career,” she said.

Practical advice

For those who are just starting their legal careers, Hewish stressed the importance of gaining experience across different practice groups, as this will help you determine which area you want to focus on.

“Early-career lawyers should gain as much experience as they can, across practice groups, contentious and non-contentious work if possible. Once you start to have an idea of where you want your career to go, speak up, talk to colleagues in that area, gain experience,” she said.

Hewish also highlighted how crucial internal networking can be: “Internal networking is so important and is often sacrificed for client work, but this can mean the difference between obtaining the kind of work you are interested in and not.”

She further said: “Becoming known as an expert in a particular specialty will start to strengthen a person’s internal profile, but this might start with just being interested in that area – offer to help out on a project or draft a publication.”

She also provided guidance to junior lawyers, emphasising the importance of consistently demonstrating commitment and initiative in their work, as these qualities are highly valued by law firms seeking to attain staff.

“Most firms would be receptive to a junior lawyer showing commitment and initiative; it doesn’t have to be over and above your workload. Just find consistent ways to increase the work you like with the work that needs to be done,” she said.