What drew you to this firm?

I was drawn to Hall & Wilcox due to its Smarter Law focus. It’s no secret that the legal industry is being challenged by disruption, and I was extremely interested in, and impressed by, the growth that the firm has been able to achieve. Hall & Wilcox has positioned itself as an adaptive firm that is willing to embrace change and leverage technologies to deliver more value to clients. This willingness to challenge the status quo appealed to me, and is something that I consider necessary for longevity in the industry.

Hall & Wilcox also stood out to me throughout the interview process. It was very quickly apparent that employees enjoy working at the firm – partners were very engaged, willing to crack a joke, talk about their experiences and ask about mine. The interviews I had were also unique as they felt more like a conversation – the interviewers really wanted to get to know me and about my story, and appeared very genuine throughout. My experience throughout the recruitment process provided me with a  really good indication of the culture that the firm has cultivated, and the prospect of working at a firm where people were engaged and genuine was appealing.

Further, having had the opportunity to speak to junior lawyers at the pre-interview events, I was aware that Hall & Wilcox placed great emphasis on the development of its junior employees. I was told that junior lawyers, and graduates, worked directly with partners, and were afforded the opportunity to engage in substantive and challenging work for a diverse client base featuring some of Australia’s largest companies. The possibility of obtaining such strong exposure at an early stage of my career was a particularly attractive proposition.

What area are you currently working in?

As a graduate at Hall & Wilcox (Sydney), you undertake three rotations that are each four months long. I have settled in the Corporate & Commercial team, having also rotated through Property, Projects & Planning, and Statutory Insurance NSW (CTP).

What type of work are you doing?

As a member of the Corporate & Commercial team, the work I do is quite varied. The team has a strong mergers and acquisitions focus, and we assist clients at all stages of their transactions. We also provide general corporate and commercial advice to clients  - this includes day-to-day assistance in business delivery, and corporate governance.

Throughout this rotation, I have drafted, reviewed and advised on contracts (including business sale agreements, share sale agreements, IP assignment deeds, shareholders deeds, consultancy agreements etc.), coordinated completions for transactions, attended client meetings, undertaken legal research, prepared memorandums of advice, and conducted Due Diligence (including performing ASIC searches, IP Australia searches, and PPSR searches).

In previous rotations, I have also appeared in Court, prepared Court documents (including pleadings and affidavits) and assisted with discovery.

What clients have you done work for?

Hall & Wilcox has a varied client base, and I have done work for multinational companies, large domestic companies, small to mid-sized companies, listed companies, start-ups, councils and government bodies and high net worth individuals.

We have also recently partnered with Stone & Chalk, and are developing a strong reputation in the start-up space. 

Have you had much client contact?

I have had significantly more client contact than I expected. Not only do I frequently attend meetings with clients, but I am given the opportunity to communicate directly with them and have even run client meetings. This is invaluable – face-to-face contact with clients is integral to the legal profession, and Hall & Wilcox believes in ensuring its lawyers develop these skills at an early stage in their careers,

Have you been given much responsibility?

Hall & Wilcox encourages its employees, including its graduates, to take on a lot of responsibility.

I have been given day-to-day carriage of matters (under the supervision of senior lawyers), and have been responsible for the delivery of legal services throughout the entirety of matters. Most of the time, I work directly with partners or other senior lawyers, so clients receive much of the work I undertake. I have also been given the opportunity to attend Court, engage with clients (including running client meetings), and engage with solicitors on the other side of both transactions and litigious matters. While this can seem daunting, I have always felt well-supported, and have always been able to seek advice from my team and other people involved in the matter.

What type of training have you undertaken at the firm?

Hall & Wilcox believes in continual learning and places significant emphasis on training.

The Graduate Program includes an extremely comprehensive training program with sessions that cover all aspects of the transition from university student to lawyer. The practical nature of the training was extremely helpful. We were taught about drafting, time management, mindfulness and wellbeing and using technology – these are key skills that are not necessarily intuitive, but are required each day.

Partners from each team across the firm also present to the graduates throughout the year about their teams and the work that they do. Personally, I found these training sessions really helpful as they allowed me to gain a better understanding of what each team does, and this assisted me in selecting rotations and identifying areas that were of interest to me.

Beyond the Graduate Program, each practice group runs their own training sessions for their teams (and anyone else interested). These are really practical, and tend to cover topical issues, such as incoming amendments to the law. We also have a “Hall & Wilcox Academy” which focuses on providing training covering all aspects of being a lawyer. These are optional and can be attended on an as needed or desired basis.

What hours do you generally work? What is expected?

As a general indicator, office hours are 8am to 6pm. However, standard working hours varies between practices groups and is also dependent on the needs of your team at any given time.

While this can mean longer hours at times, the firm, including the partners and senior practitioners, promotes work-life balance, and I have always been encouraged to engage in activities outside of work rather than putting in “face-time”.

How have you received feedback about your performance?

As graduates, formal reviews are conducted at the end of each rotation. This gives you an opportunity to discuss your performance with your supervising partners, and receive guidance in relation to areas for improvement. Partners are very willing to give reinforcement and positive feedback where warranted.

Beyond the formal review period, the Hall & Wilcox culture promotes personal and professional development, and informal feedback is continually provided. Graduates work directly with partners and senior lawyers, and are able to ask them questions directly and discuss work as it is undertaken. In my experience, they have always been more than happy to answer my questions and provide constructive feedback– this has allowed me to continually improve my skills and quality of work. Graduates are also given a buddy who is able to provide assistance and advice throughout the graduate year.

Each graduate is allocated a mentor at the beginning of each rotation – this is a senior practitioner in the group that the graduate is rotating through. Throughout my graduate year, I have been able to seek guidance and advice with respect to my professional development from my mentor.

How would you describe the culture and working environment within the firm?

Hall & Wilcox focuses on empowering its employees, and providing them with the tools to learn and develop in both a professional and personal sense. Employees of all levels are incredibly approachable, and this creates a very supportive environment where you feel comfortable asking questions and contributing to discussion. This is facilitated by leaders within the firm who actively engage with employees, and seek out and respond to feedback. In my first week as a graduate, the Managing Partner of Hall & Wilcox and the Chief Operating Officer met with my graduate cohort to get to know us, field our questions regarding the firm, and even discuss the direction of the firm and its strategy. This top down approach to developing a culture where transparency, respect and development are prevalent has resulted in our employees practising the “Hallmarks” (read about these before your interview!). The firm facilitates this culture by promoting workplace activities and team-building through numerous social and sporting activities.

It is motivating to be part of a workplace where employees, no matter their area or experience level, are on the same page and have belief in the direction of the firm.

What do you like most about working for the firm?

I most enjoy being at a firm that truly focuses on employee engagement and development. Even though I have only just become a lawyer, I have been given immense opportunity to take part in substantive and challenging work on significant matters, and have worked extensively with high-quality and experienced practitioners. It’s exciting to be at a firm that affords its employees this opportunity, and couples it with a supportive culture.

I also enjoy how progressive the firm is with its approach to providing legal services. The legal industry is a highly competitive market, and it is very comforting to know that my firm is committed to ensuring value is created for clients through tailored offerings, and through the investment in and the use of technology to make processes more efficient.

What tips would you give to someone applying to your firm?

As clichéd as this sounds – be yourself. Part of the Hall & Wilcox approach to the legal industry is being frank and upfront – we really value this in our employees. When you are researching the firm and attending any pre-interview events, learn about the firm and its values, especially the Hallmarks, and think about what “Smarter Law” really means. You should also think about what you can offer the firm and its clients, and articulate during your interviews how you would be able to add value to Hall & Wilcox.