Melbourne Graduate, Competition + Regulation

What drew you to G+T?

Gilbert + Tobin is a young firm and a very ambitious one.  In particular, the Melbourne office which has only been around since 2011 is in an exciting nascent stage.  I was told it was a place for self-starters where you could make a genuine and recognisable contribution to building the firm, and that has been true of my experience.  Because it is a small office, it doesn’t operate hierarchically, instead there is a sense of ‘all hands on deck’; you get to do good challenging work which is actually used by partners and clients.  Also, on a cultural note, you get to know everyone in the firm, which means people are nice and keen to help you develop.  And there is no entrenched status quo – if you’ve got ideas for improvement, you can actually do something about it.

What areas have you worked in?

The graduate program consists of two nine month rotations.  I am in the middle of my first rotation in the Competition and Regulation team but will have the opportunity to move to one of the other practice groups (Litigation, Banking and Finance, Technology, Media and Telecommunications and Project Services, or Corporate Advisory) for the second rotation.

What type of work have you done in each of these areas?

The Competition and Regulation team gets a good variety of work.  There is usually litigation on foot responding to matters launched by the ACCC or ASIC – for example regarding allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct or into alleged cartel conduct.  There have also been competition matters when companies with substantial market share intend to merge.  On the regulatory side, I’ve mainly worked on drafting submissions to the ACCC, for example regarding the pricing structures imposed on certain industries to ensure fair and competitive conduct. 

What clients have you done work for?

Amongst others, I’ve worked on matters for Telstra, Virgin, and DP World.

Have you had much client contact?

Because the work in the Competition and Regulation practice group usually requires getting to know the nature of the client’s business and the market it operates in in a lot of detail, there is necessarily a lot of client contact.  From the beginning of the graduate program, I had to correspond directly with clients to help shape the submissions we were drafting.

Have you been given much responsibility?

Plenty.  I think every graduate has heard horror stories of being relegated to drudge work, so perhaps our expectations are absurdly low.  But for me, and for all the graduates in my year, there has been only interesting and challenging tasks – for example, drafting contracts, preparing letters of advice to clients, interpreting legislation and identifying commercial ramifications, and drafting statements of claim.

What type of training have you undertaken at G+T?

The graduates have an induction program in Sydney for a few days where you are introduced to the firm and its systems.  On top of that, we have been attending training to complete the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice with College of Law.  There are also training sessions regularly scheduled at work, some targeted particularly at junior lawyers and graduates.

What hours do you generally work? What is expected?

I usually work from around 8.30 am to 6.00 pm.  Occasionally if a deadline is approaching, things are more hectic but the Competition practice group is usually able to foresee and manage spikes in workload.

How have you received feedback about your performance?

There’s a formal process through which graduates are reviewed and given feedback about their work.  Feedback is also often given informally – through chats or in comments and changes to your work.

How would you describe the culture and working environment within G+T?

Social, happy and dedicated.  People are committed to doing excellent work and are diligent and focussed.  But there is also an active social committee which arranges numerous elaborate events throughout the year, regular practice group dinners, and weekly Friday night drinks so you can hang out and get to know everyone over some wine and cheese.

What do you like most about working for G+T?

All of the reasons that drew me to the firm (see question one) have proved to be things I really enjoy about it, and in particular, day to day I enjoy the close-knit nature of being in a firm the size of Gilbert + Tobin.

What tips would you give to someone applying to G+T?

Build up your CV to demonstrate interest in the areas you might work in and to show experience working in teams.  Also, interest in non-law activities not only goes a long way to making small talk at Friday night drinks but is really important to G+T, so be sure to include your extra-curricular interests on your CV as well.