Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

In some pockets of the legal profession, the notion of wellbeing has arguably been embraced as a marketing tool for talent. With worldwide rates of psychological distress having been exacerbated in the wake of COVID-19, legal employers need to consider stripping things back to basics to ensure meaningful, substantive approaches to supporting staff. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with FCW managing principal Andrew Douglas and Wellceum founder and chief executive Desi Vlahos about the “significant damage being done to young people”, the emerging realisation that responsibility for wellness doesn’t fall just on an individual, the exacerbation of mental health issues in recent years, and the proactive and reactive steps that employers must take if they are to properly engage with this issue. The trio also reflect on regulatory action in prosecuting employers over psychosocial hazards, the need for employers to see themselves as having positive duties to manage staff wellness, where Australian workplaces currently sit relative to global counterparts, overcoming longstanding and ingrained practices in Australian legal workplaces, why firms may not be making as much progress on wellness as they are on matters such as artificial intelligence, and what constitutes good governance. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

In the wake of substantial change to the landscape, practitioners are having to undergo shifts in their mindset and approach, including in the charging of costs to clients in a cost-of-living crisis. Such change is giving rise to a need for practitioners to revamp and expand their operations, argues one partner. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Norton Law Group partner Gabriella Pomare to discuss the evolution of the dispute resolution landscape for family lawyers in recent times and the challenges that have emerged as a result, shifting client expectations and demands, and the need to keep costs down. Ms Pomare also delves into various avenues of resolution, including family therapy and parenting coordination, balancing the need to retain clients versus keep one’s business afloat (particularly against the backdrop of high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis), the need to explore new and better ways of operating and practising, knowing how and where to start on such a journey, staying relevant in 2024, and what such practitioners have to look forward to in the new year. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

One year ago, Jarrod Kenney founded his own law firm – while still working full-time in a separate role. Here, he reflects on the myriad challenges involved with starting a legal practice as a concurrent career, setting parameters defining a competitive edge, and what he’s learnt both about himself and the experience of practitioners along the way.    In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Kenney Legal principal Jarrod Kenney to discuss the challenges of entering the legal profession while also working in a separate full-time career, having clear parameters of one’s expectations of one’s self and thus managing client expectations, navigating the myriad challenges of starting a new business while working elsewhere, and what he has learnt from that experience.    Mr Kenney also delves into navigating conversations with clients about capacity, establishing a competitive difference given his different operating hours, staying on top of market changes and evolutions, and what his unique experience of starting a law firm while also working in another job has taught him about what constitutes success for boutique practitioners. 

In this special episode, brought to you by Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, HR Leader, leadership expert and author Margot Faraci discusses the concept of “love leadership” and how harnessing this can help better leadership. Trust is a crucial aspect of this, she says, and those who incorporate it into practice can help to build better relationships with employees. Ms Faraci also discusses the power shift in the job market, with employees having more say in their working arrangements. She advocates for a more consultative leadership style that balances consultation with decisive decision making and empathy with results-driven performance. Another area delved into was psychological safety and its impact on performance. Ms Faraci suggests that leaders should focus on building a culture of psychological safety. By choosing capable team members and fostering trust within the team, leaders can drive sustainable performance. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

In this special episode, brought to you by Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, HR Leader, money and wellness coach Marc Bineham joins to give his expertise in the often-overlooked area of wellness: financial wellbeing. In the current economic climate, financial stress plays a key influence on workplace wellbeing. Interest rates, inflation, and a rising cost of living have taken their toll on the population, prompting the need for intervention. This stress doesn’t just negatively affect the individual; it can translate into a staggering loss of productivity for organisations and the wider economy. Businesses can assist their employees by implementing financial wellness policies. Mr Bineham touches on the stigma surrounding money discussions and how people are more comfortable sharing personal life details than their financial status, a cultural trait that hinders open conversations about financial health. He advocates for a cultural shift, similar to campaigns encouraging open discussions about mental health, to normalise financial wellbeing discussions. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Fiona Wong initially studied medical science but ultimately became a migration lawyer – and is now an award-winning practitioner in that space. Here, she discusses the state of affairs for practitioners in this space coming into the new year. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gilton Valeo executive director and partner Fiona Wong (who won the migration category at the 2023 Partner of the Year Awards) about how and why she became a migration lawyer, what she finds so stimulating about this practice area, the state of affairs for practitioners in this space, and whether now is the most difficult it has ever been for such lawyers. Ms Wong also reflects on striking the right balance between proactivity and reactivity in how one interprets what’s going on in the world and thus advising clients, evolving client demands and expectations, how lawyers in this space can keep their heads above water, what constitutes best practice for those working in this space, and her advice for those coming through the ranks in migration law. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

In the wake of the global pandemic, retail leasing law has seen a shift in the balance of power, with more creative and complex agreements now being negotiated. Here, a partner with over two decades of experience unpacks these changes and more. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bartier Perry partner Andrew Grima about why legal work in retail leasing has been so stimulating for him across his career, the state of affairs in this space over the past year and the perfect storm that has emerged, the need for more creativity amid greater complexity in agreements, and the solutions that have been required. Mr Grima also delves into whether solutions can be applied broadly or if all matters must be taken on a case-by-case basis, legislative changes that are influencing negotiations, managing clients’ idiosyncratic needs as well as practitioners’ needs, what lawyers in other practice areas can take away from the recent experience of lawyers in retail leasing, and how best to liaise with in-house legal teams moving forward. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Mary-Ann de Mestre has created a dual vocational pathway for herself as both a legal academic and law firm owner. It’s a journey she strongly feels others can replicate, in ways that make sense to them, if they are proactive, self-aware and on top of their schedules. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Macquarie University academic and M de Mestre Lawyers founder Mary-Ann de Mestre to discuss managing the juggle between academic and firm-owner life, why having two different (but complementary vocational pathways) is so meaningful for her, what she’s hoping to achieve with her newly launched firm, and taking a more modern approach to boutique practice. Ms de Mestre also details seeing legal education as part and parcel of her mindset as a small-business owner, how her practice aids her academic approach, how to wear multiple hats at once, creating a meaningful career journey for one’s self, how those coming through the ranks can build the best career possible for themselves, asking the right questions of one’s self, and redefining what a legal career can look like. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Team management, and ensuring the law department can perform in small, agile workplaces, is at the top of Luana Melis’ priority list as a leader. Creating such productive environments takes time, she says, and requires meaningful reflection on processes and a focus on softer skills, among other key approaches. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Time & Place general counsel and company secretary Luana Melis to discuss the tough market conditions faced by the property and construction sectors in recent years, how and why team management is the highest of priorities for her, determining best practice for managing teams, and the importance of agility in identifying pathways forward. Ms Melis also reflects on what high performance means for her in the context of an in-house legal team, balancing the legal team’s efforts against the performance of other business functions, the need for mindset shifts, practical ways to achieve and maintain high performance, lessons learnt along the way, marrying up the importance of sustainability with performance, and recalibrating the idea of high performance amid changing market conditions. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

The positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct came into effect earlier this week. Here, we unpack what best practice should look like for employers and how to demand better from multiple stakeholders – especially in a climate where prevention lags behind other business priorities. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Elevate Consulting Partners founder Prabha Nandagopal to discuss the need for institutions to better protect individuals from various forms of misconduct and ensure such behaviour gets stamped out, the newly enforceable positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct, how ready employers are for such enforcement, and how misconduct may have evolved since the age of the pandemic. Ms Nandagopal also delves into the seven standards that employers need to be across, who needs to be taking responsibility in organisations moving forward, the extent to which individuals can and should be demanding change, how clients can demand better from their external providers and vice versa, and how and why those in businesses of all shapes and sizes can ensure that such duties do not get lost in the triage of urgent priorities in the current market. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!