Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Thomson Reuters, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Piper Alderman managing partner Tony Britten-Jones and chief operating officer Chris McLean about the shifting roles of external providers and in-house teams looking to evolve in the current climate. The guests discuss how necessity is the mother of invention, the headline operational changes being seen from in-house teams at this juncture, striking the right balance between rolling with the times versus wading in cautiously when implementing changes, and how big firms can best be supporting their teams in the utilisation and uptake of technological advancements. Mr Britten-Jones and Mr McLean also reflect on increased sophistication from in-house teams when dealing with their external providers and how law firms have to adapt in dealing with their clients, the need or otherwise for trial and error in determining best practice, taking calculated risks and grasping opportunities, and lessons being learnt from the pace of change. To learn more about Thomson Reuters, click here. 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!

Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we're catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space. In this episode, we chat to Rebecca Warren, executive general manager of small-business banking at CommBank, about how she navigated a historically male-dominated industry over her 20-year career and why she believes inclusion and diversity are not just morally imperative, but key to achieving superior business results. Tune in to find out: Why she loves commercial finance. The secret power of 'quiet achievers'. How CommBank is creating a more inclusive and supportive work culture. And much more!

Here, we explore whether the profession is making headway in ensuring proportionate briefing to the Bar, necessary approaches for the successful implementation of an equitable briefing strategy, and how far the profession still has to go. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with barrister Dr Kylie Weston-Scheuber and Victorian government solicitor Matthew Hocking about the state of affairs for equitable briefing in various courts and jurisdictions, how the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office has become a gold standard in such briefing to women barristers and what strategies it implements. The guests also reflect on the cultural, structural and social hurdles that may be preventing progress on equitable briefing, whether there are self-imposed hurdles, the impact (if at all) of the advent of virtual hearings, how in-house teams fare compared to private practice counterparts, the need for data and accountability, the importance of a client-driven approach, and whether there is reason for optimism 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!

In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Thomson Reuters, host Jerome Doraisamy and National Australia Bank general counsel Sharon Cook flesh out the pace and impact of technological change upon corporate legal teams and how best those teams can ready themselves for the turn of the decade. The pair discuss why such a conversation about the future is so essential, the extent to which technology continues to evolve, how law departments can be at the forefront of such change so as to better support their businesses, effectively managing risk, bringing whole teams along for the journey of evolution, and the duty of leaders to better understand and appreciate current and looming change. Ms Cook also delves into some of the changes her own law department has implemented, what has been learnt from such initiatives, and how best other in-house legal teams can look to take practical steps to ensure they remain trusted advisers to their businesses in an ever-changing professional services marketplace. To learn more about Thomson Reuters, click here. 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 of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Clio, we reflect on the next set of challenges for practitioners when it comes to self-education on the powers and capabilities of emerging technologies and the need to meaningfully triage and prioritise for the health of your practice. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clio founder and chief executive Jack Newton, who is based in the United States, about where the provider sees Australia as sitting in the global market at this juncture and why, what is so exciting about the Australian marketplace at present, the headline trends and challenges to look out for as the new year approaches, and how practitioners can best identify necessary practical steps moving forward. Mr Newton also delves into Clio's AI strategy and its push in the Australian market, ensuring the right resources are being deployed for one's tech stack, avoiding a "set and forget" attitude with existing practice management platforms, realising the "hierarchy of data needs", appreciating whether your practice is at on the adoption spectrum, and why cloud solutions remain so critical. To learn more about Clio, click here. 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!

While progress has been made in recent years to ensure that business development is easier for male and female professionals alike, Sue-Ella Prodonovich muses, there remain environmental hurdles that make BD more difficult for some. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Prodonovich Advisory principal Sue-Ella Prodonovich (who also regularly serves as a judge for Lawyers Weekly awards programs) to discuss how business development can and does prove more difficult for women leaders in law, the suggested reasons for this, how the post-pandemic landscape impacts such difficulty (if at all), and what professionals on the ground tell her about such hurdles. Ms Prodonovich also reflects on the extent to which male counterparts in the profession are cognisant of such perceived imbalances, how the market is looking to better level the playing field, whether the looming new year is throwing up any new challenges to grapple with in successful BD for women professionals, practical ways to ensure that BD is easier for all, and how to keep BD at the top of the priority list, even amid so many competing priorities. 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!

For Steve Lancken, mediation has always offered ways and means of resolving disputes that produce more satisfying and productive outcomes for parties. Here, he details the lessons he's learnt over more than two decades as a mediator and how best to serve clients in an ever-changing landscape. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Negocio Resolutions managing director Steve Lancken (who won the Mediator-Arbitrator of the Year category at the 2023 Australian Law Awards) to discuss how and why he became a mediator, how few client matters he saw proceed to litigation in the earlier iteration of his legal career, what he finds so rewarding about mediation, and his views on the current climate for mediators in Australia's marketplace. Mr Lancken also reflects on the rise of mediation in recent years, the most common mistakes made in mediations, the need to actively use certain language to manage clients' states of mind, pitfalls to avoid, how to glean the necessary lessons to succeed, the do's and don'ts for successful mediators, shifting one's mindset, and his excitement about the next generation of practitioners coming through the ranks, who better understand and appreciate avenues like mediation. 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!

Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we're catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space. In this episode, we chat to Suzanne Wood, state general manager residential broker Victoria/Tasmania at Westpac Group (and state chair of the Women of Westpac employee advocacy group), about how she climbed the career ladder in banking and the power of having strong female role models. Tune in to find out: How she learnt the art of having difficult conversations. The perils of unconscious bias and how to tackle them. How Westpac is supporting women through the Women of Westpac employee advocacy group. And much more!

Anthony Kearns is increasingly concerned about what he sees as objectively unsustainable work practices and higher levels of distress among a highly resilient demographic. Here, we unpack how and why such issues are impacting in-house teams and what some of the practical steps might be to meaningfully move forward. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Lander & Rogers chief client experience officer and consulting practice group leader Anthony Kearns to discuss why safety and sustainability require urgent consideration by law departments, the extent to which current issues and psychosocial hazards are a product of our times or longstanding concerns, and how and why such matters are so front of mind for law department leaders. Mr Kearns also reflects on the "roadmaker's dilemma" facing in-house teams, the extent to which such teams can or should be comfortable with the idea of letting others down, ensuring clarity of purpose and other practical steps that law departments can take at this critical juncture, and why he remains optimistic about the potential for in-house teams to problem-solve. 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 episode, the host discusses with Professor Anne Twomey the difficulty of amending Australia's Constitution, the need for constitutional updates, the influence of compulsory voting on the success of referendums, and the challenges faced by a yes campaign. They also explore the importance of bipartisan support and better civics education in facilitating constitutional change.