

Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network
Momentum Media
The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network explores the myriad issues, challenges, trends and opportunities facing legal professionals in Australia. Produced by Australia’s largest and most-trusted legal publication, Lawyers Weekly, the four shows on the channel – The Lawyers Weekly Show, The Corporate Counsel Show, The Boutique Lawyer Show and Protégé – all bring legal marketplace news to the audience via engaging and insightful conversations. Our editorial team talking to legal professionals and industry experts about their fascinating careers, ground-breaking case work, broader sociocultural quagmires, and much more. Visit www.lawyersweekly.com.au/podcasts for the full list of episodes.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 23, 2021 • 26min
High performance in an evolving market
Leaders in law are increasingly aware that people’s needs are changing, and with that, client demands are shifting. Ensuring that businesses can get the most out of their lawyers in the post-pandemic market requires new-age thinking, including considering what can be learned from elite sportspeople. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Frontier Performance founder and principal Pancho Mehrotra to discuss what high performance in professional services means and what can be gleaned from sportspeople, the biggest mistakes that leaders in law make, creating an “attraction business”, and the current headline challenges impeding high performance within legal teams. The pair also reflect on the presence of jealousy and domineering attitudes within law firms and how these sentiments are balanced against wellness needs and happiness, evolving perceptions of psychological safety, addressing environmental issues in more substantive ways moving forward, and learning lessons from global corporate behemoths. 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!

Dec 22, 2021 • 33min
The Corporate Counsel Show: Being more than a GC
General counsel, and law departments, who move to take on more responsibility for their businesses will have a “real opportunity to make a difference”. Being visible, Teresa Allan believes, ensures the work of that department is more significant and consequential. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Capgemini vice-president, general counsel and ethics and compliance officer Teresa Allan to discuss lessons learned from undertaking acquisitions in the age of coronavirus for law departments, taking on more work so as to ensure the legal team has a seat at the table, and how such increased workload improves the standing of the law department. The pair also delve into striking the right balance between proactivity and reactivity in taking on more work, personal reflections on being more than just the general counsel, practical guidance for those looking to broaden the scope of their work and navigating pushback to such a move. 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!

Dec 21, 2021 • 26min
The Boutique Lawyer Show: ‘If it’s maritime, people assume I was involved’
When she founded her practice, Alison Cusack had never even worked in a law firm, let alone run one. Nevertheless, she found her niche at an early stage and has thrived ever since, establishing herself as a leader in a niche field. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Cusack & Co founder and principal Alison Cusack to discuss the day-to-day for a maritime lawyer, how and why she moved from in-house work to running her worn firm, her attitude towards deal-making, supply chain issues in the age of coronavirus and flow-on impacts for shipping businesses. The pair also talk about popular culture references to maritime issues, sexism in a male-dominated industry, lessons from evolving litigious environments, why Alison has no interest in “stealing others’ clients”, becoming an industry leader in a specific industry and how her niche practice can afford to stay in its lane and not diversify. 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!

Dec 19, 2021 • 24min
Protégé: How to step into a leadership role from the very beginning
For the immediate past president of the UTS Law Student Society, being involved became much more than picking up important legal skills and making connections. In addition to the rewarding experience and accomplishments, it was an opportunity to learn how to manage a leadership role from the very beginning of her legal career. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Naomi Neilson is joined by former UTS Law Student Society president Vicky Kuo to chat about her experience over the last four years, as president but also in other positions within the organisation. The episode is another spotlight on why law students should be getting involved too. As part of the episode, Vicky discusses all of the advantages to getting involved: from making important connections with other members, learning how to manage a whole organisation, and picking up skills that will be useful in the real legal world. We also talk about what it meant for Vicky to step into a leadership position, particularly as a woman in law, at such an early stage in her legal career. “It meant a lot to me to be able to be in a leadership position, knowing that perhaps there’s someone out there who maybe wants to be in a similar position a few years down the track and they’re able to see that it’s possible,” Vicky shares. The episode also touches on how a psychology degree has helped her experience in law and explores her interest in pro bono legal work. Have a listen to the episode below! If you have any questions about the episode or if there are any topics that you might want us to look into, please reach out – we would love to hear from you! We’re also always open to new guests so if you have an exciting story to tell, if you’re standing out as a student or graduate, or if you can offer some tips for our young lawyers, get in touch. You can reach us here: Emails: editor@lawyersweekly.com.au or naomi.neilson@momentummedia.com.au Socials: Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or reach out to me directly here.

Dec 17, 2021 • 23min
Lessons for lawyers from the 2021 property market
2021 has been an extraordinary year for Australia’s property market. There is much that legal professionals can take away, from those looking to get their foot in the door to those wanting to expand their portfolios. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back recurring guest Cullen Haynes, director of sales at Legal Home Loans, and Josh Jaramillo, legal lending specialist at Legal Home Loans, to discuss their reflections on the year that was, the “post-lockdown mindset” for lawyers, and changes in lending services governance laws. The trio also delve into what is firing up investors at this juncture, whether or not there is more stock coming onto the market, what benefits still exist and will be apparent for lawyers moving forward, and how lawyers can and should be perceiving Australia’s property market as we head into 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!

Dec 15, 2021 • 26min
The Corporate Counsel Show: Why barristers make great in-house lawyers
Leaving the bar to become an in-house lawyer may seem an uncommon vocational journey. However, for one award-winning practitioner, the move has been a natural, seamless transition. On this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back returning guest Matthew Littlejohn, a Darwin-based barrister-turned-manager of litigation at the Office of the General Counsel in Victoria, to discuss his experience as a barrister in the Northern Territory and what he learned about himself in that time, why he wanted to move in-house and what he does in his new role, and what the transition has been like. The pair also discuss the practical and professional skills one learns as a barrister that are transferrable to an in-house role, whether law departments should be recruiting from the bar, if barristers make for better in-house counsel than those from private practice, and what those already in-house can bring to the bar table if they wish to make that vocational shift. 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!

Dec 14, 2021 • 21min
The Boutique Lawyer Show: The benefits of a ‘partners on commission’ model
For Janya Eighani, a “partners on commission” model is not just a way to be innovative and chip away at traditional practice methodologies – it is also a way to better support a community of consulting principals and garner broader business and vocational benefits for her firm. On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Lehman Walsh Lawyers managing partner Janya Eighani to talk about the “partners on commission” model that her firm established during the COVID-19 pandemic and why, the challenges that have arisen since the introduction of that model and how the firm has managed those, and how the model is advantageous for all parties involved. The pair also discuss the lessons learned from this model, the myriad personal and professional benefits to the firm implementing the model, turning one’s firm into a multi-service offering, new perspective that arises (personal and professional), and ensuring that one’s firm can compete against the big end of town. 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!

Dec 10, 2021 • 24min
Predictions for capital markets in 2022
Following a “very active” year, capital markets lawyers should be preparing themselves for a “really interesting” 2022, says one leading partner, who notes that the Australian market will “always support” the right transactions. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Baker McKenzie partner Antony Rumboll, who returns to the podcast to discuss the year that was in capital markets, whether the lessons from 2020 were still applicable this year, how secondary capital raisings unfolded in 2021, how predicted increases to interest rates will impact upon transactions, and the evolving nature of leadership for lawyers in this space. The pair also dissect the evolving nature of relationships with clients, predictions for the capital markets space in 2022 and the daily experience of lawyers, how best those lawyers can adapt to those predictions and better serve clients, and what there is 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!

Dec 9, 2021 • 29min
LawTech Talks: Tech makes you a better lawyer (while making your life easier)
When she bought her first home at the age of 21, Annature founder and chief executive Amreeta Abbott couldn’t believe how many documents she had to sign in person. Having worked across professional services strands as a tech entrepreneur, she understands better than most the inextricable need for more efficient processes as we move into a post-pandemic market. On this episode of LawTech Talks, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Ms Abbott to discuss her personal and vocational journeys, how she feels the legal profession is faring relative to other industries when it comes to uptake and meaningful utilisation of technologies such as eSignatures and identification verification, what further change needs to occur in law (both legislative updates and community perceptions), and what sectors of the profession are upping the ante. The pair also delve into the extent to which change is client-driven or led by lawyers, better navigating pain points with eSigning and identity verification, why technology helps one evolve into a better, more modern lawyer in addition to making one’s life easier. Elsewhere, the pair talk about Annature, its purpose within the legal profession and benefits it currently offers for lawyers. 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!

Dec 8, 2021 • 25min
Navigating the new risk management landscape
On this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with LexisNexis, host Jerome Doraisamy and LexisNexis Pacific managing director Greg Dickason discuss how the age of coronavirus has changed the risk management landscape and how technology can and will help professionals navigate that landscape. The pair dive into what risk management means (particularly in the new-look market), major current and looming risks, profession-wide cognisance of risk management responsibilities at this critical juncture, opportunities to better navigate risk management considerations, the need to utilise data, the fundamental importance of leveraging technological platforms and avoiding inherent tech risks. They also unpack the need to proactively plan and review business operations, what constitutes best practice when it comes to risk management, the inextricable link between success and risk management, the quantum of tech proficiency needed in order to succeed, and what platforms LexisNexis offers to help professionals moving forward. To learn more, listeners can click here or call 1 800 772 772. 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!