Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] for more insights!

There is a strong nexus between being a good black-letter lawyer and being a trusted business adviser. For Heela Arsala, this means understanding and learning from internal stakeholders so as to ensure alignment between what is being negotiated and drafted and optimal business outcomes. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Buchan general counsel Heela Arsala (who was a finalist in the GC of the Year category at the 2023 Women in Law Awards) to discuss what it's like working as an in-house lawyer for an architectural firm and her reflections on such work in recent years amid the global pandemic, why authenticity is so critical in drafting contracts for one's business, especially when it comes to urgent priorities such as environmental, social and governance considerations. Ms Arsala also delves into the need to retain and make time for the black-letter legal skills to best support one's business, why being a good lawyer makes one a good business adviser, bringing other business units along for the ride in negotiating contractual clauses, having broader awareness of corporate behaviour, and looking ahead to growth phases and how to support one's business through such a transition. 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 [email protected] for more insights!

Every transaction is unique in its own way, and therefore particular attention must be paid to anything one drafts, Despina Priala stresses. In an evolving landscape – namely the commencement of the Unfair Contract Terms regime – lawyers must take particular care in how they're servicing clients and their individual needs, starting with being a good listener. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Priala Legal director and legal practitioner Despina Priala to discuss why care in the drafting of contracts is more important than ever in the current climate, whether artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in the drafting of contracts, and the commencement of the Unfair Contract Terms regime and its implications for the practitioners.

Ms Priala also reflects on whether getting back to basics in contract drafting is required, whether there are particular questions that practitioners must be asking of their clients, why being a good listener remains so essential, creating time for the fundamentals of being a boutique firm owner, and ensuring the best advice possible in idiosyncratic circumstances for clients. 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 [email protected] for more insights!

Patrick Dawson is passionate about promoting the profession in regional and rural areas. With a fast-growing practice in NSW, he has been able to diversify and upskill across multiple areas and be a more flexible practitioner for those on the ground who rely on their lawyers. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Patrick Dawson Law founder and principal Patrick Dawson to discuss his practice's rapid growth since inception, the motivations for launching a practice in the regions, reflections on the challenges faced, enabling a new business to thrive, and appreciating how personal professional services can be for one's clients.

Mr Dawson also delves into tailoring a business to suit the needs of the surrounding environment, how best one can go about this as a business leader, the state of play for regional practitioners at present and emerging trends, the importance of advocacy for those in the regions, and the experience of regional practitioners 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, 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 [email protected] for more insights!

Lawyers are privileged to have a voice, Joanne van der Plaat says, and therefore have a duty to roll up their sleeves and listen to those whose voices don't get heard. Having recently served as president of the Law Society of NSW, she is now turning her sights to the federal seat of Eden-Monaro, having been preselected by the Liberal Party to contest the next election. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the Law Society of NSW's immediate past president, Joanne van der Plaat, about her legal career to date, why issues pertaining to regional practitioners and business issues are so critically important, the big takeaways from her time as president of a major legal member association, and lessons she's learnt about the state of play for NSW-based lawyers. Ms van der Plaat also reflects on how she came to nominate for preselection for Eden-Monaro (a federal electorate close to Canberra), why she's standing for the Liberal Party, what she hopes to bring both to her community and the Parliament if elected, why lawyers are well placed to address ongoing community concerns, how and why she's a better lawyer for having served others, and why other lawyers should better utilise their unique skill sets for community service. 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 [email protected] for more insights!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with the College of Law, we unpack how practitioners can and should view generative artificial intelligence at this juncture, what to look out for in the new year, and what will constitute best practice moving forward.

Host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) executive director Terri Mottershead and Gilbert + Tobin chief knowledge and innovation officer and partner Caryn Sandler to discuss the key takeaways from the recent Legal Generative AI Summit (hosted by the CLI), the headline lessons about the use of gen AI from the past 12 months and what those lessons say about the current state of affairs. This includes why practitioners feel so overwhelmed by the pace and breadth of the change.

In tackling this immense change underway, Terri and Caryn suggest some key questions lawyers can ask themselves (and their firms) to help determine the uptake and utilisation of AI.

Topics covered include:

• How legal education is evolving in this space and what professional development will look like.
• The responsibility of legal employers with regards to staff development and the support of junior lawyers.
• Reaffirming the value that lawyers place on themselves and their services.
• A rethink of client relationships and their needs.
• Best practice in 2024 and coming gen AI products and services.

To learn more about the Centre for Legal Innovation at the College of Law and its offerings in this space, 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, 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 [email protected] for more insights!

In late 2022, Renee Roumanos lost her home (and office) to a fire. That traumatic experience taught her an enormous amount about navigating traumatic experiences, leaning on one's professional network, and how best to prioritise, manage and communicate within one's business. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Renee Roumanos Legal principal Renee Roumanos to discuss the night her home (and office) burnt down and the insurance headaches that followed, having to look after her family and figure out how to keep her new business afloat, how she came to lean on legal professionals around her, and the perspective she has gleaned from going through such extraordinary circumstances. Ms Roumanos also reflects on how one begins to take practical steps forward after such events, the difficulties that lawyers have in asking for personal or professional help, how she ensured that her firm did not suffer and how she engaged with clients during this time, her perspective on what it means to be a good lawyer and communicator, what she's learnt about resilience, and why she's so motivated to give back 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, 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 [email protected] for more insights!