Seasonal Clerkship Guide 2012 by MULSS

seasonal clerkship guide 2012 Melbourne University Law Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Society

SHAPE YOUR WORLD

With a vision to create a global law firm in Asia and a history of bold innovation, it’s only the beginning for King & Wood Mallesons. Right now, you can become part of this ‘game changer’ for the legal industry – as we deliver a new legal choice and help our clients realise their new world opportunities. For those who don’t know us well, here’s a snapshot of what we offer you today and tomorrow… VISION To create a global law firm in Asia TEAM MATES Over 380 partners and 1,800 lawyers (biggest international legal network in Asia) REPUTATION Over 100 international and Asia-focused awards and 50 top-tier rankings LOCATIONS Strategically positioned in the world’s growth markets, financial capitals and the home of information technology (21 offices globally and the only international legal network to be head quartered in Asia) CLIENTS Global financial and corporate powerhouses to new industry-makers to and all levels of government (some for over 200 years)

Want the inside scoop on landing a role at Clayton Utz? Find it on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/ClaytonUtzCareers

BORN GL BAL At Baker & McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. Like no other law firm we were born global. Right from the beginning we’ve been offering a genuinely global perspective and operating without boundaries around the world. Our established global reach offers you an extraordinary career in the global economy, exchanging rich local insights and knowledge with the best legal minds from all over the world every day. And our unrivalled regional and local development programs will make you a truly global lawyer. Fast. We’re an entrepreneurial firm where new ideas and innovation are encouraged at all levels. A place where small teams and a personal approach to your career means you can go as far and fast as your talents and drive will take you.

Ready to explore our world?

THE CULTURE AT FREEHILLS IS VARIED BUT STILL VERY COHESIVE. THERE’S NO MOULD. BUT IT’S A TEAM ENVIRONMENT.

Natalie Pinto in Melbourne +61 3 9617 4349 Posy McGrane in Sydney +61 2 8922 5482

Senior Associate Litigation, Melbourne

www.bakermckenzie.com/careers

THERE’S MORE TO US Visit our Careers pages at www.freehills.com/careers/grad

Acknowledgements Editors Fiona Hopkins Yuji Nakayama Careers Directors 2012 Design Bronwyn Montgomery Marco Angele Marketing & Publications Officers 2012 Platinum Sponsors Ashurst Baker & McKenzie Clayton Utz Corrs Chambers Westgarth DLA Piper Freehills King & Wood Mallesons Norton Rose Premier Sponsors Arnold Bloch Leibler Gilbert + Tobin Maddocks Supporting Sponsors Allens Lander & Rogers Maurice Blackburn Minter Ellison Russell Kennedy We would like to thank the Human Resources personnel of the sponsoring law firms who dedicated their time and assisted with the creation of this publication. Additionally, we would like to thank Ken Kour and Stephanie Milione for their contribution in both editing and correspondence work, as well as Marco Angele and Bronwyn Montgomery for their extraordinary design work. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or the Melbourne University Law Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Society. Best efforts have been made to ensure all information in this publication is correct as at 27 April 2012 but is subject to change without notice. The information is merely advisory and should not be relied upon as professional advice. This publication is distributed free of charge on the understanding that the authors, editors and any persons related to this publication are not responsible for the results of their actions or omissions on the basis of any information provided in this publication. We encourage those applying for seasonal clerkships to obtain confirmation of all information through the firm itself.

contents 9 Editorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Welcome 10 Seasonal Clerkship Guidelines 2012 11 Seasonal Clerkship Guideline Signatories 12 The Application Process 13 What is cvmail? 15 Preparing Your CV 17 Preparing Your Cover Letter 20 What We Look For in a Clerkship Applicant 24 Preparing For the Interview 26 Acquiring and Demonstrating Commercial Awareness 28 The Clerkship Experience 29 Clerkship Profile 31 Making the Most of Your Seasonal Clerkship 34 The Benefits of Clerking at a Top-Tier Firm 36 The Benefits of Clerking at a Mid-Tier Firm 39 Comparing the Seasonal Clerkship with the Graduate Program 42 Life as a Graduate 44 International Clerkship Snapshot: Moscow and Bangkok 47 The Graduate Experience 48 Practice Areas 49 Banking and Finance 51 Climate Change 54 Communication, Media and Technology 56 Competition Law 58 Corporate Law 62 Debt and Capital Markets 64 Employee Relations Law 65 Energy and Resource Law 68 Environments and Planning 72 Hotels, Leisure and Gaming Law 74 Insolvency and Restructuring Law 6

76 Intellectual Property 78 Litigation 80 Litigation (International) 84 Mergers and Acquisitions 85 Pro Bono 87 Real Estate 89 Tax Controversy 90 Taxation Law 92 Taxation Law in Practice 94 Workplace Relations and Safety 97 Firm profiles 98 Allens 99 Arnold Bloch Leibler 100 Ashurst 101 Baker & Mckenzie 102 Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers 103 Clayton Utz 104 Corrs Chambers Westgarth 105 DLA Piper 106 Freehills 107 Gilbert + Tobin 108 Hall & Wilcox 109 Herbert + Geer 110 Hunt & Hunt 111 Lander & Rogers 112 King & Wood Mallesons 114 Maddocks 115 Maurice Blackburn 116 Middletons 117 Minter Ellison 118 Norton Rose 120 Russell Kennedy 121 Thomsons Lawyers 7

Editors’ welcome careers directors yuji nakayama and fiona hopkins Welcome to the Seasonal Clerkship Guide 2012. The Guide has been a staple publication provided by the Melbourne University Law Students’ Society for a number of years, and is aimed at providing students with an insight into the process and merits of applying for and completing a seasonal clerkship. This Guide contains articles about practical application tips, the clerkship experience, and an overview of various practice areas of law. The Guidebook also contains a short firm directory to assist you in identifying firms relevant to you, and to quicken your application process. In short, a seasonal clerkship is a three to four week work experience at a law firm. They take place during the university holidays, and are usually applied for by penultimate year students. This publication is intended to serve as a guide for those applying for clerkships in the 2012/2013 summer holidays, as well as the 2013 Winter holidays. Seasonal clerkships are helpful not only in gaining practical experience and insight into the real application of the law, but to explore the different firm cultures and work environments of potential employer firms. As such, we recommend that students apply to a diverse range of opportunities offered by different employers. Furthermore, for students planning to obtain graduate employment at these firms, it is crucial to note that many of these firms employ solely from their pool of seasonal clerks, or give priority to them. In this way, clerkships can be seen as a three to four week interview process and are crucial to earning a graduate offer. Although many firms offering seasonal clerkships are signatory to the Law Institute of Victoria (‘LIV’) guidelines and have similar application opening and closing dates, please be advised that this is not the case with all firms. With non-signatory firms, application dates and processes may vary, so please ensure that you are aware of the differences. The firm directory may assist you in this. Before and during your applications, we advise that you do extensive research about the seasonal clerkship process, as well as the law firms you are applying for. This might include speaking to graduates, lawyers or HR representatives from firms, hearing from senior students about their personal past clerkship experiences, or simply gathering information from publicly available domains (e.g. firm websites). As penultimate students ourselves, we will also be going through the clerkship process. While applications can be hectic and take time away from always busy academic commitments, we hope to be able to come out having gained valuable skills, insights and above all an enjoyable experience. Good Luck! 8

law institute of victoria seasonal clerkship guidelines 2012

1. It is desirable, although not a requirement, that seasonal clerkships be open to students who have already completed their law degree or students who will commence their final semester in 2013. 2. Applications for seasonal clerkships will open no earlier than 9am Monday, 16 July 2012. 3. Applications for seasonal clerkships will close no later than midnight Sunday, 12 August 2012. 4. Any offer made under these guidelines may relate to clerkships within a one year period from the date of offer, but can be extended in circumstances agreed between the student and the firm for a further one year period if a student requests a deferral of the clerkship. 5. Any offer of clerkship must remain open for a minimum of 24 hours from the time the offer was made or until 11am the following business day for offers made prior to 11am, subject to paragraph 5(a).

law institute of victoria seasonal clerkship guideline signatories

6. Law firms will not make offers concerning seasonal clerkships before 9am, Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, 9 October 2012.

Allens

Hall & Wilcox

Minter Ellison

Arnold Bloch Leibler

Hamers Workplace Lawyers

Nevile & Co

Ashurst

Hayes & Associates

Nevin Lenne & Gross

7. Law firms who have entered sponsorship arrangements with disadvantaged students, such as those employed under the Indigenous Cadetship Program, are exempt from complying with the Guidelines in relation to those students.

Baker & McKenzie

Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams

Norris Coates Lawyers

BJT Legal

Hogg & Reid

Norton Rose

Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers

Holding Redlich

Nunan & Bloom

Clarendon Lawyers

Holt & McDonald

Pointon Partners

Clarkes Barwood Lawyers

HWL Ebsworth

Robinson Gill

Clayton Utz

Hunt & Hunt

Russell Kennedy

Clements Hutchins & Co

Kevin Davine & Sons

Ryan Carlisle Thomas

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

King & Wood Mallesons

Secombs

Costanzo Lawyers

Lander & Rogers

Septimus Jones & Lee

Dawes & Vary

Logie-Smith Lanyon

Sharrock Pitman Legal

DLA Piper

Maddens Lawyers

Slater & Gordon

Eales & Mackenzie

Maddocks

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Eugenia Mitrakis & Co

Martin Irwin Richards

Tanya Circovic & Associates

Freehills

Maurice Blackburn

Thomson Lawyers

Gullaci & Gullaci

Middletons

Transport Accident Commission

8. A firm may withdraw from the guidelines by giving thirty (30) days written notice of its intention to the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV), the law faculties and law student societies at all Victorian law schools. 9. The LIV will maintain an up to date list of all signatory firms which will be publicly available on the LIV website.

(a) Students must not hold more than four seasonal clerkship offers for a period of more than 2 hours.

the application process

What is cvmail? Cvmail (www.cvmail.com.au) is a web-based application system. The system allows you to store relevant academic, educational and personal information for your clerkship applications, while having access to key information from firms relating to their application processes. The system is utilised by many firms in place of the ordinary or traditional application domain of emails or firm websites. Thus, it is important to get to know the cvmail system well in advance. Registration with the application is free, and only takes several minutes. It is greatly advised that applicants familiarise themselves with the system prior to applications opening. It is not a complicated system, but knowing your way around will be sure to save time and avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety, allowing you to concentrate on the substance of your applications.

preparing your cv WHAT MAKES A LAWYER WORLD CLASS?

Lisa Schultze Human Resources Adviser corrs chamber westgarth A resume is a summary of your personal history and qualities. It is your marketing tool in searching for a job, and needs to be succinct and punchy to create an impact on the reader. Be careful to pitch your resume realistically and avoid over- or under-selling yourself. Tailor your resume as much as possible to a particular role, rather than attempting to write something too generic. What should you include?

Education For each course of study, indicate the date, institution, and name of course. Include details of secondary and tertiary studies, listing the most recent first.

Here are some guidelines for what to include in a resume. Please note that this is a guide only, and is not exhaustive or prescriptive. You should make your resume personal and meaningful to you and prospective employers, both in content and style.

Do not list your results for each subject in this section, as most firms will ask you to provide a copy of your academic transcript as part of your application.

Personal Details

Include a brief outline of your involvement in extra-curricular activities at school, university, and in the broader community, particularly highlighting the use and development of certain skills (eg. leadership, presentation, coordination, working as part of a team).

Include your name, address, phone numbers and email address in this section. It is not necessary to include details relating to your age, nationality, race, religion, sex, or marital status. Employment objective This is an optional section which can be very powerful if worded effectively. Your objective AT CORRS, WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE DEVELOPING LAWYERS WHO DELIVER REAL IMPACT IN A NEW BUSINESS WORLD. TO SEE HOW VISIT CORRS.COM.AU/GRADUATES

should be a strong, but brief statement outlining the type of role and organisation you are looking for, and why.

Extra-curricular activities

Do not include too many activities in this section â&#x20AC;&#x201C; list only the strongest and most relevant for the role.

Employment/ Work Experience For each role, indicate date, organisation and the role you fulfilled. Include a few bullet points outlining the responsibilities and your significant achievements in each role – be careful to keep these points relevant and punchy. List the most recent role first, and remember to include any voluntary work you have done. Personal Skills This section is to articulate any skills which may not have been highlighted in other sections of your resume. Write a short list of your strongest personal skills (6-8 points). These could include skills you have developed through training. Do not let this section be simply a repeat of elements which appear elsewhere in your resume. If this is the case, this section is not necessary and it is better not to include it. Interests It is important to include 4-6 points on your interests outside work and study, to give the employer an idea of who you are and what you like doing. Don’t provide an exhaustive list! Be careful to keep this short and punchy, without lengthy descriptions. Referees Include a listing of 2-3 people who can be contacted for a reference check on your character or work you have performed. Ask these people if

preparing your cover letter

you can list them as referees on your resume. List each persons name, position, organisation, business address, phone number and email. How should you present your resume? As your resume is your marketing tool, present it in your own style. Have a look at sample resumes and your friends’ resumes to get ideas of how to present yours. Here are a few useful tips to remember: • Follow a logical structure – the points above provide a good guide.

clayton utz

• Use bullet points rather than writing in para graphs of text. • Check your spelling, grammar and punctuation very carefully, and then ask someone else to check also. • Format your resume so that the text is well spaced and there is a good amount of ‘white space’. Visually this is more appealing and easier to read than text cramped onto a page. • Pay careful attention to the formatting of headings, dates etc and ensure that you are consistent with your use of bullets, bolding, underlining, font and size throughout the document.

A well prepared, well set out and easy to read curriculum vitae will assist you to secure that all important interview. Spend time planning it carefully to give yourself the best opportunity. Think of it from the perspective of the person reviewing your curriculum vitae and cover letter. They may have hundreds of others to review and it is important that you stand out from the crowd and make that all important first impression. Covering Letter • Always check the name of the person to whom you are sending your covering letter and make sure you spell their name correctly. Check the information yourself to make sure it is accurate. Don’t rely on information provided by others. This will be found in the Firm Profile section of the Seasonal Clerkship Guide. • Don’t make your covering letter too long. The bulk of the information should be contained in your curriculum vitae. One page is sufficient. • If you have a particular interest in an area of law in which you know the firm specialises, make mention of this but don’t go into too much detail.

• State what year of study you are in and when you intend on graduating. • Always make sure that your application arrives by the closing date and if unsure check the firm website or CVMail for clarification. • Always make sure that the addressee and the salutation correspond. This can be a real irritation to the person reviewing your letter and indicates sloppiness. • Read and re-read your covering letter. Attention to detail is critical and gives us the first impression of you. Using another firm’s name in the covering letter is a huge mistake. This can all be avoided if you prepare and don’t lodge all of your applications on CVMail 30 minutes before the deadline. Curriculum Vitae • Only include relevant points in your curriculum vitae. Awards or achievements received in the latter years of high school may be relevant but more recent achievements attained during university or work will catch the eye of the person reading your curriculum vitae. 17

• Really think about the role you are applying for and the skills firms are looking for. Prepare your cover letter and CV in a way that shows the reader you have the skills or experience they are looking for. • Don’t pad out your curriculum vitae to make it look more impressive. It is far more important to focus on your strengths and achievements that will distinguish you from other candidates. • Your curriculum vitae should be clear and concise. • Present your work experience and education from most current and work backwards. • It is also a good idea to indicate how many hours per week you work in your part time/ casual job. This helps paint a picture of your time commitments outside of University studies. • Check and double check it for spelling mistakes. This is most important. • Make sure all of your contact details are correct. Include them in your covering letter as well for ease of reference.

• Find out about your interviewer(s) if possible. • Understand yourself and your competition - strengths and weaknesses. • Think about the positive areas you want to cover - your key points and good ideas. • Dress smartly and cleanly. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable. • Arrive early, but not so early that you build up excess nerves. Create a good first impression • A smart appearance and demeanour. • A firm, not crushing handshake. • Small talk which is interesting and warm/friendly. • Be yourself, don’t role play someone else. Be enthusiastic, thoughtful and confident. • Be energetic, interesting and impressive. Avoid known distracting mannerisms.

• Ask someone else to read both your letter and curriculum vitae and provide you with feedback. You may be surprised what you have forgotten.

• Don’t forget to smile.

Interview Techniques

• Involve (with eye contact) all of those interviewing you - each person’s opinion matters.

Prior to the Interview • Read the firm’s brochure or visit their homepage on the internet. • Talk to people who work at the firm or have worked there as a seasonal clerk to get a feel for what to expect. Look out for upcoming careers fairs or seminars to talk to firm representatives. • Attend firm information nights.

The Interview

• Be thoughtful, honest and concise. Don’t ramble - be comfortable with brief silences. • Use real life examples - bring concepts/issues to life. • Avoid umms/errs, buzz words, colloquialisms/ slang (such as mate, right, OK, yeah). • Ask questions if you have them, but don’t feel obliged to invent them to ‘appear’ interested.

What We Look For in a seasonal clerk applicant chloe foster graduate and learning and development coordinator maddocks

Organisations are generally looking for balanced, well-rounded and fun people!

• where possible, keep your CV to a maximum of three pages;

A major part of an application is the CV. Your CV is essentially an advertisement to showcase how suitable you are for the role. It is important that you focus on the requirements of the position and tailor your CV to meet these needs. You can gain insights into particular criteria that the firm will look for by conducting some research via the organisation’s website. If you have contacts that have previously done a Clerkship, or have been employed by the firm, take advantage of their inside knowledge and ask as many questions as possible.

• list your experience, major projects/achievements chronologically, with the most recent first. Include all experience with relevant transferrable skills;

You should remember that the primary purpose of your CV is to let the person who is reading it get to know you so highlight your accomplishments, skills and attributes. Before you begin, think about two or three things you want the person reviewing your application to remember about you. As we are recruiting for Seasonal Clerks, we are aware that your legal experience may be limited at this stage. You should include any work that you have participated in to date. This may include casual employment, for example McDonalds, volunteering for a charity or helping out in a family business. You should also highlight university activities, for example mooting competitions. Here are some of the key things to remember:

As part of the Seasonal Clerk process, Maddocks receives in excess of 500 applications for a small number of positions. Therefore, it is vital that you and your application stand out from the crowd and that you make a good first impression. At Maddocks, we base our application form around the core values of the firm: • Integrity • Diversity and respect for the individual • Innovation • Collaboration • Stewardship

We do this because we are looking for someone who not only has the skills and aptitude to be a clerk, but who also aligns with our culture and values. Take time to consider the questions and try to answer them in a way that provides insight into your personality and what each core value means to you personally. At interview, you will be required to expand on the information provided in your application so include examples that you feel confident discussing.

• tailor your application for each firm – think about what that particular firm is looking for in a seasonal clerk and highlight your strengths. Make use of the organisation’s website; • make your CV clear and easy to read – bullet points are good, try to avoid block text and fancy fonts;

• write in clear and concise terms and use positive language (don’t overload the reader with too much information); • make sure that your application addresses the correct firm – this is possibly the most common mistake and many firms may, at that point, not continue with your application!; • if the firm’s application process includes answering specific questions think about the purpose of those questions and take your time formulating answers - make sure you keep within the word limit; • proof-read your application for grammatical and spelling errors - this sounds simple but it’s an easy mistake to make. Don’t just rely on spell-check – ask a friend or family member to review it for you; and • it is not necessary to include a photo of yourself – organisations are interested in your background, experience and what you’re looking for, not what you look like. Finally, when you prepare your application remember that at this level firms are looking for students who not only have the right academic ability but who also fit the firm’s culture and values. Make sure your application doesn’t just cover your skills and experience but also conveys to the reader a sense of who you are. Good luck!

We are also interested in finding out about other skills such as languages, as well as your social interests – we like an application that shows who a person is and displays their personality.

SYDNEY MELBOURNE P E RT H

A career with Gilbert + Tobin is the smart choice Why is a clerkship with Gilbert + Tobin the smart career choice? Because from day one, you’ll work on top-tier transactions and collaborate closely with industry leaders. G+T focuses on dynamic and evolving industry sectors. Our lawyers work on transactions that define and shape the market in Australia and around the world. Be part of a firm with a unique culture where you can make a name for yourself. ARe yOU ReAdy tO MAke the SMARt CAReeR ChOiCe? For more information on clerkship opportunities in our Sydney and Melbourne offices, please visit me.gtlaw.com.au, or contact Emma Garmston on 02 9263 4067 or email clerkships@gtlaw.com.au. Emma can arrange for you to chat with one of our recent summer clerks or graduates about their experience. Applications for 2012–13 clerkships are open from Wednesday 13 June to Friday 13 July. To apply, please visit www.cvmail.com.au during the application period and share your details with us.

“What makes G+T unique is that it doesn’t fit any of the usual law firm stereotypes. The work is top-tier and involves many bigname clients but it’s not a typical law firm. However, it’s this very uniqueness which makes it a great place to undertake your clerkship.” Frederick Brodie, 2011 Summer Clerk

The G+T clerkship experience is open to students in their penultimate year of study. It’s a fantastic opportunity to work directly with partners and lawyers who are experts in their fields, and to develop core skills and experience in your areas of interest. You’ll be mentored by a lawyer who will help you develop your skills and build relationships within our practice groups.

Sydney At Gilbert + Tobin’s Park Street office, our Sydney clerks complete a 10-week placement that consists of two five-week rotations across the firm’s practice areas. As well as becoming immersed in the practice areas of their choice, Sydney clerks have the opportunity to contribute to G+T’s Pro Bono practice. You’ll be assigned a pro bono task and work closely with our lawyers to follow it through to completion.

MeLBOURne The clerkship program at our Collins Street office is structured to suit your preference for either a short- or long-term placement. The short-term placement runs for up to four weeks over the summer break. Alternatively, you may choose a longer placement of 10 weeks, which could include a rotation in our Sydney office.

me.gtlaw.com.au

preparing for the interview

1. Research the firm Make sure you read up about the firm so you are able to comment on recent deals, key awards, the firm’s main practice areas and organisational structure - showing you have a genuine interest in the firm. You also need to understand and be able to communicate clearly why you want to work for the firm, and why you think you would be a good fit, aligning with the firm’s values and culture. It is also worth talking to people you may know who have worked at the firm before as it is often the best way to find out what a firm is really like.

4. Know the location of the interview If you are unsure as to the location of your interview, it is always best practice to arrange a test run prior to the day. This will ensure you know exactly how to get there, and will help to reduce your stress levels. On the day of the interview always aim to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early -

emma garmston people team gilbert + tobin

Clerkship interviews can be a very nerve-wracking and daunting experience. In order to be successful during the interview process the key thing to focus on is ‘preparation’. Outlined below are some important points to take into consideration when preparing for an interview.

prepared a couple of questions yourself to ask the interviewer/s. A number of universities also hold mock interviews where you can go along and have a HR representative or legal professional interview you. These are very valuable exercises, as you will receive tips and feedback on how to improve your interview style.

this will allow you to collect your thoughts prior to the actual interview. You should also have the firm’s phone number to hand in case you end up getting delayed along the way. 5. Dress for success One of the first things you are judged on in an interview is your appearance. Making sure you are well groomed and appropriately dressed will help to create a good first impression. For the clerkship process you should wear corporate attire (ie. suit, shirt, trousers, skirt) as it not only ensures you look the part but relays a message to the interviewer/s that you are professional and serious about working for their firm.

2. Know your CV and cover letter in detail The interviewer/s will focus on things that have been presented in both your CV and cover letter so make sure you can talk to and elaborate on each point. You will also need to ensure you know a little about the interviewer/s. For example, their area of practice, recent deals they have worked on, qualifications etc. Most of this can be found on the firm’s website or by doing a Google search. 3. Practice practice practice..... To ensure you are well prepared for the interview it is highly recommended that you practice answering questions, especially ones about past behaviour, and previous work experiences. Rehearsing your responses and the examples you will raise to support these will assist in ensuring you are well prepared for a number of questions you may be asked. You will also need to ensure you have

Demonstrating Commercial Awareness alinta kemeny lawyer

ashurst In today’s saturated legal market, commercial law firms are increasingly seeking lawyers who can understand their business, understand the business of their clients and be able to provide commercial advice. As a law student, being able to demonstrate that you are commercially aware in your application, during the interview process and during your clerkship will help you to secure a graduate position at a commercial law firm. Outlined below are three key aspects of commercial awareness and tips on how you can demonstrate your aptitude in relation to each. 1. Understanding the business of a law firm Commercial law firms expect more from their lawyers than simply being able to complete the work that is given to them. Increasingly, commercial law firms are requiring their lawyers to understand how the business of a law firm operates so that they act in a manner that assists the firm to achieve its goals. You should ensure that you 26

understand the business model and operating structure of commercial law firms generally (and the law firm you are applying to more particularly) as well as the competitive environment in which they operate. In preparing an application for an interview at a commercial law firm, you should look at the firm’s website and the recent press concerning the firm. You should be familiar with the key issues that the firm is facing, the major deals or matters that the firm is involved in and the areas in which the firm specialises. In preparation for your interview, you should research your interviewers. You should know the areas in which your interviewers specialise, major matters they have worked on and their major clients. If you are successful in gaining a clerkship, you should do the same research in relation to the group that you will be clerking in. During your interview and clerkship, you should demonstrate this interest and understanding to the partners and lawyers in the team.

2. Understanding the business of a client Clients increasingly want prompt, practical and commercial advice that is tailored to their business. They want the lawyers they instruct to understand the key issues facing their business and the wider economic environment in which their business operates. As a seasonal clerk, it will be difficult to develop an in-depth understanding of a client’s business. This is something that you will develop over time as a commercial lawyer. What your potential employer is looking for is for you to demonstrate that you have commercial acumen and the potential to develop into a lawyer who has a keen understanding of their client’s business.

along with general commercial awareness to provide the client with advice that is practical and relevant to their business. You should seek to demonstrate that you are aware of the importance of providing commercial advice to your clients throughout the application process. To provide advice that is commercial, you must:

In order to develop and maintain commercial awareness you should consider doing the following on an ongoing basis:

• be able to identify the legal and practical issues facing your client; • have the expertise to comprehensively understand the legal position and implications arising from the legal issues; • understand the commercial context that your client is operating in and the implications of that context on any legal advice; and • be able to distil your advice into a form that can be easily understood and implemented by your client.

• read business news publications (such as the Australian Financial Review or the Business Spectator online) to keep up to date with developments in the market; • keep up to date with legislative and political developments in areas of law that particularly interest you or are relevant to the area of law you want to work in;and • keep abreast of current affairs, business and politics generally.

During your clerkship you should try to demonstrate that you have the aptitude to provide commercial advice through your written work and through discussions with your work providers. When you are given a task, where it is appropriate, ask your work provider about the broader context of the work and the purpose for which it will be used. Demonstrate that you are aware that the broader circumstances will be relevant to the advice that will be provided.

It is hugely beneficial to attend as many client meetings and events as possible throughout your clerkship. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate to your potential employer that you are interested in meeting their clients and that you understand the importance of understanding their client’s business. It will also allow you to observe the interaction of lawyers with their clients, provide you with examples of the types of clients that commercial law firms work for and give you the opportunity to practice interacting with clients in a professional environment.

You should also be aware that clients are concerned about the cost of legal advice. It is important for lawyers to clarify with their clients what type of advice they are expecting, for example, whether the client is expecting a dot point summary email or a lengthy advice. During your clerkship, you should treat the lawyers that you are working for as your internal clients. You should ensure that you are clear about the output that they are expecting from you and work within these parameters.

3. Providing commercial advice Clients not only expect that the lawyers they instruct will understand the law and their business, but that those lawyers will apply this understanding

Demonstrating commercial awareness in these three key areas throughout the application, interview and clerkship process will make you an attractive candidate to commercial law firms and continued commitment to achieving commercial awareness will hold you in good stead to becoming a highly regarded and effective practitioner.

the clerkship experience

clerkship profile Anna Bennett and Josh Chalkley king & wood mallesons

Areas of rotation Banking & Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions If you’re anything like us, you’re probably flicking through this guide trying to picture yourself at any one of these firms. You can imagine being in their offices, memo pad at hand, playing corporate lawyer. That’s branding doing its thing. Each firm will promise you the bluest chipped clients, the shiniest awards, and enough training and support to tuck in your new business shirt (or blouse) for the next 20 years. But the most important part of your picture, as clichéd as it sounds, are the people working by your side. It’s important to get a feel for a firm during the recruitment process. Throughout the process King & Wood Mallesons was focused on our expectations and how they could deliver. Yes, they were smart, switched-on and polite. Yes, they were down-to-earth and friendly. No, they didn’t grill us about principles of repudiation of contract. And a firm with a Facebook page just gets it. From our graduate buddies to our supervising partners, we had the opportunity to work for and socialise with impressive lawyers at all stages of their careers, who were cheerful and dedicated, and

genuinely wanted to get to know us. Each King & Wood Mallesons lawyer went out of his or her way to get us involved and show us the bigger picture. Being in open plan helped, with names and faces registering quickly. Advice on a tough legal question was no more than a peep over a divider away. In our rotations through the Mergers & Acquisitions and Banking & Finance groups the work was real. The spectrum was wide – from deadline-driven billable work to pro bono and business development matters. We drafted, reviewed and researched. We worked on deals that made business headlines and listened in on directors explaining them to investors the next day. We were fortunate enough to see a few of our documents pruned into advices and shipped off to clients. A surprising highlight was a meeting with a major private equity firm to help structure some flexibility into a company’s refinancing documents. And get this - we did Arts degrees! Excitement about the King & Wood Mallesons combination was palpable at the firm. From the partners down, there was infectious enthusiasm about the professional and intellectual opportunities that this new firm will bring. There are new offices, new clients, and new t-shirts – the firm is ready for the Asian Century. So the real questions is: are you?

making the most of your seasonal clerkship shane cooper law graduate corrs chambers westgarth

A career at King & Wood Mallesons offers you both global and local opportunities, the most interesting work, the best training and all the support you need to become a great lawyer. So, if you’re smart, social and up for a challenge – get ready to...

SHAPE YOUR WORLD With a vision to create a global law firm in Asia and a history of bold innovation, it’s only the beginning for King & Wood Mallesons. Right now, you can become part of this ‘game changer’ for the legal industry – as we deliver a new legal choice and help our clients realise their new world opportunities. For those who don’t know us well, here’s a snapshot of what we offer you today and tomorrow…

A seasonal clerkship is likely your first practical step into the world of being an actual lawyer, and potentially, employment as a graduate. Besides the aspiration of gaining future employment, a seasonal clerkship can provide you with the experiences and opportunities critical to your future career. Here are some tips for how you can make the most of a seasonal clerkship.

notion that you can learn something from each person you meet.

Vision To create a global law firm in Asia

Be receptive

Team maTes Over 380 partners and 1,800 lawyers (biggest international legal network in Asia)

You’re about to work with lawyers with varying experience, backgrounds, skills and preferences. Each is likely to have their preferred way of communicating, way of providing instructions to colleagues and way of applying the law. When working with these people, stay open minded and try different approaches. Being flexible will build your repertoire of skills and make you a more rounded and approachable lawyer. Consider the

• during training, pay attention and listen for things which spark your interest; • ask insightful questions; • if a particular area of law/lawyers background sparks your interest, send them an email and ask if they have time for a quick coffee; • go to as many training sessions as you can – you’ll learn just from listening to experienced lawyers; and • be part of the firm – attend social committee events and get involved.

RepuTaTion Over 100 international and Asia-focused awards and 50 top-tier rankings LocaTions Strategically positioned in the world’s growth markets, financial capitals and the home of information technology (21 offices globally and the only international legal network to be head quartered in Asia) cLienTs Global financial and corporate powerhouses to new industry-makers to and all levels of government (some for over 200 years)

Harness the experience As a seasonal clerk you’ll be provided with loads of experiences to increase your skills and networks. Make the most of these experiences! Some tips include:

Talk to people Get to know your colleagues Law firms are a professional environment, but that doesn’t mean you must talk only about work! Your colleagues are people with hobbies and interests outside the office. Don’t be afraid to get to know them. As long as you are polite and professional there is no problem with, for example, asking how someone’s weekend was, or if they caught the football game. Let your colleagues get to know you Just as you want to get to know your work colleagues, they’ll be keen to get to know a bit about you. Assuming your hobbies are not too risqué, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t feel comfortable sharing your interests outside of work. Just be professional and be yourself! Meet others at the firm During your time at the firm you’re likely to meet people from disciplines other than law. This may include business services personnel, legal assistants, library/research professionals, even caterers. Get to know these people, not just other lawyers! They all make up the wider team, each has skills and experience which may help you while at the firm. Reflect each day Taking time at the end of each day is a great way to focus your thoughts and really get the most out of your seasonal clerkship. A suggested way to structure your reflection is to take a few minutes to bullet point: What you enjoyed: • What did you do – a particular task, some research, attending a meeting/training

• Why did you enjoy it –because of your approach? Was it an area of law you found particularly interesting or you felt confident with how you approached the task? What you would like to improve and why/how? • I would like to improve letter writing, to become an efficient legal drafter. I’ll do this by reviewing the firm style guide or seeking feedback from my buddy on how they developed their skills Try a different tactic

WANT TO CREATE

REAL VALUE?

• I want to try a different way of approaching a task. For example, obtaining instructions from someone by asking different questions or try a different database when researching. By taking just a few minutes at the end of each day to reflect and make brief notes on your thoughts you’re likely to improve and develop your legal and interpersonal skills. This will also act as a useful resource when preparing for your graduate interview – you’ll have a record of what you improved during your time at the firm and how you went about it. And don’t forget.... • Take a notepad and pen everywhere you go; • This is your chance to make a great first impression – but still be yourself;

• Be punctual; • Get involved, if you can – go along to a social club event or monthly firm drinks; • Remember – it’s not just about completing legal tasks, this is an opportunity for you to get to know the firm, its values and its people!

AT CORRS, YOU’LL WORK WITH LEADERS IN BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT. TO SEE HOW VISIT CORRS.COM.AU/GRADUATES

benefits of clerking at a top-tier firm

interested to practise areas outside the one I had been placed in, I was encouraged to arrange meetings with lawyers in other groups to get a feel for the differences and similarities between them. This was invaluable when I was deciding on my first graduate rotation. Acquiring new skills Through the work you will do on a clerkship you’ll begin to understand the practical aspects of practising law, such as drafting documents, research properly, liaise with lawyers and non-legal staff and all sorts of things that university didn’t quite prepare you for. In doing this, you’ll be supported by a buddy and a supervisor who will guide you to the right resources and give you feedback on your work. Further, in a top-tier clerkship there will be a variety of training sessions to attend to give you a more formal understanding of what it is to be a lawyer in this field. These are all vital skills for any future career, so the chance to start learning them while still a student is invaluable.

Frankie Barbour law graduate freehills

effort into gaining a clerkship now, as they are truly a stepping-stone into the firm in the future. It’s fun Being a vacation clerk is a lot of fun! It’s an excellent opportunity to make friends from other universities and finally meet some familiar faces from your own. At Freehills, lots of bonding activities are organised, including the famous ‘cooking day’ where the clerks go to a professional kitchen and prepare (or attempt to prepare) a meal for the group. Depending on which intake you go into, you may also score an invite to a End of Financial Year party or a Christmas Party. If you’re considering a clerkship, I highly recommend doing one at a top-tier firm like Freehills. The experience is designed to keep you far away from the photocopier and in the thick of the legal work with the lawyers, doing as they do, gaining skills, having fun and learning what life could be like as a graduate.

It’s a step towards being a graduate Clerking at a top-tier firm like Freehills is an opportunity every law student should take up if they can. There are a variety of reasons for this: • Clerking exposes you to a multitude of experiences: what working in an office is like, what working as a corporate lawyer is like, the types of work available and what that particular firm is like. Clerking at a top-tier firm introduces you to the top end of all of these things, with the best lawyers and biggest deals in the country; • Even during a short three- or four-week period, you can gain skills that will serve you well in the future; • Since most graduate positions are given out under priority offers to previous vacation clerks, gaining one of those clerkships is the first step towards becoming a graduate at a top-tier firm; and • It’s fun!

Exposure At university, it can be hard to see where all the classes on trusts, contracts and tax law can take you in the future. By clerking, you’ll be able to see how these legal building-blocks are turned into real advice for real clients, and by clerking at a top-tier firm you’ll see how this is done at the cutting-edge of legal developments with some very smart and switched-on people. Clerkships at top-tier firms are carefully organised to ensure you have the best experience possible and is a taste of life as a graduate, so you will be fully immersed in the work of the lawyers and given a chance to contribute in a meaningful way.

These days, the vast bulk of graduate positions in top-tier firms are given out to past vacation clerks – these are known as ‘priority offers’. It pays to put

On my clerkship at Freehills, I was taken to company AGMs, got involved in pro bono matters, prepared documents, gave a presentation at an internal meeting, conducted research into companies and much more. Further, as I was

benefits of clerking at a mid-tier firm Angelika Wyrwa Learning & Development/ Graduate Recruitment Officer russell kennedy

a larger firm. We recognise the importance of leading a balanced life and encourage everyone to balance the time they spend at work versus time spent at home. 2. Close contact with Principals and plenty of support from supervisors We have an open door policy at RK - our Principals and other staff are easily accessible, something which may not be possible at larger firms due to the sheer volume of people that work there. If you are working as a seasonal clerk or a junior lawyer at our firm, it is not unusual to be sitting a few steps away from a Principal’s office. Due to the size of our firm, our junior lawyers have the opportunity to work directly under the supervision of a Principal or Senior Associate. Other solicitors are also actively involved in the mentoring of our young lawyers. Supervisors tend to pay close attention to development and can assist in reaching objectives. This is a valuable commodity which may not necessarily be abundant in larger firms. 3. More hands on work & career development opportunities

You may have read that larger firms tend to offer access to cutting edge, high profile work and have outstanding resources and facilities. By contrast, smaller firms can offer a more hands on experience with more client contact. Mid-sized firms (such as my firm Russell Kennedy, where I work in the Human Resources team) offer the best of both these worlds. The size of our firm also ensures that all employees have a large amount of contact with each other and with our clients. Having said that, different sized firms offer different benefits and opportunities. If possible, I would encourage you to apply to a range of different firms to get a good sense of each firm’s culture and work practices. If you can secure a seasonal clerkship position at a mid-tier, top tier and boutique firm, you will be able to make a much more informed

decision relating to where you see yourself working as a lawyer in the future. Here are the top 5 reasons to consider a mid-tier firm when applying for seasonal clerkships: 1. Friendly culture The culture of mid tier firms generally has a good reputation in the legal industry – you can make friends quickly. Speaking from my firm’s perspective, even though RK is not a small firm (at 200 + employees), you tend to feel like you know everyone! I also find that the working environment is relaxed, friendly and sociable.

Many lawyers come to a mid-tier firm for career development, because there is plenty of opportunity to get involved. At RK, we believe we’re about the right size to be able to speak openly and often about your career. You are more than an anonymous name on the minutes of a partners’ meeting - you are a real person and a valued team member.

4. Working for a wide range of clients Working at a mid-tier firm doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t get to work with the best clients either. At RK, we are big enough to have the resources to effectively manage large and complex matters and to respond quickly if the urgency of the situation requires it, but we’re not that big that we forget that people matter the most. We work for a wide range of clients on interesting and important transactions, many of which quite literally shape our landscape and impact the wellbeing of our communities. You’ll get to have more direct contact with clients at an earlier stage of your career too. 5. Ownership over your own files As a junior lawyer at a mid-tier firm, you tend get more of a chance to work on a matter from start to finish, with plenty of support and mentoring from either a Principal or Senior Associate. You get to have ownership over your own files, and there is nothing more satisfying for a junior lawyer than to see the impact of the work they’ve done. Whether that’s helping a start-up business achieve success or advising the Government on a social housing project, it’s a great feeling. And this happens often at RK. Considering a mid-tier firm is highly recommended, and you will reap the rewards!

Junior lawyers tend to also be exposed to real work in smaller teams at a mid tier firm, with fewer layers of lawyers filtering the work. This means that you are able to gain experience and responsibility quickly, which in turn means you get to develop your skills and progress quicker too.

Our culture also promotes a work life balance, something which might be harder to achieve at

comparing the seasonal clerkship with the graduate program nicholas Whittington graduate dla piper Comparing the Seasonal Clerkship with the Graduate Traineeship Program You might be asking yourself why you should spend time now thinking about the differences between graduate traineeships and seasonal clerkships. It is worth thinking about for one simple reason: this could become your job. Not just for that three or so weeks in January, but for years to come. So it’s worth thinking about the differences between clerkships and graduate programs, as the clerkship is the only thing you’ll have to go on when it comes to making a commitment to a firm. The main differences can be neatly summarised in the word GRAD - that is, gimmicks, responsibility, attention and duration. I will also add something of my own understanding and then experience (UATE), so hopefully you will get a sense of the key differences through my acronym: GRADUATE.

Gimmicks The need for an acronym forced me to use this cynical term for what is actually one of the nicest things about the seasonal clerkships. It could be lunch on a Tuesday, it could be drinks on a Wednesday, it could be a trip to a winery, it could be yoga and cupcakes. For what it’s worth, I am writing this only two months into my own graduate year. Our team had Yum Cha just last week and my calendar at DLA Piper is filled with lunches, trivia nights and seminars. What you may not realise, however, is that these events are increasingly client or industry specific. That means they’re work related but still a lot of fun. Responsibility The longer you spend working for a team, the more responsibility will be given to you. As a grad, people know you will be in your team for the

foreseeable future so it is more likely they will delegate long-term or file-management tasks. Many of the partners at DLA Piper work on the understanding that it is important to give junior lawyers responsibility early. Young graduates are given a healthy amount of responsibility from the outset. Attention At the beginning of your clerkship, you’re likely to be presented with a show bag with the firm’s logo on it. Amongst the pamphlets, forms, certificates, Frisbees and fridge magnets, there will be a calendar. Your three or so weeks with the firm will have been planned in intricate detail. Lunches, seminars, presentations, talks, catch-ups and reviews. A grad year starts in much the same way. The difference, however, is that it is not so necessary to have informal catch-ups every couple of days. There might be the odd day on a clerkship where there isn’t a planned talk or lunch or mini-golf tournament - but as your calendar is less occupied by events, you become more a part of your team. As a grad, there is a big focus on which team you work with. As a clerk, this distinction is not so important; you are working for the firm rather than in a team. Duration After a few days of IT training and meeting-andgreeting, the time you have with your team might not be long enough for some tasks. As a graduate, there is an understanding that eventually work will

come back to you. A clerkship, however, has a neat ending, and the work you are given is delegated with this in mind. Seasonal clerks know that if they work late during a clerkship, they are only ever a few moments away from returning to their blissful university life. There is no mid-semester break in a grad year, and I am told one of the hardest elements of a graduate program, and full-time working life in general, is the realisation that holidays are counted in days, not in weeks or months. Understanding And Then Experience It is difficult to know your area straight out of law school, and no clerkship will enable you to definitively answer this question. A clerkship is a chance to learn the firm. A graduate traineeship should be a chance to learn the groups. At DLA Piper, we are offered three rotations so that we can get a proper understanding of a number of areas before we decide where we will settle. All said and done, my clerkship certainly prepared me well for my graduate year. The best thing a firm can do during your clerkship is be itself. Clerkships are brief, so use the time you do have to look at the people you may one day work with. If you find them to be genuine and sincere, that’s one thing that is guaranteed not to change between a clerkship and a graduate traineeship.

PASSPORT TO YOUR

CAREER Join a law firm that is truly going places

With 4,200 lawyers in 77 offices and 31 countries around the world, working at DLA Piper means opportunities to work with world class companies on major projects both here and overseas.You’ll also benefit from cutting-edge learning and development programs, and work alongside some of the best legal minds around. Take the first step to a global career and visit www.dlapipergraduates.com.au to learn more.

DLA Piper is a global law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. For further information, please refer to www.dlapiper.com Copyright © 2012 DLA Piper. All rights reserved. AZP11| DLA465 | 0112

life as a graduate Michelle Siekierkalaw Junior Associate baker & mckenzie It is hard to believe that my time as a “new” graduate is over and that the next group of graduates have started. The starting block – steps to joining Baker & McKenzie I joined Baker & McKenzie as a graduate in March 2011, having previously completed a seasonal clerkship in the Melbourne office in December 2009 and an international clerkship in the Hong Kong office in January 2011. I thoroughly enjoyed my seasonal clerkship particularly being exposed to interesting “hands on” work which had a practical effect on clients, learning about Bakers’ global nature and diverse clients, and working with friendly, supportive people. In addition, Bakers’ global presence but intimate office feel, strong focus on commercial pragmatism and technical excellence, and commitment to pro bono work confirmed it was the right firm for me. My seasonal clerkship led to me being offered a graduate position with the Firm and a four week international clerkship in the Firm’s Hong Kong

office. I worked in both the Commercial and Securities group and the Finance group during my international clerkship and gained insights into the legal systems of different jurisdictions through working on real estate investment fund matters and loan transactions. I was also excited to discover that the global nature of Baker & McKenzie was even more palpable in Hong Kong with all of the matters that I worked on involving a cross-border party from China, Britain, Singapore, the British Virgin Islands and even Ireland.

I learnt, being relatively new to legal practice, were the importance of tailoring advice to a client’s specific business needs and the necessity of considering whether a proposed course of action is commercially sensible. My second rotation was in the Banking & Finance practice group where I advised Australian and International corporations regarding legislation and regulations across Australia and participated in transactional work relating to securitisations and debt assignments. I feel I developed my legal skills immensely during this rotation – one benefit of being in a small but very busy team. This was no doubt helped by the access I had to my supervising partner, Stephen Watts, who encouraged me to have client contact, gave me feedback on each piece of work, and who had an open door policy (which is actually common with all staff across the office). My final rotation is in the Corporate group. While it is only early days, I am excited about the prospect of working collaboratively with other Baker & McKenzie offices on international transactions and gaining more exposure to the Firm’s global nature. It’s not just about work During my graduate program, I have attended external conferences, internal professional development seminars (including a two day corporate intensive in Sydney for graduates)

and College of Law. Baker & McKenzie is active regarding the professional development of graduates with its excellent induction and developmental programs throughout the graduate program. The Firm also supports graduates during the College of Law course, providing graduates with time to attend the course and study leave. During my graduate program, I have made some wonderful friendships and participated in many Firm social events. I have also been fortunate enough to meet my Sydney Banking & Finance colleagues during the Firm’s “New Joiners Meeting” (held annually in Sydney) and have been in contact with Baker & McKenzie lawyers from offices worldwide. I have also been involved in a number of pro bono programs including assisting cancer patients at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute in accessing superannuation, and I have become a member of the Community Service Committee. It has been an incredible opportunity for me to experience all that I have with Baker & McKenzie in the last few years. I am looking forward to the final stage of my graduate program, and am sure that life as a graduate will finish on as strong a note as it started and will provide me with an excellent basis to be the best lawyer I can be.

The road so far – my experience as a graduate Graduates in the Melbourne office complete three rotations of six months each and are encouraged to become involved in Firm life in other ways. My first rotation was in the Energy, Resources, Infrastructure and Corporate practice group where I assisted with a legal audit of an infrastructure company, gave detailed advice to the State Government, and assisted with an expert determination in relation to a petroleum joint venture. The most important things which

International Clerkship snapshot: Moscow and bangkok Prue Kenny and audrey sam law graduate baker & mckenzie Moscow After enjoying a seasonal clerkship during winter 2011 with Baker & McKenzie’s Employment Law team, and receiving a graduate position with the Firm later that year, the notion of working overseas with Baker & McKenzie was an exciting possibility. I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in a four-week international clerkship with the Firm’s Moscow office. I worked in the Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) group, and was placed in a team with three lawyers who were from the London office but operated out of the Moscow office. These lawyers worked predominately on legal matters for local clients which required the application of United Kingdom law. As I had not previously been exposed to M&A work, I thoroughly enjoyed being challenged with a new area of law. During my clerkship, I gained an insight into the Russian legal system and the corporate laws of the UK. I also assisted with producing documents to be sent to Companies House in London, drafting correspondence to 44

clients, and preparing an extensive index that encompassed all documents relevant to a large scale buy-back scheme for one of our clients. Every matter that my team worked on involved a cross-border party that enabled me to experience Bakers’ truly global nature first hand. I also enjoyed being exposed to a wide range of international clients. My experience whilst working in Moscow was only enhanced by experiencing life and the sites in Moscow. From indulging in Russian cuisine (such as traditional “borscht”), to savouring the Russian culture (such as the world famous ballet at the Mariinski theatre), to experiencing incredible sites such as the Kremlin, Red Square and grand under-ground metro stations, to coping (just!) with temperatures as low as -30 degrees celsius – I truly had an unforgettable experience!

The opportunity to practice law in another country was extremely insightful and I know this experience will assist me throughout my legal practice, especially when I am exposed to laws from jurisdictions outside Australia. It was also rewarding to experience the “fluency” that Baker & McKenzie maintains across jurisdictions, which is one of its finest qualities.

I am truly excited to be a part of the international network that Bakers offers. I look forward to maintaining the international contacts and friendships that I have established in Russia and the UK, and further expanding my professional network in the future. Spasibo (thank you) Bakers for this unforgettable experience!

Bangkok I completed a seasonal clerkship with Baker & McKenzie’s Energy, Resources, Infrastructure and Corporate team during summer 2011. After receiving a graduate position with the Firm, I was offered the opportunity to undertake an international clerkship in the Firm’s Bangkok office. So, in January 2012, I left our Australian summer to experience a Thai “winter” (with temperatures as “low” as 32 degrees!). During my placement with the Corporate and Commercial practice group, I gained an insight into Thailand’s legal system (the civil system) in matters such as the reformation of Thailand’s natural disaster legislation, particularly in relation to flood insurance and reinsurance schemes. I also worked on a Myanmar project: examining Myanmar investment-related legislation and architecture. With the easing US and EU sanctions in January 2012, and as Myanmar continues to realise its commitment to the 2013 ASEAN Economic Community, there was a dramatic increase in our workload in advising clients in relation to investing in resource-rich Myanmar (petroleum, emeralds, rubies, gold, forestry and agribusiness). I was also fortunate enough to meet John Hancock, founder of the Firm’s Bangkok office. His advice from 30+ years of practising law in Bangkok was invaluable in my understanding of the socio-

political context of Thailand, the Mekong region and the wider ASEAN community. From a cultural perspective, Bangkok, a city of eight million people, was an exciting city to live and work in. I feasted on spicy Thai food (which is best washed down with a cold Chang or Singha beer), rode the train on the Death Railway across the Bridge over the River Kwai, indulged in a favourite pastime of locals – “shop-till-you-drop”, and learned some interesting lessons, for example, travelling in a two seater tuk-tuk with six colleagues is the norm (and not a death-defying stunt!). The highlight was spending a weekend participating in Thai-style team building activities (Thai dancing, singing, shadow play, kickboxing and even coconut tree climbing!) with 350 of the Firm’s Bangkok personnel to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Baker & McKenzie’s Bangkok office. Baker & McKenzie’s international clerkship was a great experience for my professional and personal development. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in world-class legal work, experience life in a foreign country and experience Bakers’ culture of friendship which has enabled me to build networks and friendships globally. Thank you Bakers!

the graduate experience Lewis Whittington graduate dla piper

EXPERIENCE

THE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR OF OUR BUSINESS Join a law firm that is truly going places With 4,200 lawyers in 77 offices and 31 countries around the world, working at DLA Piper means opportunities to work with world class companies on major projects both here and overseas.You’ll also benefit from cutting-edge learning and development programs, and work alongside some of the best legal minds around. Take the first step to a global career and visit www.dlapipergraduates.com.au to learn more.

Thousands of faces, new names, a sea of people – and that’s only the tram into the office in the morning! Starting anywhere after Uni can be a big challenge, so here’s some tales from a fresh Graduate. The hardest aspect of being a Grad is similar to that of a clerk, in that it can be difficult coming to terms with knowing so little. In fact, after my six and a half years at Uni, I’m not going to say that I felt like I knew everything, just most of it! However, coming into a law firm, it can be hard to figure out even how the photocopier works, why it’s making that sound, and whether pouring more tea into where the ink is supposed to go will fix the problem. Yet DLA Piper have been fantastic in terms of helping me find my feet. For a start, there’s invariably a team working on a particular matter, so there’s always someone to ask. For example, I’m currently placed in Intellectual Property and Technology and one of the first jobs I got was reviewing what was a quite complicated (ie. long) computer software and services contract. My particular part in this job was just ensuring that all the definitions were defined, and that all the cross-referencing in the clauses was correct... seemingly tedious stuff. However, the team took the time to explain to me how the contract worked, the overall context of what the client was trying to

do, and what my (albeit minor) role was. Also, when I picked up a few terms that weren’t defined, apart from a few hearty pats on the back, I got a brilliant contracts 101, explaining the potential implications of leaving terms undefined. I am also currently working on a large IP litigation, again within a team environment. Again, the entire matter was explained to me up front, helping me put my often discrete tasks in context. Adding to that, as I get more familiar with the matter and more confidence, I have found that the complexity and responsibility associated with my tasks has increased. In essence, I feel intimately involved in a team working on real life things for clients, and am being provided with great learning experiences along the way. Of course, the work is not the whole. In terms of DLA Piper, there’s a palpable sense that the people make the firm. Everyone in the firm is approachable, whether it be a legal question, or tips on getting tea out of a photocopier. There’s so much support for dealing with stress and unfamiliar work. And our Grad group has quickly become a tight knit one, with everyone touching base whenever they need a sounding board.

practice areas

banking and finance Sam Jennings associate

norton rose We have one of the longest histories of any legal practice in the banking and finance field. We also have enormous scope, advising on the most cutting-edge transactions in areas as diverse as acquisition finance, asset finance, the global capital markets, Islamic finance, project finance, real estate finance, restructuring and insolvency and trade, commodity and export finance. Completing a clerkship in our banking and finance team is the perfect way for you to launch your career as a commercial lawyer. You will obtain a broad range of legal skills, whilst being provided with an opportunity to learn about the commercial aspects of a variety of financial business transactions at the same time. Whether or not you ultimately choose to practice as a banking and finance lawyer, the skills you learn will be relevant and transferable to almost any area of legal practice. Due to the variety of businesses banks are involved with, you will not be ‘pigeon-holed’ or restricted to one area of the law working in banking and finance. You will be challenged constantly by a wide variety of legal problems which may require you to consider any area of the law, including; financial

services, personal property security, insolvency, corporate, contract, trusts, construction, property and intellectual property law, just to name a few. Banks lend to and invest in almost all business types. Because their business is so far reaching, you will be placed in a position to draw insights from all kinds of business enterprises. Some of the most recent businesses our clients have been involved with include managed investment schemes, commodity traders, property developers, infrastructure project managers, energy providers and food manufacturers. The possibilities are, however, endless. Like many banking and finance practices, our team is divided into two main areas of expertise which are commonly referred to as ‘front end’ or ‘transactional’ and ‘back end’ or ‘insolvency’ (although the lines are sometimes hazy). Collectively, we work for all parties involved in banking and finance transactions, no matter how advanced the transaction may be. These could include banks, receivers, liquidators, administrators, borrowers and issuers.

The work you may be required to do will vary depending on whether you are allocated to work in the ‘transactional’ team or the ‘insolvency’ team. Either way, it is likely you will be involved in some high-profile matters.

• legal research tasks on a broad range of legal issues including research relating to advice which to be given to receivers and managers, liquidators and mortgagees in possession and distressed borrowers;

In our transactional team, seasonal clerks, graduates and junior lawyers work on:

• assisting with all aspects of securities enforcement and debt recovery proceedings;

• legal research tasks across a broad range of legal issues including research relating to advice which is to be given to lenders and borrowers (and other parties);

• drafting court documents, including simple affidavits, pleadings, winding up applications, creditors’ petitions;

• drafting loan agreements and other finance related documentation. Sometimes banks do not simply ‘lend’ to customers, but put much more complicated structures in place which need to be documented such as structure trade and securitisation structures; • drafting security documents such as guarantees and indemnities, various forms of personal property securities and real property mortgages (and registering such securities at appropriate government offices where required); • conducting due diligence and other inquiries in relation to businesses and property which are/is proposed to be offered as security; • preparing corporate documents including company resolutions and updating appropriate corporate records with government bodies; • attending property settlements and other financial settlements on behalf of banks and borrowers in order to complete transactions. On the other hand, insolvency matters are much more likely to be litigious. As such, clerks, graduates and junior lawyers in the insolvency team work on:

climate change Indra Soysa lawyer ashurst

• making simple court appearances and assisting solicitors and barristers in various interlocutory stages of trial; • preparing briefs for counsel and more senior lawyers on certain litigious issues and general trial preparation. Due to its transactional and international nature, experience in banking and finance is a wonderful way to develop an international career. It is quite common for our lawyers to move and work overseas at some stage in their career. This may involve working in another Norton Rose office or being seconded to one of our clients both here and abroad. You will also have the opportunity to apply for an international banking rotation as a graduate, which is an excellent opportunity to expand your skills and network early on in your career. Working in the Norton Rose banking and finance group provides a challenging international career. Our banking specialists advise clients from our offices across Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. There, and across the emerging markets, they have in-depth understanding of industries such as energy, financial institutions, infrastructure, mining, technology, telecoms and transport that few other legal practices can match.

Since the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where over 160 countries signed a treaty to establish an international legal framework to address the emerging issue of climate change, global interest in climate change has developed due to the weight of increasing scientific evidence that warming of the earth is occurring due to the release of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) from human activities. The environmental consequences of climate change are well-documented, and include rises in sealevels, changes in precipitation patterns, increased drought and flood events, changes to weather event intensity, and threats to human health. Australia’s per capita emissions are the highest in the OECD and among the highest in the world, mainly due to its reliance on coal for electricity generation. As such, amid mounting public concern for the physical impacts of climate change, multiple and contradictory Australian Government responses have come under intense public scrutiny in recent years, and have ultimately culminated in the current Australian regulatory response, being the national implementation of a legislated framework for carbon reduction from 1 July 2012 (Carbon Pricing Scheme). The Carbon Pricing Scheme developed its policy framework, in large part, from the now-redundant

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and the extensive research which underpinned the Garnaut Climate Change Review Final Report (Report) which was authored by Professor Ross Garnaut and released during September 2008. The Report outlined the benefits of several different climate change mitigation options adaptable to the Australian economy. Significantly, the Report noted that implementation of an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was one method of correcting the substantial market failure associated with climate change by establishing the right to emit GHGs to the atmosphere as a tradeable commodity. The Report also noted that implementation of an ETS appeared to be the most direct approach available for securing ongoing emissions reductions. Under a “cap and trade” ETS, the Report proposed that the Federal Government could issue tradeable permits allowing the holder of the permit to emit a specified volume of GHGs to the atmosphere (a permit is a financial product which has clearly established property rights). Permit price is determined by the balance between demand for, and supply of, available permits. Additionally, the Report outlined that there was scope for a hybrid approach which incorporated a “ceiling price” and provided certainty about the maximum permit price, while establishing the key commodity platform requirements for the commencement of an ETS. 51

The Carbon Pricing Scheme will have two phases: a. fixed charge years: initially, the price will be fixed. On commencement (1 July 2012), the price will be $23/t of CO2 and will increased annually by 2.5%. The fixed price is proposed to end on 30 June 2015; and b. flexible charge years: from 1 July 2015, the Carbon Pricing Scheme will be a cap and trade emissions trading scheme (and the market will set the price subject to some exceptions). During the fixed charge years, liable entities will be able to acquire an unlimited number of carbon units from the Government at the fixed price. Some liable entities, including some coalfired electricity generators and those carrying out emissions-intensive trade-exposed activities, will be freely allocated by the Government a portion, but not all, of the carbon units they are required to surrender. The levels of free allocations will also be reduced over time. During the flexible charge years, the Government will set the cap by auctioning a fixed number of carbon units each year (in accordance with its emissions reduction targets) and the market will set the price. These carbon units may subsequently be traded on the secondary market. If a liable entity fails to surrender sufficient carbon units, it will be subject to a unit shortfall charge. Price floors and ceilings are to apply for the first three flexible charge years to prevent excessive price volatility. Subject to certain rules, the surrender of international credits and credits created under the carbon farming initiative will also be allowed.

The Carbon Pricing Scheme will cover stationary energy, industrial processes, fugitive emissions and emissions from non-legacy waste. Rail, domestic aviation, shipping and off-road transport fuels will be covered by an alteration to the fuel excise legislation that will impose an equivalent carbon price on transport fuel emissions from these sectors. The implementation of the Carbon Pricing Scheme is proposed to increase the cost of doing business for liable entities. Direct costs incurred by a liable entity are those associated with acquiring and surrendering carbon units to match its CO2 emissions. These increased costs will result in an increase in the price of certain goods and services, for example, the supply of electricity, gas and transport fuels. It is likely that these increased costs will be passed down supply chains in a range of sectors and be incorporated into (increased) costs for a wide variety of goods and services. Indirect costs, which will be incurred by liable and non-liable entities, are those associated with price increases in inputs (as the direct costs are passed down the supply chain) and those associated with managing emissions. Indirect costs include the increasing price of electricity, transport fuels, gas, steel, cement and other energy and emissionsintensive products. Also, liable entities will incur capital costs if they decide to undertake projects to reduce their emissions rather than acquiring carbon units. Suppliers of products which are energy and/or emission-intensive will face large increases in their production costs (both direct and indirect costs in some cases) and will seek to pass these increased costs down the supply chain. Treasury modelling predicts that the operation of the Clean Energy Legislation will increase aggregate consumer prices by 0.7% in 2012-13. However, in certain sectors the price impact will be much higher. Because the Clean Energy Legislation does not provide for an automatic pass through of carbon costs, affected businesses must manage this issue through its contractual arrangements with customers and suppliers.

Our world is demanding, innovative and supportive. nortonrosegraduates.com

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Consequently, from 1 July 2012, under the Carbon Pricing Scheme established under the Clean Energy Act 2011 (Cth) and related legislation (Clean Energy Legislation) liable entities will be required to acquire and surrender carbon units for each tonne of covered CO2 equivalent. Liable entities are those with operational control of a facility (determined in accordance with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Cth) that emits more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in a financial year.

Communication, Media and Technology

As a junior lawyer in the CMT group at Norton Rose Australia you will have the opportunity to work on matters of different sizes and nature. The range of clients is also diverse – from large multinational corporations, major banks and government agencies to small start-ups. This will provide you with a broad perspective and understanding of the different forces and concerns that affect these industries, and you will learn to

norton rose

Norton Rose Australia has a tight-knit and thriving communications, media and technology (CMT) practice group that extends across all offices of Norton Rose Australia (and more broadly, the Norton Rose Group). Working in the CMT group at Norton Rose Australia will expose you to cutting edge online media, telecommunications, privacy, intellectual property and commercial issues. At the same time, you will also get to work on a variety of

• advising on privacy, intellectual property protection, jurisdictional and data protection issues. On top of this, Norton Rose Australia also provides a broad range of legal advice to clients in these industries, whether it is fund raising, mergers and acquisition, corporate advice, property issues or resolving disputes.

Michael Park partner

Let’s face it, no one can really avoid technology, telecommunications and the media in the world today. Whether you are reading the newspaper online, Skyping, posting on Facebook or downloading music to your mobile, the line between “offline” and “online” is increasingly blurred. One of the consequences of this explosive development is the need for businesses to navigate their way around the legal minefields that can pop up in the most unexpected manner. Practising in the area of communications, media and technology law gives you the opportunity to participate in the development of exciting technologies that will drive the world tomorrow.

• advising on traditional and online advertising; and

balance the application of the black letter law against the unique and varying needs of these industries. The international nature of the Norton Rose Group will provide you with the opportunity to work on cross jurisdictional matters alongside world leading practitioners and ‘leading thinkers in this area. The CMT team has produced thought leadership publications on smart sourcing and how to navigate the maze of international privacy laws. The core skills relevant to CMT include corporations law, contract law, intellectual property law, privacy law and telecommunications law. Whilst having a technical background is useful, it is certainly not mandatory as the CMT team at Norton Rose Australia will get you up to speed in no time. Rather, an interest in things that are technological and the willingness to participate in an ever-changing industry are essential to success.

traditional commercial and corporate matters, as many commercial transactions have a technology or telecommunications component. You can expect to be involved in all aspects relevant to the telecommunications, IT and media industries, such as: • advising on the application of statutory requirements and regulations in relation to emerging business models and services (eg. social media, mobile apps); • advising on legal issues on new and developing technologies (eg. cloud computing, data protection in the borderless online world); • major technology procurement and outsourcing projects, including business processes outsourcing and system outsourcing; • drafting, reviewing and providing advice on technology related agreements, licence agreements, service agreements and associated documents;

competition law Arnold Bloch Leibler

• the new Chairman of the ACCC’s plans to get tough, conduct more litigation and put new laws to the test in court; • the introduction of laws targeted at the major banks and interest rate rises; • the latest big corporate merger and whether it will be approved by the regulator. Competition law aims to ensure that economic benefits flow through to consumers. This raises thorny political and economic issues in which there is often conflict between the respective interests of big business, small business and consumers. Add to that the ACCC with its investigative powers to raid premises, secretly tap telephone calls and force people to be examined and answer questions under oath. As a competition lawyer in this environment, you must be skilled in statutory interpretation — so you can apply the provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) — but you also need to understand the economic and political dimensions of what is really going on.

At Arnold Bloch Leibler, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to attracting and retaining the best. So when recruiting seasonal clerks and graduate trainees, we look for people who are seeking something out of the ordinary. We value our people who bring a diverse range of skill, talent and experience to the firm. Because today’s clerks and graduate trainees are our future competitive advantage, we offer them opportunities beyond the usual run-of-the mill experience.

Matthew Lees partner

Competition law is so hot right now. Pick up a newspaper and read about:

Thinking outside the square

At Arnold Bloch Leibler, we are known for doing things a little differently. As one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms, our philosophy is to look for out-of-the-box solutions.

Competition law covers: • cartel conduct such as competitors colluding to fix prices and share markets; • dominant firms misusing their market power to eliminate competitors; • mergers and acquisitions that are anticompetitive; • the regulation of major infrastructure like ports and railways, as well as certain industries like telecommunications and energy; • and so much more. Competition lawyers undertake a wide variety of work, such as: • advising on the legality of proposed transactions; • representing companies the subject of an ACCC investigation or prosecution; • seeking ACCC authorisation for a proposed merger or transaction; • educating clients about competition law as part of their internal corporate compliance program.

Katherine Brazenor

Daniel Mote

Nancy Collins

“Having completed three seasonal clerkships at a variety firms, it was Arnold Bloch Leibler that appealed to me the most – for its size, its cutting-edge work and the variety of people. There is certainly no ‘typical ABL person’.”

“My clerkship at ABL was both rewarding and representative of the work I now experience. I worked closely with my supervising partner, with real responsibility and access to high quality work.”

“As a mature age student with a young family, I wanted a firm that would recognise my life experience, value my skills and respect my family responsibilities. Managing work and family can be a challenge, but the culture at ABL makes it much easier than I anticipated.”

If you like to analyse issues from an economic and political perspective, and if you don’t mind taking on the regulator when the going gets tough, competition law may be for you. For more information, visit the careers section on our website www.abl.com.au. Level 21 333 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Telephone 61 3 9229 9999 Level 24 Chifley Tower 2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Telephone 61 2 9226 7100

corporate law Simon Schenkel Associate

worked with, most of the staff in the Firm. Bakers has also continuously supported my professional development needs during each stage of my career, from being a graduate to being an associate with the Firm, including for example supporting my post-graduate studies.

regularly spend the day working on a transaction and then reading about it the next morning in the Australian Financial Review, The Financial Times or even The Wall Street Journal.

Reflecting on my experience at Baker & McKenzie, there are three key factors that make working in Baker & McKenzie’s Corporate team a truly unique and satisfying experience:

Bakers has a reputation for hiring quality people. It doesn’t just consider academic results but takes a holistic approach in its recruitment. This shows in the people who work at the Firm and, most importantly, in the Firm’s culture. During my time at Bakers, in addition to having a great working relationship with my colleagues and supervisors, I have made some lifelong friends.

1. Our international presence

Baker & McKenzie

While some other law firms have a global presence, Bakers has over 60 years of being a truly global law firm with more than 4,100 locally qualified, internationally experienced lawyers in 42 countries.

3. Quality People

For me, the choice to work in Baker & McKenzie’s Corporate team was an easy one.

2. High profile work Corporate work is diverse, challenging and fastpaced. From being involved in innovative cutting edge transactions to working closely with clients both domestically and globally, I feel continuously challenged and engaged. I have been involved in various areas of corporate practice throughout my time at Bakers including M&A, capital markets, private equity and general commercial advisory. Working in Bakers’ Corporate team has shown me that once you are admitted to practice, you become more than merely a qualified Corporate lawyer - you also become an individual who has practical experience and skills in project co-ordination, drafting agreements, commercial negotiation, client management, and business development. It certainly is not all about reading cases and drafting research memoranda that’s for sure! Working for a large global practice, with unparalleled international credentials, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of significant transactions which have an international element. For example, I have recently worked on an equity capital raising for a Canadian listed mining company through its secondary listing on ASX and

the Australian part of a cross-border acquisition transaction being run by Baker & McKenzie’s London office.

The Corporate team at Bakers regularly works on high profile corporate transactions for large Australian, foreign and multinational clients. You

In addition, Baker & McKenzie offers its lawyers the opportunity to undertake a secondment at one of the Firm’s overseas offices which all associates are eligible to apply for. The highlight of my time at Bakers has definitely been completing a secondment at the firm’s Tokyo office where I got to see first hand how the Firm works in a dynamic Asian jurisdiction, work on a number of interesting local matters, gain the experience of working in a different culture, and meet many of the Firm’s Japanese associates. I also experienced one of the world’s strongest earthquakes in living memory. Bakers also focuses on developing its people from the moment you walk through the door. For example, after my seasonal clerkship and whilst still completing my degree at Monash University, Bakers employed me as a paralegal and then as a research clerk which enabled me to gain the skills I needed to be a successful junior lawyer before completing my degree. One of the best parts of this experience was that I walked into work on my first day as a graduate and I knew, and had already

BORN GL BAL Firm Details Baker & McKenzie was conceived and built as a global law firm, so thinking and working globally is embedded in our culture. Baker & McKenzie was formed in 1949 when an entrepreneurial Chicago attorney, Russell Baker, met the litigator, John McKenzie. McKenzie shared Baker’s vision of creating the world’s first multicultural, global law firm. The Firm’s second office was opened in Caracas in 1955. Our Australian story began in Sydney in 1964 and the Melbourne office was opened in 1982. Six decades later, Baker & McKenzie now has 70 offices in 42 countries. Our most recent offices to be opened were Doha in 2011 and Luxembourg in 2010. With around 90 partners and over 200 lawyers in Sydney and Melbourne, Baker & McKenzie Australia can offer you access to complex, market-leading matters working with some of the world’s best legal minds – people who know the law and who understand business. We have an unrivalled ability to provide training and secondment opportunities across our global network. Locally, we have an inclusive culture of learning, coaching and opportunity where you will work in small teams on matters that often cross borders. We value people who think ahead and get noticed.

Clerkship Programs

Right from the start, our clerks get involved in real work. You will be exposed to our Australian and international clients through client meetings, shadowing, research and other everyday activities within your assigned practice group. Our clerks work closely with other lawyers, are guided by a Supervising Partner and enjoy the extra support of an experienced Associate ‘Buddy’. You will develop practical and legal skills through our national learning program and by attending workshops specifically designed for clerks, as well as firm-wide sessions. Clerks who accept a graduate role with the Firm are eligible to apply for an International Clerkship, with the opportunity to work for up to four weeks in one of our overseas offices in the year following their clerkship. In Melbourne, the Seasonal Clerkship programs run for four weeks in both July and December. In Sydney, the Summer Clerkship Program runs from late November to February each year with clerks completing two rotations over the 11 week period.

Graduate Programs

Our Sydney office recruits graduates directly from the Summer Clerkship pool and then on an ad hoc basis as required. Our Melbourne office participates in the priority offer system where, to be eligible for a priority offer, candidates must have completed a Seasonal Clerkship or 30 days paralegal work with the Firm during the past two years. Graduates complete three rotations over 18 months before they join a particular practice group as an Associate. You will be assigned a Supervising Partner and an Associate “Buddy” in each rotation to oversee your on-the-job and formal learning. We cover the costs of your admission and practising certificate. In addition, the Firm offers Associates the opportunity for a three month secondment to one of our Asia Pacific offices during their first two years of practice. This is a unique opportunity to experience the culture and legal work of another office, and develop contacts within the Baker & McKenzie network.

What do we look for in our clerks and graduates?

Our Graduate and Clerkship programs are designed for people who enjoy a challenge and want new opportunities; who have sound academics and are practical in their approach; who like taking responsibility and getting things done; who express themselves confidently while staying open to new ideas; and who seek a friendly and inclusive culture that encourages making a difference to our local and global communities.

Application dates

Applications for clerkships should be submitted online at www.cvmail.com.au and should include a cover letter, a CV outlining work experience, extra curricular activities and interests as well as academic results. Applications for clerkships open on 13 June 2012 in Sydney and on 16 July 2012 in Melbourne.

Ready to explore our world? Natalie Pinto, Talent Management Consultant Melbourne Tel: +61 3 9617 4349 natalie.pinto@bakermckenzie.com

Posy McGrane, Talent Management Consultant Graduates Sydney Tel: +61 2 8922 5482 posy.mcgrane@bakermckenzie.com

At Baker & McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. Like no other law firm, we were born global. Right from the beginning we’ve been offering a genuinely global perspective and operating without boundaries around the world. Our established global reach offers you an extraordinary career in the global economy, exchanging rich local insights and knowledge with the best legal minds from all over the world every day. And our unrivalled regional and local development programs will make you a truly global lawyer. Fast.

www.bakermckenzie.com/careers Baker & McKenzie, an Australian Partnership, is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein with member law firms around the world. In accordance with the common terminology used in professional service organizations, reference to a “partner” means a person who is a partner, or equivalent, in such a law firm. Similarly, reference to an “office” means an office of any such law firm.

We’re an entrepreneurial firm where new ideas and innovation are encouraged at all levels. A place where small teams and a personal approach to your career means you can go as far and fast as your talents and drive will take you.

debt and capital markets Amrutha Ram Mohan and Alexandra Whelan law graduates King & Wood Mallesons AML/CTF Act, DCM, AFSL, ISDAs. Banking and Finance (B&F) law certainly uses a lot of jargon. While it may seem daunting at first, learning the lingo is something that you will pick up very quickly. Working in B&F at King & Wood Mallesons is fast-paced and challenging. Each day is different and this is what makes the work both interesting and exciting. The practice is both transactional and advisory based. We advise some of Australia’s largest banks and corporatescorporations, and due to the fact that B&F is very much an international industry, we also provide advice to many international companies. During our banking rotation, we sat within the structured finance team. The term ‘structured finance’ essentially means that the transactions we advise on are structured to achieve particular commercial outcomes (taking into account issues such as regulatory or accounting results) for the parties involved. 62

raise funds through issuing equity securities. One of the areas our B&F team specialises in, is hybrid securities. Hybrid securities are a tricky beast; essentially, they are a security which has some features of debt and some of equity. These securities are carefully drafted to match the particular needs of each client and throw up all sorts of interesting legal issues. As a junior, you may also be involved in a securitisation which involves debt securities being ‘backed’ by a pool of assets. Junior lawyers also get the opportunity to work in other areas within B&F, such as, project finance, corporate finance and financial services regulation. Getting involved in different areas across the B&F practice area gives you the chance to develop new legal skills and acquire a better understanding of how the different areas within B&F operate. Given that obtaining finance is very relevant to other areas within the firm, you will often find yourself working closely with different practice groups.

comfortable asking our seniors questions and we found that they were always willing to answer any queries we had. And of course, there are the great social functions. Not only are there firm wide functions such as the Christmas party, morning teas and monthly drinks, B&F also has a number of functions such as the end of financial year party, breakfasts, an Easter egg decorating competition and the ‘annual B&F bakeoff ’. All these events are very entertaining and are also a great opportunity to get to know the wider B&F team. Reading all this might make you think B&F is all about commerce, but you certainly don’t need a background or degree in this area to work here. The team members in B&F have studied engineering, arts, science and even ancient Greek! A law degree is the only essential requirement. All the rest, you learn on the job!

While working on interesting transactions was definitely a highlight of our B&F rotation, it was the people we worked with that made it such an enjoyable experience. As a junior, we both felt very

Life as a junior in this area of law is varied. One day you might be involved in a $5 billion transaction, whilst other days you may be researching what seems to be an obscure point of law hiding in an 18th century UK case, which is in fact very relevant to the client. As a junior lawyer, it is not uncommon to assist with drafting documents and advice, reviewing documents, preparing and coordinating conditions precedent and analysing relevant legislation. On some matters, you will also be given the opportunity to communicate with the client directly. The experience of each junior will differ broadly. Initially you may be surprised at the level of responsibility you are given, but it really is an excellent opportunity to develop your legal skills quickly. Attending meetings, conference calls and internal seminars will also become the norm. Our team does a lot of work for clients who want to raise funds through issuing debt securities. This can be contrasted with typical work you may find in Mergers & Acquisitions where clients wish to 63

employee relations law Courtney Ford Solicitor

freehills Why are you writing this?

For a junior lawyer, this means:

Hmm, good question. Mostly I wanted to clarify that Employee Relations (or ‘ER’) is “Freehills Speak” for its employment practice. I’m in my third 8-month rotation since starting as a Graduate in 2010 and I think the ER practice is pretty special, especially considering it exists within a large firm such as Freehills. So I wanted to give you the gist of it.

• An opportunity to work on smaller matters with more responsibility (not always something easy to come by in a large firm)

The Gist

• Juicy matters – from sexual harassment, to on- site injuries, to workplace bargaining – our work is mostly just really interesting!

Freehills’ employment practice is the largest and most highly-regarded in Australia, with our core areas of expertise including industrial relations, employment law, occupational health and safety, diversity and equal opportunity law, privacy and training. Our Singapore office also has an employment practice which is a leader for human resources solutions in the Asia region. Why employment? While a number of large firms practice employment law (often a ‘sub-group’ of their litigation practice, for instance), Freehills is unique in that is has a separate and thriving employment practice. 64

the workplace (which includes legitimate research using Google, YouTube and Facebook). As the team is very social, my day will (inevitably) include catch-ups with other solicitors around the floor, and potentially a national telephone hook-up often held to keep us up to date with the latest cases and employment developments. If I’m really lucky the team may even have a celebratory afternoon tea that day.

• Working with leading employment lawyers in Australia who are passionate about the work they do A day in the life ER throws a wide range of work at you – my day might include a trip down to court or Fair Work Australia, researching and writing a memo for one of the partners, drafting letters to WorkSafe Victoria in relation to an OHS prosecution, and assisting with a presentation on social media in

Our team comes from all different backgrounds, and many of us did not study employment law at university. Though the work is often challenging, you will gain the skills required by simply working here as long as you’re enthusiastic and open to learning. Hope to see you here sometime. Good luck!

energy and resource law Fergus Green allens

• An exposure to advisory, litigious, and even transactional-based work – as well as exposure to pre-eminent employers from a range of industries

• A great deal of direct client contact

So, what now?

From Collins Street to Copenhagen: Climate Change Law at Allens Responding to climate change is arguably the defining challenge of our times. It is also an acutely complex challenge that requires a combination of regulatory action at all levels of government from the United Nations to your local council, structural economic change, large-scale business investment and rapid technological innovation. As governments implement policies to mandate and encourage emissions reductions, and as companies

manage the risks and seize the opportunities entailed in the shift to a lower carbon economy, they increasingly require expert legal advice. Climate change law is a dynamic field of legal practice. It demands both a solid grasp of commercial legal fundamentals, as well as a deep understanding of the global climate change policy environment and the specific laws and markets established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change.

As a lawyer working in climate change law within Allens’ Energy and Resources department, I have been fortunate to experience the full gamut of legal work that climate change law has to offer. Giving compliance risk-management advice on federal climate law to Australian companies represents a major component of our practice. As a lawyer, my role has included drafting letters of advice to clients in the energy and resources and other sectors regarding: the implications of the Clean Energy Act 2011 (Cth) (the carbon pricing scheme) and other aspects of the federal government’s Clean Energy Future package; compliance issues arising from the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme; and greenhouse gas abatement and sequestration opportunities arising from the Carbon Farming Initiative. I have also been heavily involved in drafting contractual provisions to enable (or resist, depending on the client’s position!) the pass through of carbon costs incurred by upstream suppliers of emissions-intensive goods or services (as a result of the carbon pricing scheme) and on the allocation of Commonwealth Government assistance for emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries. I have also been involved in a number of transactions with climate change elements, including advising on electricity connection agreements for a number of wind farm projects, carbon market transactions for the creation and sale of forestry offsets in Australia and overseas, the environmental and climate change aspects of a large private equity deal in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, and the electricity and renewable energy supply aspects of a desalination plant. I have particularly enjoyed the climate change elements of Allens’ energy regulatory work. The evolution of federal climate change law — especially the carbon pricing scheme, the expanded Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme and the Carbon Farming Initiative — have necessitated revisions to state-based energy and

climate change schemes. Having a keen interest in policy development, I have enjoyed helping to advise numerous Victorian regulators and other government authorities in the energy and transport sector on policy and legal responses to these developments in federal climate law. For example, we advised the Victorian Essential Services Commission on the transition from the Victorian Renewable Energy Target scheme to the expanded Commonwealth MRET scheme, and in relation to the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target. Keeping abreast of developments in the world of climate law and policy and advising clients on their commercial and policy risks and opportunities options in this rapidly evolving area has been a rewarding learning experience. The thing that most motivates me to practise climate change law, however, is the sheer global importance of its subject matter. Attending the Copenhagen climate change conference in December 2009 was therefore an immense privilege and the undoubted highlight of my experience as a climate change lawyer. I volunteered as a policy advisor to an NGO advocating the interests of small Pacific island states and communities at the conference, and recorded my daily observations in Allens’ Climate Change Law Blog. Capitalising on the intense interest in Copenhagen in the Australian community, Allens also afforded me valuable opportunities to present my observations on the international climate change process and its implications for Australia to clients of the firm and internally to my colleagues, and has been generous in its support of my climate change endeavours outside of the firm. The business development, marketing and publications work we undertook in regard to the Copenhagen conference, which has continued since then, is representative of another significant part of the life of a climate change lawyer. I spend a considerable portion of my time researching

policy developments in Australia, internationally and in other key countries, and drafting client updates, academic articles , blog posts and other publications. We have produced, for example, a detailed report on the climate change and energy policies of 13 Asian countries, and published a stream of detailed articles on developments in Australian climate change law and policy.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed working in climate change law at Allens. The work is rarely routine, typically challenging, frequently fascinating and always engaging.

environments and planning s ophie Marjanac

lawyer

Upon starting in the Environment and Planning practice group at Clayton Utz, I had very little idea of the type of work the group did. My first six months on the job were a steep learning curve, but an enjoyable one. I chose to settle in the Environment and Planning group because of the diversity of the work, and its dynamic and topical nature. Diversity A day in the Environment and Planning group is never dull. In my first rotation, I was asked to provide research memos on planning controls for contaminated land in Victoria, analyse complex property law questions relating to easements, research the legislative regimes for native

Initiative, the Future Melbourne 2020 plan, recent successful urban redevelopments, wind farms, urban design and noise measurement and monitoring.

Dynamism

As development of land is often controversial, so is the field of environment and planning. This means that you may often be involved in matters that are passionately disputed on both sides. The public interest is often relevant in environment and planning decision making, which adds a public policy aspect to the work we do. Further, the results of our work are tangible and can be seen in key infrastructure developments, such as freeways and hospitals. The Environment and Planning team often works closely with our Construction and Major Projects group to advise clients on the timely and successful delivery of significant public infrastructure.

Given the rise to prominence of environmental issues, as well as the nature of planning as a responsive tool for social and urban design, environmental and planning laws are continually changing. The regulatory framework constantly evolves as societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priorities change, and it is critical to keep abreast of these developments. This makes for an interesting and stimulating area of law which always keeps you on your toes. My team regularly prepares alerts, articles, and provide seminars for our clients and the industry on legislative developments. Reflecting this dynamism, during my rotation in the group I had the opportunity to attend many seminars and conferences relating to a wide variety of topics, including a discussion comparing international carbon pricing mechanisms, the Commonwealth Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carbon Farming

clayton utz Working in the Environment and Planning practice group at Clayton Utz

risk, providing advice on the environmental approvals processes at both the State and Commonwealth level, as well as representing clients at Planning Panels Victoria, and being involved in briefing experts and counsel for these hearings.

Topical

If you are someone who likes a new challenge almost every day, and the idea of working at the cutting-edge of an emerging area of law, then environment and planning law may be for you.

title and cultural heritage, discuss elements of Commonwealth and State environmental legislation in relation to the protection of endangered species, analyse and apply local government legislation, represent clients whose land had been compulsorily acquired, and consider various aspects of the regulation of the energy industry. The type of work also varies, and can range from conducting a case in VCAT or the Supreme Court involving the preparation of submissions and the collection of evidence (as well as appearance work from time to time), to drafting specific legal advice in relation to discrete questions for a range of corporate and government clients with different needs and priorities. Our work can also involve negotiating and drafting complex agreements in relation to environmental

matching ambition

with opportunity You’ve worked hard. Done well. You have ambition. You can match your ambition with the many opportunities at Ashurst. Ask us how. Melbourne – Justine Lewis Recruitment Consultant Tel +61 3 9679 3594 justine.lewis@ashurst.com

blake dawson is ashurst, australia’s new global law firm.

www.ashurst.com/graduates

hotels, leisure and gaming law Suzie Leask Junior Lawyer

ashurst I have been asked to describe what is essentially a ‘typical day’ for a junior lawyer in the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group at Ashurst Australia. However, I do not really ever have a ‘typical day’. What we do You are probably wondering what the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group is. The Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group is an industry focused practice area, which means that we do a range of work for clients in the hotels, tourism and gaming industries. Our clients own hotels, operate hotels, develop hotels and resorts, own office buildings, restaurants and bottle shops, manufacture poker machines and buy and sell hotels by either buying or selling the physical assets or the shares in the companies which own the hotel. Our clients can be either Australian or internationally based. The work that I do can be related to any of these activities.

Hotel transactions At one end of the scale there are large projects such as the sale or acquisition of a hotel or resort. This involves working as part of a team of lawyers to carry out due diligence on the assets of the hotel as part of the sale or purchase process. For example, when acting on the sale of a hotel, we review all of the legal documents held in relation to the hotel and its assets – such as leases, licences, service agreements, company registers, employment contracts – and report on the key terms of these agreements as well as any issues they raise which could be problematic for our client. We also draft and negotiate the terms of the contract for sale and prepare all of the relevant documents required for completion of the hotel sale. These transactions are fast paced and often high profile and in the news. Recently, our Sydney team acted on the sales of the InterContinental Wellington, the Citigate Melbourne and Citigate Perth, the Novotel

Melbourne on Collins and the Hilton Yarra South Wharf Hotel. Of course, it is always rewarding to be able to go to the hotel which was the centre of the transaction for a celebratory drink when the transaction completes! Operational matters

such as resolving trademark issues and assisting with regulatory gaming compliance issues. The secondment has allowed me to learn a lot about the client’s specific business. I have also gained a greater general understanding of the commercial drivers behind transactions and a better appreciation of how to make my legal advice more commercial.

Working in the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group also allows me to work directly with clients on their operational matters on a day-to-day basis. This includes work such as leasing, general advice (on property, employment and corporate related issues), liquor licensing as well as reviewing and drafting contracts. As a graduate, there was a greater emphasis on researching legal issues, preparing correspondence and reviewing contracts, however, my workload now as a year 2 lawyer involves a lot of drafting of agreements as well as talking to clients to obtain their instructions and to explain legal issues. These matters require me to build my own client relationships, which is strongly encouraged (and necessary) in our group. It also requires me to be responsible for files and to manage their progression.

Team

International opportunities

In addition to the core team, we also have strong relationships with other lawyers in different areas of the firm and in other offices around Australia and internationally with whom we work closely. For example, members of the intellectual property group, tax group, competition group and the employment group frequently assist us on transactions. This enables me to not only learn more about other areas of the law but also to regularly work with different people.

The international opportunities for our team are always growing, with many of our clients and deals being located overseas. I was lucky enough to be seconded to our Singapore office for 2 months to work with our Hotels, Leisure and Gaming colleagues who founded that office in 2009. This was an excellent experience and involved a wide variety of work, including international transactions. It allowed me to meet a lot of our internationally based clients at various industry conferences and events. The recent combination of Blake Dawson and Ashurst gives our team enhanced international capabilities in terms of conducting international transactions and giving our clients jurisdictional specific advice.

Necessarily, the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group works as a team. The core Sydney team consists of one partner, four senior associates, four lawyers, one graduate and a paralegal. We all work together on different matters in different combinations or as a whole team if required. The people in our team are friendly and supportive, each with different backgrounds and experiences. This brings a great balance to the team. All of the senior associates provide informal mentoring and guidance in the course of working with them on their matters. They also work together with the partner to manage our workflow, assist learning and provide each of us with professional guidance and direction.

Overall, working in the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming group is both challenging and enjoyable. Every day is likely to present me with a new issue to consider and a new person to work with and it is this variety combined with the exposure to international transactions that makes every day different and exciting.

Client secondment I am currently doing a part time secondment for a gaming client where I work at their office. During this time I have been involved in a number of contract negotiations as well as other types of work

Insolvency and Restructuring law nicholas Edwards Lawyer

Gilbert + Tobin Insolvency law is one of the most topical and exciting areas a lawyer can practice in. Your clients, your deals and your potential targets often appear in the media– especially inthe Street Talk column in The Australian Financial Review. That’s why most of my days begin with a strong coffee, the AFR and the business sections of other papers. They are all essential reading. Large-scale insolvencies and corporate restructures don’t have the best reputation among the general public, and this view was exacerbated by the GFC and subsequent European debt crisis. However, they are necessary. Unfortunately, there will always be failures in a system that fosters risk. Such occurrences are an essential element of a functioning economy. The collapse of a business may be regrettable and may have unintended consequences, but it is an important way of redistributing liquidity, assets and intellectual capital throughout the market. The aim of insolvency regimes under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) is to save businesses.

If that can’t be done, then they aim to maximise the returns available to creditors and other stakeholders. Creditors take priority in these scenarios because without their funds, businesses don’t have the capacity to undertake new ventures. Without protection there wouldn’t be funds.This position is enshrined in legislation. However, there are exceptions to this position for vulnerable parties such as employees, to ensure they can access their wages, entitlements and superannuation. Working as an insolvency and restructuring lawyer Insolvency and restructuring law involves advising and managing the expectations of different stakeholders. Each stakeholder has a different end game and ‘ace’ up their sleeve, so you have to understand your client’s business and their commitments or obligations in financing their enterprise. The outcome clients seek is almost always commercial in nature. This means you have to balance legal requirements with clients’ desires to achieve a commercial result.

Your clients will include directors, lenders and insolvency practitioners such as receivers, administrators andliquidators. Each type of client requires different levels of advice. For example, when an insolvency practitioner is appointed to sell or manage a business, you’ll have to advise them on issues as they arise.

Staying on top of the law

A company director might require you to provide advice on insolvent trading provisions contained in legislation and the company’s obligations under finance documents. Or, you might be asked by a group of lenders to look at enforcement options available to them if a company defaults, and what the consequences of such enforcement action will be.

An insolvency and restructuring lawyer has to be on top of the law because, like the businesses involved, it’s dynamic and constantly evolving. This is one of the few areas of law where you’ll regularly get both transactional and litigious experience. You also get to work collaboratively with lawyers in different practice groups including corporate advisory, litigation, workplace relations and property law.

Secondary debt markets A recent development in the Australian marketplace is the emergence of an active secondary debt market. In essence, this involves debt providers selling their exposure to a third party. They’ll often sell at a discount because the market has judged that a 100-cents-in-the-dollar return is unlikely because of financial distress. Because of Australia’s relatively stable and strong economic global position, more international hedge funds are coming to Australian shores to actively invest in debt. These funds have a different outlook to traditional institutional investors. They purchase debt at a discount with the idea of pursuing a loanto-own strategy. Their willingness to hold equity for a significant length of time gives them an edge over Australian banks. However, the attitudes of Australian banks are beginning to change. The secondary debt market’s growing popularity has seen the re-emergence of creditors’ schemes of arrangement (seen most recently in the cases of Centro and Alinta Energy) and continuing discussions about the fabled ‘pre-pack’. A pre-pack is a strategy used in distressed scenarios in the UK and US, whereby the deal is effectively done before the insolvency appointment takes place. This strategy has proven difficult in Australia because of the more rigorous duties imposed on insolvency practitioners here, particularly receivers.

There are many forms of insolvency administration in Australia, and each has unique challenges. Each situation calls for a different regime, so each matter you advise on involves different nuances of understanding.

Gilbert + Tobin’s top-tier transactions Gilbert + Tobin’s insolvency and restructuring specialists in the Banking + Finance group are involved in some of the largest and most complicated insolvencies and restructures in recent history. The team is led by Partner Dominic Emmett, one of Australia’s leading workout and restructuring specialists. In 2012, Dominic was named as Sydney’s Distressed Investing and Debt Trading Lawyer of the Year by the AFR. He’s also listed as a ‘leading individual’ in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and is ranked Band 1 for Restructuring and Insolvency in Chambers Asia Pacific, 2012. A typical day’s work? I know it’s a cliché, but there really is no such thing as a typical day’s work in insolvency and restructuring. That’s one of its attractions. One day you might be applying to court for the appointment of a provisional liquidator to protect a company’s assets. They next day, you might be advising an international bank that has bought an exposure in an Australian business worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The constant challenges and dynamic nature of the work make insolvency and restructuring an interesting and rewarding area of law and practice.

in t ellectu a l p r op e rty l a w

So far I have had the pleasure of working for a variety of clients including Caterpillar, Gucci, Cadbury, British American Tobacco, and Brother. More generally, the types of work undertaken by Corrs’ Intellectual Property group include: • provision of technical advice, including on specific legal issues and IP protection strategies;

Chrystal Dare Lawyer

• preparing and negotiating IP contracts, including assignments and licenses;

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

• litigation (including infringement and oppositions); and

• dispute resolution (including mediations and other negotiations).

A company’s intellectual property can be one of its most valuable assets, if properly exploited and protected. Some businesses, like publishers, film producers and pharmaceutical companies, trade almost purely on their intellectual property. There are various species of intellectual property, with different rights accruing to each. In particular, an intellectual property lawyer’s practice may involve some or all of the following: • trade marks; • patents; • copyright (including moral rights); • designs; • misleading conduct & passing off; • confidential information; • geographical indications and wine law; and • anti-counterfeiting.

As technology evolves, intellectual property issues are increasingly in the spotlight and subject of worldwide debate. The Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA) in the US is a prime example of IP issues taking centre stage, polarising key players and sparking fierce debate. Here in Australia there have also been several recent high profile court cases with IP issues at their core, including Apple v Samsung, iiNet, and Optus v NRL. I have found intellectual property law to be a particularly challenging practice area because of its complex nuances, and often overlapping legal issues such as copyright and designs, or trade mark infringement and misleading or deceptive conduct.

Members of our IP litigation team regularly find themselves in the Federal Court battling it out on behalf of clients, or otherwise representing clients in other forums such as the Trade Marks Office. The Corrs Intellectual Property team acts in relation to a mixture of large scale, complex and high profile litigation and transactional matters, but also manages small files, therefore providing clients with a breadth of service offerings to meet the full spectrum of a business’ IP needs. Corrs’ IP team is a dynamic one, which matches the nature of the work and Corrs’ clients. Corrs’ IP clients operate across a diverse range of industries including high end fashion, entertainment, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, construction, FMCG and wine industries. Corrs’ clients include major multi-national and Australian corporate players.

In an increasingly global market, a company’s IP strategies will often need to be coordinated globally. Accordingly, IP lawyers are regularly called upon to utilise their transferrable skills, such as highly developed communication skills, in a variety of contexts, including collaborating with peers at firms around the world. As intellectual property law can be a very technically complex area, one of the biggest challenges can be presenting complex concepts to an audience unfamiliar with the technicalities of Australian law or IP law. Clients expect their lawyers to have a detailed understanding of their businesses and to provide practical, commercially-driven advice. While a specialist field, IP lawyers cannot operate in a vacuum – they must maintain awareness and understanding of issues affecting clients’ individual businesses and industries, and the market conditions more broadly, which will often impact on strategic decision-making. Practitioners who are just starting their careers as intellectual property lawyers have a real opportunity to develop specialist expertise in new and developing areas. Many of the IP challenges of the next ten years are yet to be determined, and may involve technology yet to be invented, which makes this area of law all the more exciting.

Yet it is rewarding. As an IP lawyer, I feel I have the opportunity to make a real difference to a client’s business by adding value on many levels. For example, not only by helping to protect brands and goodwill which companies have worked tirelessly to build over many decades and advising in respect of infringement risks, but also by providing commercialisation advice and helping clients to exploit their valuable IP.

litigation nicki lees and trina malone lawyers maurice blackburn

Maurice Blackburn – where fighting for the rights of everyday people matters Fancy yourself a bit of an Alan Shore (from Boston Legal)? Have visions of dazzling judges and counsel with short, punchy submissions and well tabbed court documents? If you are passionate about litigation, plaintiff law is the place to be. Litigation offers you a fantastic exposure to the court system. It encompasses pre-litigation negotiations, issuing proceedings, interlocutory procedures such as discovery, mediations and settlement offers, trial, judgment and appeals. No matter where you want to end up, litigation will train you to focus on the ‘real issues’ in disputes, gain an understanding of the risks and costs posed by litigation and become familiar with different court documents and processes. Of course, if you want to end up at the bar, there is no better place to start your career than in litigation. At Maurice Blackburn you will have the opportunity to present legal arguments in client conferences and at Directions Hearings. You will also be exposed to some of the most talented junior

and senior counsel in Australia, and been given the responsibility of liaising with clients during the litigation process. Indeed, on the day of a hearing, you will be responsible for instructing counsel and ensuring our clients understand what is taking place.

young lawyers an amazing opportunity to cut their teeth, learn through experience and typically handle more than 50 files. You will be litigating to ensure everyday people receive fair compensation for serious injuries. Major projects (class actions) are very different. In class actions, you work on cases that keep corporations accountable to their shareholders, ensure consumers are protected from unethical behaviour and ensure large classes of people receive compensation for personal injuries wrought by the negligence of others. One case can positively impact thousands of lives. You work within a small team on the one class action for a number of years and know every detail of that case. You work closely with some of the best Counsel in the county to draft complex legal arguments and documents that run for hundreds of pages. Court is a spectacle, with a sea of white wigs, and submissions spanning several weeks or more. Commercial litigation at Maurice Blackburn is different again. You will be exposed to a fantastic variety of litigation matters, including employment contract disputes, financial advice disputes, wills,

Maurice Blackburn is a leading litigation firm in plaintiff law. The firm was established by labour lawyer Maurice Blackburn in 1919 and has grown to more than 600 employees in Victoria, NSW, ACT, Queensland and WA. As part of our trainee lawyer program, you will be rotated through two of our litigation practice groups over a twelve month period. You could find yourself work in: workers’ compensation (WorkCover and/or Comcare), TAC, asbestos and dust diseases, medical negligence, employment and industrial relations, superannuation and insurance claims, major projects (class actions), public liability or commercial.

property law and Corporations Act disputes. Such a variety of exposure means that you learn about different jurisdictions, court processes, litigation strategies and (of course) areas of law. You will also be assisting everyday people fight for justice in a commercial setting, such as retirees who have been given negligent investment advice and lost their life savings, or independent contractors who have had their contracts terminated. Litigation is not for the faint hearted. It suits those who are willing to show feats of athleticism to undertake the Williams Street sprint back to the office when the judge asks for a recent authority on a point of law, often with heels in hand. It requires multi-tasking, attention to detail and confidence. It is also an area in which anything can happen anytime and you need to be able to think on your feet. There are definite rewards to working in litigation in plaintiff law. You get to work with real people on a day-to-day basis who has suffered injury or other harm, and you will end your traineeship with a firm grounding in litigation in a variety of jurisdictions.

Maurice Blackburn fight for fair... ‘They’re on the right side of the fight, that’s why I wanted to work for them.’ Michael Maurice Blackburn Trainee

Throughout our time at Maurice Blackburn, we had experience in workers’ compensation, major projects and commercial litigation. Personal injury litigation such as workers’ compensation is busy and client-focused. Almost from your first day, you will be attending mediations, meeting with clients, instructing in court and running files. Personal injury law allows

At Maurice Blackburn we fight for people who are up against the system; workers, families and ordinary people who wouldn’t otherwise have someone standing up for them. Our seasonal clerkships and traineeships provide you with real and practical experience in plaintiff law. If you want to become a lawyer to fight for people who deserve better, contact us.

78 Offices in: Melbourne • Dandenong • Frankston • Geelong • Greensborough • Mildura • Reservoir • Ringwood Sunshine • Traralgon• Wangaratta

By appointment in: Bairnsdale • Ballarat • Bendigo • Broadmeadows • Box Hill • Cranbourne • Lilydale • Melton Morwell • Oakleigh • Pakenham • Sale • Shepparton • Sunbury • Warragul • Warrnambool • Werribee • Wodonga

litigation (international)

matter in the Federal Court (which, as a result, was successfully transferred to the Supreme Court) and an anti-suit injunction to prohibit action in an overseas jurisdiction (both in the criminal and civil courts) by another party in our proceeding against our client; • working on a major client presentation to the Security Exchange Commission in Washington; and • working on a major commercial Trade Practices dispute including the preparatory legal research and analysis of evidence, corresponding with overseas lawyers, trying to manage copious foreign language documents, and working closely with counsel and clients to prepare witness statements, cross-examination bundles and submissions.

amelia edwards solicitor freehills I am a first year solicitor at Freehills in Melbourne and have recently concluded my first rotation in the Litigation group with Bronwyn Lincoln as my supervisor. I sat within the broader Commercial Litigation group, but Litigation at Freehills also incorporates the sub-groups of PDR (Project Dispute Resolution), Competition Law and Intellectual Property & Trademarks.

preparing letters of demand, meeting with clients to prepare witness statements, and attending conferences with Counsel. Days could also involve heading to court toting volumes of folders to assist in one of our matters or to observe a case that was running that we were interested in. (Spy tip here – don’t carry the Freehills notebook!). Some of my specific highlights include:

Although, as a member of the Commercial Litigation team you will tend to work with a number of partners, Bronwyn specialises in Litigation & Dispute Resolution and International Commercial Law Disputes. Working with Bronwyn exposed me to a wide range of litigious and non-litigious matters on both a domestic and international scale across a variety of industries.

• reviewing international agreements and writing advice on arbitration clauses, procedure and cases;

A typical day for a graduate or junior lawyer in the Litigation group at Freehills is hard to pin down. In my experience each day will generate its own challenges and could, and did, involve a range of tasks (undertaken individually and in a team) including: researching case law, assisting with discovery of documents, drafting court documents,

Now while this may not stand out as a whirlwind of exciting activities in comparison to the adventures (and misadventures) of university, I think that until you begin your legal career it is hard to appreciate how enjoyable it is to really get involved in the detail, twists and turns, personalities and strategies of the law and cases.

At Freehills as a graduate you are fortunate to be involved in large scale “front page” litigation, working directly with Partners and Counsel who are leaders in their fields, and senior lawyers who are exceptional mentors. And while you may encounter some long hours at the crux of a case, these are made easier by the team you work with (I recall one particular matter where a giant peppermint-chocolate frog from Haigh’s was an essential member of our team), the quirky characters of Counsel (which if not making things easier will at least keep on your toes) and interesting subject matter. For me, “life” as a graduate at Freehills was not an oxymoron. The rumoured “coffee fetching” and “photocopying” duties of the graduate at a large commercial law firm did not eventuate, and I found the work I was involved in during my Litigation rotation to be both challenging and varied. At Freehills I have been afforded exceptional opportunities and have discovered work that has engaged my love of the law and been rewarding both professionally and personally.

• researching complex legal issues - some of my particular favourites including trade and commerce powers under the Constitution, extradition law in Australia and other jurisdictions, the application of foreign jurisdiction and arbitration clauses by Australian courts, the extent to which Australian courts will reconsider factual and legal findings of foreign arbitral tribunals, and the meaning of “sovereignty” within the paradigm of a court taking international evidence; • working on a cross-vesting application for a

mergers and acquisitions henry boyland king & wood mallesons A graduate rotation through King & Wood Mallesons’ Australian M&A group runs for six months. You won’t become an M&A expert in that time, but you will get a good sense of the sort of work that M&A lawyers at King & Wood Mallesons do. King & Wood Mallesons’ Australian M&A group comprises a large number of teams working on a wide variety of corporate work; traditional M&A and capital markets work, workplace and industrial relations, intellectual property, competition, funds management, equity capital markets, corporate governance and the list goes on. Traditional M&A work (from which the King & Wood Mallesons’ Australian M&A group takes its name) involves acting for the vendor or purchaser of either the shares in a company or of a company’s business assets. The reason that such a broad variety of legal work falls under the M&A banner is that the assessment of whether to undertake such a transaction requires knowledge of many different areas of law. Despite its name, the M&A group is not just concerned with traditional M&A. For a number of teams within the M&A group, advising on particular aspects of traditional M&A work is only a small part of the job. The workplace and industrial relations team is a good example. When a 84

Public M&A work concerns the sale of assets of an entity (usually a publicly listed company) or the shares/units in an entity, where that sale is in some respect directly regulated by legislation (typically the Corporations Act). The classic example is a takeover, which is the purchase of a significant portion of the shares in a company listed on the ASX. Takeovers are closely regulated by Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act to ensure that the deal is fair to all shareholders. Private M&A concerns the sale of the assets or shares/units in an entity where that sale is dealt with exclusively through the “private” law of

Craig and Nicola do a mix of public M&A work and private M&A work and I worked in both of these fields during my rotation.

If you are curious about how the world works I cannot recommend a “pure” M&A rotation strongly enough. In six months you will learn about what makes a business viable, what makes a business saleable and even more about how King & Wood Mallesons protects it clients from the risks inherent in acquiring varied and complex assets and entities.

pro bono

company is being bought, the workplace team will advise on any employment related risks involved in the acquisition. The workplace and industrial relations team also has thriving disputes and advice practices, and a graduate sitting in the team could end up spending most of their rotation assisting with preparation for hearings at Fair Work Australia or the Federal Court. I chose to rotate through teams led by Craig Semple and Nicola Charlston in the Melbourne M&A group. Much of the work Craig and Nicola do is traditional M&A work. Arriving in the group, I was concerned that I had no transactional experience. I also wasn’t confident that the time I spent selling Cheeseymites at Baker’s Delight in 2002 and 2003 had given me the sort of commercial understanding the group might be looking for. I was, however, pleased to find that, once I became familiar with the jargon, the subject matter of traditional M&A work was no longer daunting. When all is said and done, transactional legal work is about the allocation and minimisation of risk (combined with a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of contract and corporations law) which is something that any intelligent person with a law degree can come to understand.

contract and is not directly regulated by legislation. Private M&A is generally the province of unlisted entities. It can, however, involve listed entities in a number of situations.

clayton utz

Clayton Utz is a leader of Australian law firms in Pro Bono practice and Social Responsibility programs. Since 1997, we have provided more than 350,000 hours of pro bono legal assistance to disadvantaged people and to the non-profit organisations which support them. We believe that all lawyers, regardless of their seniority or area of law, have a fundamental professional responsibility to conduct pro bono work as part of their everyday legal practice.

Pro bono is a significant part of our graduate lawyers’ experience at Clayton Utz. Work on pro bono cases is real work, treated as billable time. It helps to build legal skills right from the start of a legal career. As a young lawyer, pro bono cases may provide the first opportunity to interview a client, to take instructions and to make legal submissions. Graduates in the Clayton Utz Melbourne office will begin immediately at the Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services in 85

the CBD to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Graduates will interview clients and, with the supervision of more senior lawyers, work to resolve legal issues such as dealing with unpaid fines, appealing unfair eviction notices in VCAT, or negotiating for reductions in debts based on financial hardship. Admittedly, none of these matters should end up being argued before the High Court. For the individual client involved though, getting help to stay in their home makes a huge difference to their life. Of course, pro bono work at Clayton Utz does not end there. We work collaboratively with a range of organisations including the Public Interest Law Clearing House, metropolitan and regional community legal centres and not-for-profit organisations to address access to justice issues. We take referrals for pro bono assistance on issues which cover the full range of legal skills within the Clayton Utz practice. A sample of matters which our junior lawyers have worked on recently includes: • negotiating insurance disputes arising from the Victorian and Queensland floods;

real estate

• acting for an elderly parent who was deceived by their adult children into signing away title to the family home, leaving them homeless; • preparing submissions to a Coroner regarding a death in custody; and • advising a non-profit entity on the legal implications of its social networking platform. Pro bono practice is important, and not just because it makes better lawyers, or keeps our feet firmly on the ground. First and foremost, acting in pro bono cases is about the impact which we can have for our pro bono clients. It is about making people’s rights mean something. It is about helping community organisations and charities get on with their vital work. It is about advocating for those who do not have a voice to stand up for themselves. It is about helping people find their way out of disadvantage. Fundamentally, pro bono work is about challenging injustice, and staying true to the reason why we pursued law in the first place.

dla piper

The Property team at DLA Piper consists of two dynamic areas - Planning, Environment and Local Government (PELG) and Real Estate. Real Estate The Real Estate Team at DLA Piper provides clients with a comprehensive range of property legal services such as: • buying and selling commercial, industrial and retail properties; • acting for developers and investors on residential, commercial and industrial developments; • acting for landlords and tenants in leasing transactions; • advising on, drafting and negotiating contracts, including joint venture, co-owners, property management and development management agreements; • undertaking property due diligences for corporate and property acquisitions; and

• providing complex advice on property related issues. We provide these services to local and foreign property owners, investors and developers, corporate and multinational retail tenants, Real Estate Investment Trusts and all levels of government. As a junior lawyer in this team you’ll get to experience a wide variety of work. You may find yourself advising clients on their rights under a lease, researching the application of tax law to a property transaction, attending a settlement, drafting and negotiating a lease or attending a client meeting. One of the best aspects of working in Real Estate is the practical nature of our work. Our clients are always asking ‘what can we do?’, ‘we need to do X, how can we do it?’ We draft the documents and advise on the issues which govern our clients’ dayto-day commercial relationships. It can be very rewarding to walk into a popular retail store, or CBD building and see the leases that you drafted or negotiated come to life.

You are provided with great support from senior lawyers to develop your skills in this specialist area. By the end of the rotation you will be able to negotiate the terms of your own lease, review the contract of sale for your future house purchase and be aware of how much stamp duty you will have to pay! Planning, Environment and Local Government (PELG) The PELG Team at DLA Piper involves assisting clients in respect of environmental regulation and enforcement, issues relating to contaminated land and the ever evolving area of climate change law. You will also find yourself preparing planning permit applications, initiating and responding to planning claims and representing clients at Planning Panels Victoria and VCAT. PELG’s clients include major corporations, property developers, local councils and government departments. In this team you may be involved with protecting flora and fauna including saving river red gums; maintenance of biodiversity including the habitat

of the Growling Grass Frog; researching Aboriginal cultural heritage and the protection of scar trees; and improving Victoria’s road and rail systems. As a junior lawyer in this team your role will involve:

tax controversy

• direct client contact; • responsibility for file management;

Hadi Mazloum lawyer maddocks

• drafting advice to clients; • preparing for mediations and hearings; and • research in developing areas of the law. After being in this team you will have developed both your drafting and advocacy skills. There’s no need to have prior experience before undertaking a rotation in this area. By the end of your time in the team you will view the world around you differently - understand how roads are built, why property developments are delayed and what permit applications are required prior to your future house renovations!

When I tell my friends that I work in the Tax Controversy (TC) team, they laugh out loud and then say ‘oooooh that’s controversial’. They seem to think the joke will never die, I tend to disagree. In their defence, they then ask: ‘what exactly does that mean/ what exactly do you do’. It’s a fair question. The Maddocks TC team is primarily a tax litigation and dispute resolution practice. This is to be distinguished from the (separate) Maddocks Tax and Revenue practice which conducts tax advice work. While the usual practice amongst law firms is to have a single tax practice that deals with both front- and back-end matters, this is not the case at Maddocks. While a tax advisory practice will advise clients in respect of anticipated or contemporaneous transactions, a tax controversy team (including the Maddocks TC Team) advises on tax law in the context of an existing or potential dispute with the revenue authorities (usually the Australian Tax Office (ATO)). The Maddocks TC team is the largest dedicated tax controversy team in Australia and is highlyregarded in terms of its expertise and client base. The Maddocks TC Team has a quasi-dual practice in that it acts for both private clients that are

involved in a dispute/audit with the ATO or the State Revenue Office (SRO) as well as acting for the ATO itself. On the private client side, the Maddocks TC team will usually get involved during the audit phase and lawyers will mainly work on resolving the dispute with the ATO or SRO through negotiations and through drafting responses to ATO/SRO information requests or position papers. The ATO will brief the Maddocks TC team at the litigation stage – when the matter has not been resolved in the audit phase and the parties are battling it out in Court. In this way, Maddocks manages any potential conflict of interest and is able to act both for and against the ATO. While rotating in the Maddocks TC team as a graduate, I knew that it was where I wanted to continue my career. The quality of work as a junior exceeds expectations and is not limited to your typical junior litigation lawyer work such as compiling court books and research (note you still have to do this but it doesn’t stop there). For example, as a graduate, I was able to get involved in a matter and play a key role in gathering evidence and drafting a response to an ATO position paper.

Also, because it is after all a litigation practice, briefing counsel and assisting them both in the lead up to court and during the trial itself was a regular occurrence. Another aspect I enjoy about the group is the fact that the area of law is technical and challenging. Furthermore, because it is also a litigation practice, there is always a nice balance between the facts and the law and sometimes, cases will involve a purely factual rather than a legal battle. Finally, the practice traverses different areas of law and lawyers are often exposed to areas such as administrative law, corporations law, commercial law, property law, trusts and equity. Most of our cases also get reported.

As a first-year lawyer in the group, I now work with a team of 2-3 lawyers for each large matter as well as managing smaller matters on my own (under the supervision of a partner). My tasks range from your usual research and correspondence to drafting responses to a position of the ATO, assisting Counsel in drafting submissions and appeal statements for Court, being actively involved in teleconferences with clients and Counsel as well as attending Court and instructing Counsel.

authorities on the tax consequences of a specific scheme. Controversy work requires you to advise on all aspects of a dispute with the revenue authorities, primarily being the Australian Taxation Office (‘ATO’). This includes advising clients both before and during audits, responding to position papers, objecting to decisions of the ATO, conducting proceedings in and appealing decisions of courts or tribunals, and advising on alternative dispute resolution options and settlement proposals.

The TC team provides me with opportunities which will help me become an excellent litigator and advocate. There is no sitting in the back of a court room and falling asleep in this team. If you are disappointed to hear that, that’s ok, I’m sure there are places elsewhere where you can pursue this.

During my time at Arnold Bloch Leibler I have been involved in tax audits, objecting against decisions of the ATO and tax litigation in the Federal Court. I have also prepared voluntary disclosures and private ruling applications and advised on a wide range of areas of taxation law, including; employee share schemes, the taxation of charities, GST, capital gains tax issues, the taxation of trusts and fringe benefits tax to name just a few. The small and highly talented team at Arnold Bloch Leibler allows me to work directly for each of the tax partners, and gain a huge amount of responsibility and direct exposure to clients, barristers and ATO officials early on in my career. And because much of a tax lawyer’s work comes from internal referrals, I also work directly with other practice groups within the firm.

taxation law Kaitilin Lowdon lawyer Arnold Bloch Leibler Before I began my career, I thought, “there is no way I’m going to be a tax lawyer, besides, I’m not boring enough”. However, a series of fortunate events led me to discover that tax law is the best area of law in which to practice. Arnold Bloch Leibler’s taxation practice has an unrivalled reputation. Headed by Mark Leibler AC, 90

The main reason I decided to be a tax lawyer is because I love a challenge. The vast amount of tax legislation, coupled with the constant amendments (resulting in a gift of a new set of legislation each year), makes tax law inherently difficult. However, the intellectual challenge, and the ability to work with incredibly intelligent and creative people, makes the job interesting and fun. Being a tax lawyer also provides me with an opportunity to be innovative and creative - there is almost always more than one answer in taxation law. Tax is a specialised area of law. However, in order to provide tax advice it is necessary to understand

the general law. This means that, although your advice may be limited to tax-related issues, your general understanding of other areas of law will also develop. For example, it is not possible to advise on the taxation of trusts unless you understand the general law on trusts and equitable principles. Similarly, you can only provide advice regarding the tax consequences of selling a business if you understand the nature of the assets held by the business, the mechanism by which they are proposed to be sold and how commercial risk for your client is to be managed. Finally, for those of you wondering whether it is necessary to have a Bachelor of Commerce, I personally don’t believe it is. While a commerce degree in accounting may be useful, I have found that it is of no detriment not having one. Being a tax lawyer is less about number crunching and more about providing useful, sensible and technically sound legal advice. However, we do work closely with accountants, often engaging them to assist us. In summary, a tax lawyer is required to have excellent communication skills, a penchant for research, the confidence to form a view and, perhaps most importantly, a desire to think. If you have the opportunity to experience working as a tax lawyer during your seasonal clerkship, my advice is to give it a go - you might also be surprised that tax is not what it seems!

the tax group advises on most areas of taxation law, both in an advisory and a disputes or ‘controversy’ context. Advisory work requires you to advise on the tax consequences of past, present and future transactions, as well as requiring you to identify possible alternative courses of action. In some circumstances, it may also be necessary for you to seek a private or public ruling from the revenue 91

taxation law in practice

As for life at Minter Ellison, well I’m a ‘lifer’ so it goes without saying that I love it. For me it was all about the people and the culture. It’s very difficult to talk about the culture. Before I joined the firm, I hadn’t thought about the notion of entering triathlons, running marathons, playing Winneke Cup, or attending book appreciation classes by the

Adrian Varrasso Tax Partner Minter Ellison

I knew once I fell into tax that it was for me. As a graduate, there are no two days that are the same. The work is so varied and you never have a day where you go home without having learned something new. This was definitely the attraction for me. Unlike many other jobs, there was no repetition. I did my share of tax returns early on and it was good grounding, but ultimately not fulfilling. Being in a tax practice in a law firm provides a very satisfying learning experience. The early years in tax at Minter Ellison involved a lot of research work, researching and analysing case law or tax rulings, and applying the law to our clients’ facts. It was great to get so much work in a very broad range of areas, from general corporate tax issues such as capital gains tax and consolidation, to employment taxes, GST

and stamp duty. I soon found that the structure was very flat and instructions would come from lawyers, senior associates and partners. You would often be in a partner’s office working directly with them on a structure that they whiteboarded. It was also very important to have the ability to ask questions and ‘bounce’ thoughts off peers. The lawyers, senior associates and partners all had open doors and were always keen to help talk through an issue or direct you on research.

I couldn’t imagine another place offering the experiences, the opportunities and the satisfaction that I have experienced in my time at Minter Ellison. To top it off, it’s now great to see a number of our alumni returning from time overseas to rejoin the firm.

your passion your career our firm

Fortunately, there was no expectation of knowledge in tax. We had, and still have, weekly training sessions as a group. As tax is very technical (and hard!), we also had weekly tax training sessions that we referred to as ‘basics’ so that the juniors could skill up in a comfortable environment. Moving through to lawyer, senior lawyer and senior associate meant more responsibility. You will become responsible for the product, delegating and ensuring the research and briefing is thorough. Tax is a little different to other areas of the firm in that it is difficult to get the same level of client interaction until at a Senior Associate level. This is mainly a result of the area being technically difficult and needing to have the requisite experience

Wheeler Institute. It’s not to say you have to do any of these things, but they are all on offer (and many more) and a great way to relax with colleagues outside of the office.

Our vacation clerkships open a window on what it’s like to be a lawyer in a large commercial law firm. interested? Find out more at www.minterellison.com/careers or contact liz.atchison@minterellison.com ADELAIDE AUCKLAND BEIJING BRISBANE CANBERRA DARWIN GOLD COAST HONG KONG LONDON MELBOURNE PERTH SHANGHAI SYDNEY ULAANBAATAR WELLINGTON

When I started in tax, I didn’t know what to expect. I had enjoyed Commerce and Accounting, but I soon learned that my Law degree was going to be key. Like many areas of law, tax law requires analytical skills and the use of legal training. Did I need to have an accounting background? No, I’ve worked with people with Arts, Politics and Science backgrounds, and each has excelled.

before having the client contact and being able to answer difficult questions. That said, there is still the same sense of running files and managing an engagement, which brings with it a whole new skill set unrelated to technical knowledge!

www.minterellison.com SYD10 0313

SYD10 0313 NATad Graduate Recruitment campaign 2012-A5 Clerkship.indd 1

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workplace relations and safety Emma Purdue lawyer lander & rogers Sex, death, money, drugs, lovers and liars. No, this is not an episode of Underbelly. In fact, these are all common themes of legal practice in a thriving Workplace Relations & Safety (‘WRS’) team. A day in the life of a WRS lawyer may involve anything from conducting an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, to managing the site of a serious workplace accident, or seeking an urgent injunction to prevent a client’s confidential information falling into the wrong hands. The work we do is interesting, diverse and often infused with a ‘human’ element that makes it easily relatable to the everyday world. Moreover, we practice in both litigious and non-litigious areas of the law, which means that WRS lawyers develop broad skills across both. One day you may be drafting contractual clauses, the next day appearing in court or discussing litigation strategies with senior counsel, and the following day could see you writing a complex piece of advice. Since joining Lander & Rogers’ WRS team three years ago, some of my personal career highlights have included travelling to the Northern Territory to act for members of a remote Indigenous community in their discrimination claim; instructing in a landmark High Court case involving the scope of ‘adverse action’ under the Fair Work Act 2009; acting in a high-profile coronial inquest surrounding the death of a police 94

officer; defending a national corporation against claims of misleading and deceptive conduct before a Full Bench of the Federal Court of Australia; and helping to create and deliver education on topics such as human rights and social media. Lawyers in WRS at Lander & Rogers are encouraged to work with different partners and senior lawyers across the group. This enables us to observe and learn from different styles of negotiating, drafting legal documents, writing advice, communicating and marketing. As a second year lawyer, I was also seconded to our Sydney office for six months where I continued to work with – and learn from – different members of our team. Ultimately, this has helped me to develop my own style as a young lawyer in the field of WRS. Because of the politicisation and public-interest in WRS, this field is constantly under scrutiny and subject to change. Not only does this keep things interesting for the lawyers, it also requires us to provide regular updates and training to our clients, whether through e-mail alerts, magazine publications, breakfast briefings or simply picking up the telephone to arrange a coffee. Hence, marketing and relationship building are almost as integral to our team as our legal skills. Ultimately, WRS is a challenging and rewarding area of the law. There’s something in it for everyone. 95

Firm profile About us

Areas of legal practice

Ashurst is Australia’s new global law firm. On 1 March 2012, Ashurst and Blake Dawson combined their practices in Asia and Blake Dawson changed its name to Ashurst Australia, adopting the Ashurst brand. Together we have created a powerful global legal presence as one team with one brand and a shared vision, paving the way for a planned full global merger in 2014.

We are a top tier full service global law firm with a particular focus on financial services, energy and resources, and projects and infrastructure. Our Australian office practises in over 30 different service areas including:

This coming together of equals significantly strengthens both firms. We have over 1,700 lawyers across 24 offices around the world. We are a full-service firm, advising corporates, financial institutions and governments, and our core businesses are in corporate, finance, energy and resources and infrastructure.

s Competition & Consumer Protection

The collaboration also gives the Australian marketplace ready access to UK and US law capabilities, and seamless cross-border service around the clock. With an expanded depth and breadth across our region, clients have access to legal teams across the globe providing tailored, commercially astute solutions for all of their transactions and projects.

s Energy & Environment

With more than 3,500 people working in 24 offices across Australia, Asia the Middle East, Europe, UK, the US and an associated office in Indonesia, our reach, presence and global growth aspirations provide our people with the platform on which to develop and foster a deep understanding of local markets and industries, with the benefit of a global network and international insight.

s Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Our clients

What do we look for?

We are a full-service firm, advising leading corporates and financial institutions, and governments, and our core businesses are in corporate, finance, energy and resources and infrastructure.

We look for abilities and strengths which experience tells us are critical to success as graduates and clerks and in the longer term. In particular we seek graduates and clerks who can demonstrate an ability to build rapport with a range of people; an ability to work in a teambased environment; the academic capacity to excel; a demonstrated interest or expertise in a commercial legal environment; the willingness to learn; resilience, motivation and a commitment to excellence in both work and client service.

We have the privilege of advising on some of Australia’s and the world’s largest and most complex deals. Our clients include 73% of the top 100 ASX companies and 93% of Australian companies in the Forbes Global 2000.

firm profiles

s Banking & Finance s Commercial Property s Construction & Infrastructure s Corporate s Employment s Government s Hotels, Tourism & Gaming s Intellectual Property s IT, Communications & Media s Mergers & Acquisitions s Resources s Restructuring & Insolvency s Tax

The following is a list of some of the firms that offer seasonal clerkship programs this year, and some details about their program and application process. Neither the firms represented nor the information provided on them is exhaustive. Please note we have endeavoured to ensure that all the information here is correct at the time of printing but strongly advise all students to confirm all information, especially the dates given for applications, with the firms themselves.

Australia Belgium China France Germany Hong Kong SAR Indonesia (associated office) Italy Japan Papua New Guinea Singapore Spain Sweden United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America

BLAKE DAWSON IS ASHURST, AUSTRALIA’S NEW GLOBAL LAW FIRM WE’RE MATCHING AUSTRALIAN LEGAL EXPERTISE WITH GLOBAL CAPABILITY.

www.ashurst.com

firm profile allens Tiffany Rogers Contact: National Graduate Resourcing Consultant

Email: student.careers@aar.com.au GPO Box 1776, Melbourne Office address: VIC 3001 Website: www.aar.com.au

Contact: Leanda Nissen Human Resources Manager Level 21, 333 Collins Street Office address: Melbourne VIC 3000

Email: lnissen@abl.com.au 9229 9871 Website: www.abl.com.au

Office locations:

Asia: Greater China, South East Asia

Office locations:

Application method: via CVmail

Melbourne and Sydney

Clerkship periods: Three intakes (Summer 1, Summer 2 & Winter)

Beijing, Brisbane, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Melbourne, Perth, Port Moresby, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Ulaanbaatar. Main practice areas: Corporate: Energy & Resources, Real Estate, Communications, Media & Technology, Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital, Markets Financial Services & Projects: Banking & Financial Services, Tax, Projects Litigation & Intellectual Property: Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring, Insurance & Reinsurance, Intellectual Property & PTA 98

firm profile arnold bloch leibler

Application information: Opening date: Monday, 16 July 2012 Sunday, 12 August 2012 Due date: Interview period: September Date offers made: Tuesday, 9 October Application method: website Clerkship details: Summer program: November – December 2012 and January – February 2013 Winter program: Winter 2013 Intake:

25 – 28 clerks each period

Main practice areas: Property & Development, Commercial & Corporate, Litigation & Dispute, Resolution, Taxation, Technology, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Banking & Finance, Workplace Advisory, Native Title and Public Interest Law. Application information: Open: Monday 16 July 2012 Close: Sunday 12 August 2012 Interviews start: Monday 3 September 2012 Offers Made: Tuesday 9 October 2012 (9.00am)

ABL has three clerkship periods, averaging 10-12 clerks in each intake. The dates are as follows: Summer 1: Monday 19 November - Friday 14 December 2012 Summer 2: Monday 14 January - Friday 8 February 2013 Winter:

Monday 24 June - Friday 19 July 2013

firm profile ashurst Justine Lewis Contact: Recruitment Consultant Email: justine.lewis@ashurst.com

Office locations: Australian Offices: Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide International Offices: Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, Port Moresby, Rome, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Washington DC, Jakarta (Associated Office) Main practice areas: Anti-Money Laundering, Asset and Structured Finance, Banking and Finance, Climate Change, Commercial Property, Company Law and Governance, Competition and Consumer Protection, Construction and Infrastructure, Corporate Debt Capital Markets and Securitisation, Distressed Investing and Debt Trading, Employment, Equity Capital Markets, Financial Markets, Funds Management, Government, Health and Aged Care, Hotels, Tourism and Gaming, Infrastructure Projects, Insurance Advisory, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration, IT, Communications and Media, Leveraged Acquisition Finance, Litigation and 100

firm profile baker & mckenzie

Office address: Level 26, 181 William Street Melbourne, VIC, 3000 Phone: 9679 3594 Website: www.ashurst.com

Dispute Resolution, Mergers and Acquisitions, Native Title, Occupational Health and Safety, Private Equity, Product Liability, Project Finance and PPP, Property Finance, REITs, Restructuring and Insolvency, Retail Finance Services, Superannuation and Tax Application information: Opening date: Monday 16 July 2012 Due date: Sunday 12 August 2012 Interview period: Tuesday 28th August to Friday 5th October Date offer made: Tuesday 9th October Application method: careers website www.ashurst.com/ graduates Intake: Approximately 20 each period Duration: 3.5 weeks Number of rotations: one Summer programs 21 November – 14 December 2011 16 January – 8 February 2012 Winter program 26 June – 19 July 2012

Natalie Pinto Contact: Talent Management Consultant Email: natalie.pinto@bakermckenzie.com Office address: Level 19, CBW 181 William Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

9617 4349 Phone: Website: Global: http://www.bakermckenzie.com Australia: http://www.bakermckenzie.com/Australia/

Office locations:

Information/Drinks evening: Wednesday, 5 September 2012. Interview period: Thursday, 6 September 2012 – Friday, 21 September 2012. Date offers made: Tuesday, 9 October 2012.

Baker & McKenzie has Australian offices in Melbourne and Sydney. Globally, Baker & McKenzie has 70 offices in 42 countries. Main practice areas: Banking & Finance, Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Energy, Resources, Infrastructure and Corporate, Environmental Markets and Technology, Communications and Commercial. Application information: CV mail including cover letter and CV Applications open: 9:00 am on Monday, 16 July 2012. Applications close: Midnight on Sunday, 12 August 2012.

Summer Clerkship: Late November 2012 until late December 2012. Winter Clerkship: Late June 2013 until late July 2013. Length of Clerkships: 4 weeks. Number of Positions Offered: Approximately 10 positions are offered for each clerkship. Signatory to the LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes 101

fir m p r ofile carina ford immigration lawyers Contact: Carina Ford Principal Email: accounts@carinafordlawyers.com

Office address: PO Box 2539 Footscray VIC 3011 28 Hall Street, Newport VIC 3015 www.carinafordlawyers.com Website:

Contact: Vanessa Barnett Graduates and L&D Co-ordinator Email: vbarnett@claytonutz.com

Office address: Level 18, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000 9286 6755 Phone: Website: www.claytonutz.com

Office locations:

Summer Program

Office locations:

Melbourne

Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Darwin, Hong Kong

Environment, Property, Administrative/Public Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Practice & Procedure, Corporate/Tax Litigation, Defamation, IP/IT Litigation, Medico-Legal, Product Liability and Recovery & Insolvency

Main practice areas:

102

firm profile clayton utz

4 Weeks – 26 Nov 2012 to 21 Dec 2012 4 Weeks – 07 Jan 2013 to 1 Feb 2013

Primarily Immigration Law with some refugee law work undertaken

Winter Program 4 Weeks – June/July 2012

Application information:

Intake: 1-2 persons per program

Opening date: Monday 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 Interviews: September 2012 Offers made: 9 October 2012 Apply via: Email (include cover letter, resume, and transcript of results)

Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

Main practice areas: Banking, Construction, Government Services, Information Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Energy and Resources, SIMI (Superannuation, Insurance, Managed Investments), Transport and Logistics, Utilities, Competition Law, Commercial Law, Corporate law/Equity Finance, Intellectual Property Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Native Title, Privatisation and Corporatisation, Taxation Law, Workplace Relations and Employment Law, Environment and Planning Law, Debt Finance, Derivatives, E-commerce, Insurance, Major Projects, Managed Investments, Project Finance, Securitisation, Stamp Duty, Structured Finance, Superannuation, Construction, Planning &

Application information: Opening date: 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 Interview period: 20 August to 31 August 2012 Date offer made: 9 October 2012 Application method: Covering letter, CV and Academics to be sent through cvMail at www.cvmail.com.au Date and duration: 3.5 weeks. Summer - 29 November to 21 December. Winter TBA intake: 16 - 20 each period Signatory to the LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes 103

firm profile Corrs chambers westgarth

Office address: 140 William St Melbourne VIC 3000 9274 5628 Phone: Fax: 9274 5111 Website: www.dlapipergraduates.com.au

Application information:

Office locations:

Application information:

Opening date: Monday 16 July 2012 Due date: Sunday 29 July 2012 Interview period: August & September Tuesday 9 October 2012 Date offer made: Application method: All applications should be made via www.corrs.com.au/careers

Australia: Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Globally: Asia Pacific, Europe, USA, Middle East

Applications open: 16 July 2012 Applications close: 12 August 2012 Interview period: 3 September 2012 - 14 September 2012 Date offer made: 9 October 2012 Application method: www.dlapiper.com or cvMail Summer program: Approximately 14 positions, from November - December 2012 and January - February 2013 Approximately 14 positions, Winter program: June - July 2013

Phone: 9672 3000 Website: www.corrs.com.au

Office locations: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth

Corporate and Finance (Taxation, Corporate Advisory, Banking and Finance), Property and Development (Construction, Planning, Environment and Local Government, Property and Infrastructure), Litigation and Workplace Relations (Litigation, Workplace Relations, Intellectual, Property, Technology and Competition)

104

Contact: Samantha Clark Graduate and Support Coordinator Email: samantha.clark@dlapiper.com

Lisa Schultze, HR Adviser Contact: Email: lisa.schultze@corrs.com.au Office address: Bourke Place, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Main practice areas:

firm profile dla piper

Summer program: December 2012 and January / February 2013 Winter program: June / July 2013 intake: Approximately 20 per clerkship (3 per year) in Melbourne

Main practice areas: Commercial Contracts, Construction, Corporate, Finance, Intellectual property, International Trade, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Projects and Infrastructure, Real Estate, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Restructuring, Tax, Technology and Media, Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety

Signatory to the LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes 105

firm profile freehills

firm profile gilbert + tobin

Contact: Carla Ragonesi Graduate Recruitment Consultant Email: recruitmentmelb@freehills.com

Office address: 101 Collins Street, Melbourne Phone: 9288 1905 Website: www.freehills.com

Contact: Emma Garmston People Co-ordinator Email: clerkships@gtlaw.com.au

Office address: 2 Park Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000 Phone: 02 9263 4067 Website: me.gtlaw.com.au

Office locations:

Application information:

Office locations:

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Singapore. Associated offices in Jakarta, Beijing, Shanghai, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Opening Date: 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 September 2012 Interviews: Offers made: 9 October 2012 Apply via: cvmail. Summer Program December 2012 February 2013 Winter Program Winter 2013

Melbourne, Sydney, Perth

Application method: Summer program: Winter program:

Main practice areas:

Clerkship details:

Banking & Finance, Communications & Technology, Competition & Regulation, Corporate Advisory, Energy & Resources, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Pro Bono, Real Estate & Projects, Tax

Dates: our clerks have the option of completing either a short or longer term placement with us. The short term clerkship is approx 4 weeks working in our Melbourne office, the longer term clerkship is 10 weeks (with the option to work in both our Melbourne & Sydney offices)

Main practice areas: Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Competition & Market Regulation, Employee Relations, Energy & Resources, Environment & Planning, Infrastructure Projects, Intellectual Property, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Property, Restructuring, Turnaround & Insolvency, Technology, Media & Telecommunications.

106

20-25 positions each period. Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

Application information: Opening date: Due date: Interview period: Date offer made:

13 June 2012 13 July 2012 August/September 2012 21 September

cvmail.com.au Dec - Feb N/A

Intake: Approximately 20 clerks will be recruited between our Melbourne & Sydney offices

107

firm profile herbert geer

firm profile hall & wilcox Contact: Miranda Cawse HR Advisor Email: miranda.cawse@hallandwilcox.com.au

Office address: Level 30, 600 Bourke Street  Melbourne 3000 Phone: 9603 3555 Website: www.hallandwilcox.com.au

Office locations:

Application information:

Hall & Wilcox is a Melbourne-headquartered firm.

Opening date: Due date: Offers made:

Main practice areas: Accident Compensation Litigation, Banking & Finance, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Competition & Consumer Law, Corporate & Commercial , Employment , Environment & Sustainability, Financial Services, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Private Clients, Property, Planning & Construction, Sports & Entertainment, Superannuation, Taxation We also have areas of industry focus. These include: Agribusiness, Education & Training, Energy & Resources, Franchising, Retail & Distribution, Technology

108

16 July 2012 12 August 2012 9 October 2012.

Apply: via cvmail or the firm’s website: Applications will only be accepted via cvMail. Candidates are required to submit a cover letter, resume and academic transcript. Candidates are also asked to respond to some specific questions. Summer program / Winter program - Each year Hall & Wilcox runs two seasonal clerkship programs – winter and summer. We offer 16-20 clerkship positions annually. (Winter 8-10 positions and Summer 8-10 positions).

Contact: Kathryn Bonning Human Resources Consultant Email: kbonning@herbertgeer.com.au

Office address: Level 20, 385 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Phone: 9641 8905 Website: www.herbertgeer.com.au

Office locations:

Interviews:

Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

First Round – Week commencing 17 September 2012 Second Round – Week commencing 1 October 2012 Offers made: 9 October 2012

Main practice areas: Banking & Finance, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Corporate, Employment, Workplace Relations and Safety, IP, Technology and Entertainment, Projects and Construction, Property Services, Superannuation, Tax, Tax Litigation, Workplace and Insurance Services.

Summer Program: 26 November – 21 December 2012 Intake: 12 – 14positions.

Application information:

Apply via: cvmail.Submit CV & Covering letter.

Opening Date: Due Date:

Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? No

16 July 2012 12 August 2012

Signatory to the LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guidelines? Yes.

109

firm profile hunt & hunt Contact: Marnie Harper Officer Manager Email: mharper@hunthunt.com.au

Office address: Level 26, 385 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 8602 9200 Website: www.hunthunt.com.au

Office locations:

Application information:

Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin, Shanghai

Opening date: Monday 16 July 2012 9am Due date: 10 August 2012 5pm Interviews: Commencing 10th September 2012 Offers made: 9 October 2012 Apply via: E-Mail

Main practice areas: Aged Care, Asset and Succession Planning, Banking and Finance, Corporate and Commercial, Customs, Trade and Transport, Dust Diseases, Employment and Workplace Relations, Environment and Planning, Family Law, Infrastructure and Projects, Insolvency and Debt Recovery, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Internet and Digital Technologies, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Migration, Occupational Health and Safety, Property, Taxation, Wills and Estates, Workers Compensation 110

Summer Program December 2012 Winter Program June/July 2013 4 persons per program Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

firm profile lander & rogers Contact: Natalie Colton Recruitment Consultant Email: ncolton@landers.com.au

Office address: Level 12 Bourke Place 600 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Phone: 9269 9333 Website: www.landers.com.au

Office locations:

Apply via: cvmail.Submit CV & Covering letter.

Melbourne & Sydney Main practice areas: Corporate Advisory, Commercial Disputes, Family & Relationship Law, Insurance Law & Litigation, Property, Projects & Infrastructure, Workplace Relations & Safety, WorkCover. Application information: Opening Date: Due Date: Interviews: Offers made:

16 July 2012 12 August 2012 13 – 27 September 2012 9 October 2012

Summer Program: 19 November – 14 December 2012 21 January – 15 February 2013 Winter Program 24 June – 19 July 2013 Intake:

10 – 12 positions each period.

Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

111

firm profile king & wood mallesons Anna Henderson Contact: Graduate Resourcing Consultant Email: anna.henderson@au.kwm.com

Office locations: Beijing, Brisbane, Canberra, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Jinan, London, Melbourne, New York, Perth, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, Suzhou, Sydney, Tianjin, Tokyo Main practice areas: Banking & Finance, Competition/Antitrust, Corporate/M&A, Employment Law & Industrial Relations, Energy, Resources & Projects, Government & Public, Insolvency & Restructuring, Intellectual Property, International Trade & Investment, investment Management, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Construction & Environment, Securities & Capital Markets, Taxation, Superannuation & Pensions, Telecommunications, Media, Entertainment & Technology

Office address: Level 50 Bourke Place 600 Bourke Street Melbourne, VIC, 3000 Phone: 9643 5544 Website: www.kwm.com

Application information: Opening date: 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 Interview period: Late August 2012 Date offer made: 9 October 2012 Application method: Applications can be made via our online application system at www.kwm.com/ careers.

SHAPE YOUR WORLD

Also ‘like’ our graduate facebook page, https:// www.facebook.com/KingWoodMallesons, to receive recruitment updates. Summer program: Winter program:

Yes Yes

King & Wood Mallesons offers three clerkships; in November/December 2012, January/February 2013 and July 2013. Approximately 80 – 90 clerks will participate in the program.

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firm profile maddocks Contact: Email:

Office address: 140 William Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 9240 0740 Phone: Website: www.maddocks.com.au

Contact: Lauren Cations Human Resource Coordinator Email: recruitent@mauriceblackburn.com.au

Office address: Level 10, 456 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Phone: 9605 2700 Website: www.mauriceblackburn.com.au

Office locations:

Offers made:

9 October 2012

Application information:

Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Apply via:

cvmail

Main practice areas:

Spring Intake November/December 2012

Office locations: VIC – Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, Greensborough, Reservoir, Ringwood, Sunshine, Wangaratta, Mildura and Traralgon. NSW/ACT – Sydney CBD, Canberra and Paramatta. QLD – Brisbane CBD, Browns plains, Cairns, Caboolture, Ipswich, Mackay, Maroochydore, Rockhampton, Southport, Strathpine and Townsville.

Chloe Foster Graduate Coordinator – People & Culture chloe.foster&@maddocks.com.au

Commercial (Tax, Insolvency, Private Client Services, M&A, Banking and Finance, Superannuation, IPT and Health), Commercial Disputes (Tax Controversy), Construction & Development, Employment Safety & People, Property, Public Law (Planning & Governance, State Government, Commonwealth). Application information: Opening Date: Due Date: 114

firm profile maurice blackburn

16 July 2012 12 August 2012

Summer Intake January/February 2013 Winter Intake June/July 2013 Intake:

20 – 24 positions in total.

Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

Main practice areas: Asbestos Diseases; Class Actions & Major Cases; MB Commercial; Employment & Industrial Law; Medical Negligence; Road Accident Injuries; Public Liability; Superannuation & Insurance Claims; Social Justice Practice; Wills & Probate; Work Related Injuries.

Opening date: Due date: Interviews: Offers made:

16 July 2012 12 August 2012 Late September 2012 9 October 2012

Apply via:

Firm Website

Summer Program December 2012 Winter Program June 2013 10 – 15 positions each period. Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes 115

firm profile middletons Contact: Email:

Office address: Level 25, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne Phone: 9205 2000 Website: www.middletons.com

Contact: Liz Atchison Graduate Resourcing Manager Email: liz.atchsion@minterellison.com

Rialto Towers 525 Collins Street Office address: Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 8608 2000 Website: www.minterellison.com

Office locations:

Offers made:

Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney

Apply via our careers page http://www.middletons. com/careers/

Office locations: Adelaide, Beijing, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington, as well as London, Hong Kong, Shanghai & Ulaanbaatar.

Please note these numbers are approximate and subject to change.

Main practice areas: Our main areas of legal practice nationally include Commercial and Regulatory, Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Environment & Planning, Finance, Government, Human Resources & Industrial Relations, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Investment & Financial Services, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Resources & Energy, Tax, Technology & Communications, Tourism & Leisure.

Will the firm be making priority offers? Yes

Frances Mantello Human Resources Advisor frances.mantello@middletons.com

Main practice areas: Banking and financial services, corporate and commercial, energy and resources, insurance, intellectual property, information technology and telecommunications, litigation, mergers and acquisitions/capital markets, projects and infrastructure, property and development and workplace relations. Application information: Opening date: 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 Interviews: 27 August to 7 September 2012

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firm profile minter ellison

9 October 2012

Clerkship details: Summer program 1 - 19 November 2012 (4 weeks) Summer program 1 - 28 January 2013 (3 weeks) Winter program - 17 June 2013 (4 weeks) Approximately 10 per intake

Application information: Number of seasonal clerk positions: Summer: 25 Winter: 25

Is the firm a signatory to the LIV Traineeship Guidelines 2012? Yes

Seasonal clerkship applications: Apply online at www.minterellison.com/careers Applications open: Monday 16 July 2012 Application close: Sunday 12 August 2012 All applications are submitted online, emailed applications are not considered Seasonal Clerkship Dates 3 weeks: Summer Clerkship Program: 26 November 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 December 2012 Winter Clerkship Program: 24 June 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 July 2013 117

firm profile norton rose Lisa Millar Contact: HR Advisor Email: lisa.millar@nortonrose.com

485 Bourke Street Office address: Melbourne Victoria 3000 8686 6003 Phone: Website: www.nortonrose.com

Office locations:

Application information:

Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth. Norton Rose also has numerous offices globally.

Opening date: 16 July 2012 Due date: 12 August 2012 Interviews: 3 September – 28 September Offers made: 9 October 2012 cvmail. Submit CV & Covering Apply via: letter.

Main practice areas: Banking and finance, Construction and engineering, Corporate , Employment and labour, Environment and planning, Financial and investment services, Insurance, Intellectual property, Litigation and dispute resolution, Real estate, Restructuring and insolvency, Retail and brands, Technology and telecommunications

Summer Program 10 week program running from 26 November Intake: 17 positions for Melbourne office in 2012/2013. Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

Our world is demanding, innovative and supportive. nortonrosegraduates.com NR11973

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firm profile russell kennedy Contact:

Angelika Wyrwa Learning & Development / Graduate Recruitment Officer

Office locations:

Application information:

Kemp Strang – Sydney, ThynneMacartney – Brisbane, Lynch Meyer – Adelaide

Open: Monday 16 July 2012, 9.00 am Due: Sunday 12 August 2012, midnight Offers made: 9.00 am Tuesday, 9 October 2012 Apply via: Via the careers section of the firm’s website www.rk.com.au

Main practice areas: Banking and Finance, Building and Construction, Commercial Litigation, Corporate and Commercial Law, E-commerce, Employment and Workplace Relations, Equal Opportunity and Discrimination, Government and Administrative Law, Health and Aged Care, Immigration Law, Information Technology, Insolvency, Insurance, Intellectual Property, International Trade, Leasing, Planning, Environment and Local Government, Privacy, Private Client Services, Property and Development, Taxation, Duties and Grants, Telecommunications, Transport and Logistics, Water Law and Wills and Estate Planning

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Email: humanresources@rk.com.au Phone: 9609 1555 Website: www.rk.com.au

Summer program Intake 1 (4 weeks) 19 November, 2012 to 14 December, 2012 (10 clerks) Intake 2 (4 weeks) 14 January, 2013 to 8 February, 2013 (10 clerks) Winter program 3 weeks - 1 July, 2013 to 19 July, 2013 (10 clerks) Signatory to the LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guidelines? Yes

firm profile thomsons lawyers Contact: Carolyn Butcher Human Resource Manager Email: cbutcher@thomsonslawyers.com.au

Office address: Level 39, Rialto South Tower 525 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 8080 3500 Website: www.thomsonslawyers.com.au

Office locations:

Apply via: Careers page of Firm Website.

Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane. Main practice areas: Banking & Finance, Construction, Corporate & Commercial, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Employment & Safety, Environment & Planning, Health & Aged Care, Hospitality & Gaming, Insolvency, Intellectual Property, Advertising & Technology, Property & Development and Tax. Application information: Opening date: Due date: Interviews: Offers made:

16 July 2012 12 August 2012 Mid September 2012 9 October 2012

Selection process will consist of initial application, a partner panel interview process and a ‘meet and greet’ selection event. Summer Program

November – December 2012 January – February 2012

5 positions each period.

Signatory to LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guideline? Yes

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matching ambition

with opportunity

GO FURTHER? You’ve worked hard. Done well. You have ambition. You can match your ambition with the many opportunities at Ashurst. Ask us how. Justine Lewis Recruitment Consultant Tel +61 3 9679 3594 justine.lewis@ashurst.com

www.ashurst.com/graduates

blake dawson is ashurst, australia’s new global law firm.

At Corrs, we look for opportunities in All tHe rigHt plACes. to see wHere visit corrs.com.au/graduates

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WITH A GLOBAL COMMUNITY Join a law firm that is truly going places With 4,200 lawyers in 77 offices and 31 countries around the world, working at DLA Piper means opportunities to work with world class companies on major projects both here and overseas. You’ll also benefit from cutting-edge learning and development programs, and work alongside some of the best legal minds around. Take the first step to a global career and visit www.dlapipergraduates.com.au to learn more.

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Our world is demanding, innovative and supportive. nortonrosegraduates.com NR12242

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