Patrick McGregor

FP Makes the Move Down Under

Former Pupil Patrick McGregor (Class of 2009) recently moved to Sydney, Australia, where he now works in the same team as another High School FP! After leaving the High School in 2009, Patrick studied Law at the London School of Economics and the College of Law. He then went on to join the magic circle law firm, Linklaters. After ten years in London, Patrick took his love for travelling one step further and in January moved across the ocean to Sydney, Australia. He now works as a Senior Associate in the same team as Lauren Chamberlain (née Pringle), who was in the same class as Patrick at school.

What led you into law and to making the move to Sydney?

I moved down to London for university immediately after leaving the High School and used to walk through the Inns of Court and the City of London on the way to lectures. I was attracted to the buzz of the world of law and finance and that led me to join a law firm in the City – Linklaters - where I was lucky enough to spend time working in the firm's offices in London and the United Arab Emirates. After completing my two-year training contract, I qualified as a lawyer and joined the corporate group within the firm where I worked on lots of big and exciting transactions covering every part of the globe, including as a secondee at Morgan Stanley, the investment bank. I've always thought that travelling far and often is hugely beneficial in so many ways, and so the opportunity to move from London to a new and exciting city was very appealing. My fiancé is also Australian, so that helped, and we thought that we could do with a wee bit more sun!

What does your role with Allens involve?

I work in the Mergers, Acquisitions & Capital Markets team at Allens, which is the Australian sister firm of Linklaters. We advise on the big public takeovers of listed companies that make the newspaper headlines, as well as the private ones that typically don't. We also advise on big infrastructure projects and raising money in the capital markets. We are brought in to solve the legal and commercial problems involved in putting together, negotiating, and closing those transactions. Think Suits, except much less glamour and imagine all the events of one episode stretched out across six months!

What has life been like in Australia this year?

Setting up a new life in a new country between bushfires and a pandemic hasn't exactly been a typical transition, but the dramatic shift out of office life earlier in the year has allowed me to enjoy some of the amazing outdoor opportunities on offer here in Australia. Surfing (very badly) before work as a corporate lawyer certainly isn't something that I ever imagined might be possible, but it is! The international border is firmly shut but the country has been remarkably lucky and has escaped most of the health crisis. That has meant that we've had the chance to explore some of Australia, which has been great. Next on the list is Tasmania, which I'm told looks remarkably similar to home!

What are some of your High School memories?

It really doesn't feel like all that long ago that I left. I remember spending a lot of time running between the Margaret Harris Building and Mayfield with all my kit and bags (looking like Dick van Dyke with his drumkit etc. in Mary Poppins) as I attempted to juggle my time between rugby and playing in the school orchestra and bands! I also remember Mr. Wilson's (former head of history) Oscar-worthy pep talks. They were an intended kick up the bum to get us to focus on our upcoming exams, but I think they really stuck with a lot of us. We also used to have a real laugh in Mr. Fyall's classes, although I'm not sure how he coped with us. And I've probably got to blame Mr. McCulloch (former head of economics), at least in part, for pursuing a career in the City (a path that a number of us in the class ended up taking).