After a decade-long career as a professional rugby union player, marked by captaincy honours and the pride of representing his country, Michael Wells shares his journey from the rugby pitch to the legal profession. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Michael Wells, an associate at BlackBay Lawyers, about his career as a professional rugby union player. He reflects on his decade-long sporting career, including the honour of representing his country, opens up abou...
Jun 06, 2025•38 min
As a small-firm owner, James d’Apice is walking the road less travelled – not just in terms of his marketing and revenue distribution but also in terms of how he views the firm as an entity. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Gravamen founder and principal James d’Apice to discuss his firm’s journey since its recent inception, its success thus far, whether he’s had a clear vision in mind or has figured the business approach out along the way, what ha...
Jun 05, 2025•32 min
In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Thomson Reuters, host Lauren Croft speaks with Thomson Reuters associate general counsel Janine Cane, Abt Legal global associate general counsel Camille Cedergren, and Thomson Reuters director of legal transformation Tyrilly Csillag about building the right legal tech stack for modern legal teams. From overcoming common implementation challenges to getting leadership buy-in and measuring ROI, building an adaptable, integrated...
Jun 02, 2025•25 min
With many feeling lost and overwhelmed when starting their own law firm, one young lawyer who has navigated these challenges covers key steps to launch and manage your own legal practice with clarity and confidence. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Ahmad Faraj, the principal and senior lawyer at Faraj Defence Lawyers, delving into what inspired him to take the leap and start his own law firm. He shares the surprises and challenges he encountered in his journe...
May 30, 2025•36 min
Many senior in-house lawyers, Adrian Moffatt says, find themselves stuck in what he calls the “GC waiting room”. Here, he fleshes out how best law department leaders can support their growth. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Ausco Modular executive general manager of legal and corporate (APAC) Adrian Moffatt about why he’s so motivated by in-house life, the inherent issues with the leadership bottleneck in-house and why it is a pervasive challenge,...
May 28, 2025•20 min
In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with FTI Consulting, we explore best practices for conducting investigations and regulatory responses and the importance of pivoting from a reactive to a proactive approach to prevention and detection. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Natalie Faulkner, FTI Consulting’s Head of Risk and Investigations, Australia, to discuss the work that she and her team do, why she likes helping organisations “against the bad guys”, ...
May 26, 2025•23 min
Here, a BigLaw partner reflects on what we’ve learnt in the last year and a half from the Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislative changes and what it all means for the market moving forward. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Norton Rose Fulbright partner Alexandra Shields about her work in employment and labour law, the “human element” of such legal practice, what the recent Secure Jobs, Better Pay amendments are and why they were introduced, the key takea...
May 23, 2025•30 min
In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with Elevate Flexible Legal Resourcing, we explore why contracting roles are no longer a stopgap and how legal departments and law firms are staying ahead with adopting agile resourcing strategies. We also delve into the changing attitudes in the industry and what is driving these changes. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the Head of APAC at Elevate Flexible Legal Resourcing, Val Pitt, about her industry insights. Th...
May 21, 2025•21 min
In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, recorded at the 2025 Corporate Counsel Summit, Professor Michael Adams reflects on the myriad issues law departments in tertiary education settings have to grapple with in terms of students’ use of artificial intelligence. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Michael Adams, a former law school dean and general counsel, about students’ use of AI for exams and assessments, the questions that faculties across campuses are having to navig...
May 20, 2025•14 min
In the modern age, we are seeing multiple examples of reactionary legislation being passed based on faulty, after-the-fact reasoning. Lawyers, among others, have a duty to speak out (as servants of the courts and communities) and educate about the implications of passing laws that do not strike the right balance. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back JSA NSW director Andrew Tiedt to discuss the phenomenon of after-the-fact reasoning giving rise to the pa...
May 16, 2025•20 min
In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, recorded at the 2025 Corporate Counsel Summit, SBS senior legal counsel Nicole Choolun reflects on why it is so important for the law department to showcase its risk appetite. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Choolun about the importance of being seen as less risk-averse, legal’s perceptions from other business functions, and balancing one’s risk-averse training against having a greater risk appetite. Choolun also delves into the questions ...
May 14, 2025•10 min
In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Distinctive Finance, we unpack the current economic outlook, including the potential for further interest rate cuts before Christmas and what it could mean for legal professionals looking to get ahead. Host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Christian Goodall and Mitchell Lobb, co-founders and directors of Distinctive Finance. Together, they share how they support legal professionals in building stronger financial future...
May 12, 2025•19 min
A recent report from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) pertaining to government use of messaging apps raises pertinent legal and compliance questions, says one BigLaw partner. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Holding Redlich ACT managing partner Elizabeth Carroll to discuss the latest in government legal work, the recent OAIC report pertaining to government use of messaging apps, whether conversations on commercial apps ca...
May 09, 2025•21 min
Despite progress in recent years to raise awareness of in-house vocational pathways, much work remains to be done, one GC argues. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with University of Adelaide general counsel and executive director of legal services Shanti Berggren about why she is so passionate about the education sector, the ever-present need to increase awareness of in-house vocational pathways for next-generation lawyers, what is missing from career c...
May 07, 2025•22 min
In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with NSB Cyber, we explore how and why it is more important than ever for lawyers and their businesses to better collaborate and engage with experts in the face of myriad cyber security concerns. Host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by NSB Cyber co-founder and chief executive Shane Bell to discuss the work of NSB Cyber, how lawyers are moving past a “set and forget” mindset to cyber matters, the current state of affairs with ...
May 05, 2025•24 min
Here, a leading tax lawyer reflects on the current state of affairs for practitioners, the intangibles and implications from a high-profile High Court proceeding, and what makes tax law such a meaningful vocational pathway. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Corrs Chambers Westgarth head of tax controversy Angelina Lagana about her career in this practice area and what she finds uplifting about it, the headline trends and challenges facing practitioners...
May 02, 2025•25 min
Juggling university life, work commitments, and social activities seems like an impossible task for many law students. However, Aaron Lee argues that with the right strategies, law students can effectively manage their studies without compromising other important aspects of their lives. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Aaron Lee, a fourth-year commerce and law student at the University of NSW and a paralegal in personal injury law, about how his interest in p...
Apr 30, 2025•24 min
In this special episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in partnership with LegalVision, we explore how innovative legal teams can navigate the myriad of legal, ethical, and professional concerns and risks as they adopt and embed artificial intelligence into their practices and processes. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back LegalVision General Manager and Head of Legal Emmanuel Giuffre to discuss how in-house legal teams are managing AI adoption, what they’re hearing from clients across ...
Apr 28, 2025•30 min
With voting now underway for the 2025 federal election, we take a look at the legislative and constitutional requirements governing our electoral processes, the quirks of the Australian system, and what – apart from the beloved “democracy sausage” – makes the Australian way special. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Donald Rothwell of the Australian National University about his work in international law, how our electoral system came to be a...
Apr 24, 2025•33 min
Given the unique needs of clients in family law proceedings, it is fundamental that those in regional and rural Australia have access to the requisite court resources, processes, and, ultimately, access to justice. Much more work, one principal argues, needs to be done to ensure this. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Tiyce & Lawyers principal Michael Tiyce to discuss the political promises that get made to better support those in the regions, t...
Apr 23, 2025•21 min
While one cannot control the external environment, one can control the progress and direction of their legal career. As this BigLaw partner has learnt, putting one’s best foot forward on any given client matter and making the biggest difference one can is the best way to get ahead and open new professional doors. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clifford Chance partner David Clee about his professional journey, the idea of not always following commonl...
Apr 17, 2025•23 min
The complexity of cyber security implications for businesses, and therefore their lawyers, “has exploded” in the last few years, and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) being used in such criminal activity cannot be understated. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Norton Rose Fulbright partner and Australian head of cyber security Annie Haggar to discuss how and why this year is so busy for cyber lawyers, the proliferation of election dis...
Apr 15, 2025•26 min
While some law students may believe that rushing through their degree offers a competitive advantage, this might not be true. Instead, taking a more measured approach to your studies can be beneficial. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Charlotte Carles, a young ambassador for UNICEF Australia and the founder of Gen Z Abroad, about her initial ambition to pursue a legal career, how her deep dive into the mental health challenges facing law students sparked her ...
Apr 09, 2025•32 min
Motivated by issues such as the ongoing housing crisis and workers’ rights, lawyer turned aspiring MP Hannah Thomas is looking to unseat the Prime Minister in Sydney’s inner west. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with a former lawyer and the Greens candidate for the electorate of Grayndler, Hannah Thomas, about the different roles she held as a lawyer, what such varied legal experience taught her, her upbringing in Malaysia and eventual move to Australia a...
Apr 07, 2025•23 min
For Dr Colin James, the legal profession’s relative reluctance to appreciate the impact of trauma in workplaces and educational settings is, in part, due to a “masculinist” history that has fed longstanding stigmas and repression of feelings that may arise as a result of being exposed to trauma in the course of one’s work or study. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with retired legal academic and author Dr Colin James about his long and storied legal career...
Apr 04, 2025•29 min
Having given evidence as an expert witness dozens of times nationally and regionally, Owain Stone understands not only the biggest challenges such experts face when engaged by lawyers but also how best lawyers can work with their experts to achieve optimal outcomes. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Alvarez & Marsal managing director and Australian head – disputes and investigations Owain Stone about how and why he became an expert witness, what su...
Apr 02, 2025•24 min
In Labor’s pre-election budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a ban on non-compete clauses for workers earning less than $175,000. Here, we unpack implications for businesses, workers, and the political climate, as well as the consequences not only for employment law but also for M&A and litigation. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Hall & Wilcox partner Fay Calderone to discuss the announced ban on non-compete clauses for non-high-income ...
Mar 28, 2025•33 min
Jade Hopper, once a former gold medal-winning athlete, has traded the tennis courts for the courtroom. Here, she shares her journey and how her experience as a professional athlete has given her a competitive advantage in the legal field. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Jade Hopper, a special counsel at Nicholes Family Lawyers, about her career as a professional Australian tennis player, the challenges she faced in balancing her law degree with travelling th...
Mar 26, 2025•41 min
In this second episode featuring lawyers turned political candidates, we speak to the asbestos, dust and occupational cancers lawyer looking to return the Queensland-based seat of Capricornia into Labor’s hands. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Maurice Blackburn lawyer Emily Mawson about growing up in a coal mining family, how unionism and justice were ingrained in her at an early age, the importance of standing up for workers, developments in protect...
Mar 24, 2025•24 min
Given the breadth of change to the nature and delivery of legal services in recent years, a lawyer’s connection to clients will be the difference-maker. Practitioners who do not appreciate this, one firm managing director says, will “become extinct”. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back FCW Lawyers managing director Andrew Douglas to discuss the ever-increasing importance of prioritising connected, intimate client relationships against the backdrop of t...
Mar 21, 2025•26 min
