Why choose
LAURA THOMAS
my differnce
WHO CAN I HELP?
Small, medium or large enterprises needing an ad hoc or ongoing legal resource without the need to engage traditional law firms or having to employ a permanent in-house legal counsel;
Existing in-house teams needing additional capacity from another senior in-house lawyer who already “gets it”;
Existing in-house teams looking to fill an expertise gap e.g. employment law or risk management; or
Executives and lawyers looking to have an external challenge function to test out proposals or advices in order to identify gaps and anticipate questions prior to presentation to the Board or business stakeholders.
| Traditional External Law Firm | Me |
|---|---|
| High degree of legal subject matter specialisation. | Interdisciplinary legal practice with a construction, infrastructure and mining industry focus. |
| Outsiders’ understanding of business drivers, risk appetite, strategic objectives and personalities. | Embedded in the business to develop a good understanding of business drivers, risk appetite, strategic objectives and personalities. |
| Long and caveated written advices often needing additional refinement for presentation to internal stakeholders. | Clear and succinct advices which are able to be presented verbally, in writing or both depending on the business’ needs. |
| Time consuming and unpredictable conflict checks. | Low conflict risk. Can get started working sooner. |
| High rates. | Competitive rates. |
| Inflexible hourly billing structures. | Hourly, retainer or fixed fee billing structures. |
| Secondment Model | Me |
|---|---|
| Requirement to interview a number of suggested candidates for suitability. | Pre-existing relationship with clients. |
| Temporary in-house resource for a fixed term with fixed hours. | Ad hoc or ongoing in-house legal resource able to vary hours depending on business requirements from time-to-time. |
| Additional break fees for early termination of secondment term. | Work is either done on an ad hoc basis or with no break fees for terminating retainer. |
| Large fee at end of engagement if business decides to directly employ secondee. | No fee for ongoing engagement after end of original engagement term. |
| Requirement to pay for resource in full even if underutilised or business needs change. | Pay for what you actually use on an hourly, retainer or fixed fee billing arrangements. |
what do I offer
My goal is to be first on the speed dial for business leaders and permanent in-house counsel when they need help on a particular issue. My mantra will be to “take the call” and frame solutions from the “get-go” being “shoulder-to-shoulder” with clients often at the most challenging moments. I want to build a client base that actually looks forward to engaging a lawyer when required as opposed to the usual: “[reluctant sigh] I guess we better call the [censored] lawyers”. I want experienced and sophisticated users of legal services to trust me with their most challenging problems and for them to feel like they are getting legal services that genuinely reflect what clients want.
My business offers a service where business leaders and permanent in-house counsel can be confident that they will get exemplary legal work that has regard to the broader commercial drivers and realities of a particular business. Commercially pragmatic and legally sound solutions beyond just the black letter of the law.
I am someone who you want in the trenches with for a deal, during project delivery or in dispute. Core to this is to develop and nurture long term relationships of mutual trust and confidence with my clients – a real partnership characterised by a deep care and understanding of a client’s particular business reality.
One of the key tenants of my practice is to ask high quality questions to elicit critical information. I have a genuine curiosity about people’s stories, personalities and motivations – fuelled by my interest in psychology and neuroscience. My approach is that by asking the right questions and genuinely understanding my clients’ stories, I can propose a sensible and manageable strategy to go forward with. Providing my clients with this framework usually results in clients feeling back in control - and therefore more comfortable - as they navigate the challenges of modern business.
I also understand that time is a precious commodity for everyone in the business and I always endeavour to provide concise advice in the form requested without excessive and unnecessary detail and caveating.
I look forward to assisting your business achieve its objectives.
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Laura Thomas writes a blog on both legal and non-legal subjects which are of interest to her and may also be of interest to her clients. Read her latest insights here:
