12 years at LOD: Jane loves the flexibility and diverse opportunities

Jane joined LOD right at the beginning, and has created a remarkable 12-year career, where flexibility and diverse opportunities has led Jane to succeed in her family and professional life.

What attracted you to the LOD model?

I came to LOD after a period in private practice and in-house. After many years in-house at the same company I wanted to both move outside my comfort zone but still have time for my husband and three sons. I heard about LOD (Advent), and the model sounded very appealing. The thought of working in different companies and being involved with different aspects of law from a skills development perspective was exciting.

You’ve been with us for over 12 years, what keeps you at LOD?

Flexibility, engagement, doing a lot of new and very interesting work, working in different environments with great clients, challenging myself both intellectually and socially and being able to choose where and what type of work I want to do keeps me at LOD

Tell us about your time with LOD and how it has supported you in your career and your life.

After my first secondment with Advent (LOD), which went for an extended period of time, but in an area I was keen to be in and on a part-time basis, the model ticked all my boxes and I was hooked! Over the 12 years I have been employed as much as I wanted. The team have always offered me jobs in my area of expertise and/or interest and always supported me throughout my time there. During my time with LOD I have been able to work in great roles while taking time off to travel to World Masters Games overseas and recently a month off to volunteer for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. When our last child was doing the HSC I advised LOD I would be taking a year off (and working part-time for a legal publisher) but advised them I would be looking for work after October 2018. They contacted me at this time, and I commenced work with them shortly after. I appreciated that greatly.

However other than the flexibility and engagement I have received, I have also had the opportunity to continue to be fully engaged in the practice of law and be continually challenged and my skills enhanced in my area of expertise and new skills developed in areas I may not have been exposed to if I wasn’t working for a diverse range of entities including several banks, investment companies, life companies and more recently back into private practice. You are unlikely to get this range of work staying with one entity!

How has LOD evolved over the years?

I have been very fortunate to have been dealing with the same people over my time here despite the fact the company has grown significantly. What that means for me is that the evolution has been easy as I still feel like I am involved with a small caring community with people like Jamie Prell, Sofia Khan and Paul Cowling among others. However, the increase in the numbers of lawyers joining LOD, the calibre of lawyers and the diverse range of clients is a testament to LOD.

What sets LOD apart for our competitors? What has contributed to LOD’s success?

The calibre of the people who work in LOD is high but also it appears to me the turnover of staff is low so that makes for a stable environment which means for lawyers that the team knows them and where their skills are, so you are not having secondments offered to you that are not within your expertise or interest. I believe this results in LOD only offering to clients, lawyers who are suitable for the relevant role. (I am aware this is not always the case in other entities of this type.)

How has the industry changed?

There is greater flexibility in the legal environment generally with people able to work from home with the relevant resources at their fingertips. Working from home was not possible when I started working 30 years ago. Also part-time as a lawyer was once seen as something for ‘mothers’ who may not have had ambition to progress but nowadays part-time is not looked at in the same way. There are male and female part-time partners at law firms and men and women who want to work in a re flexible way. LOD offers this.

Congratulations. So happy to have been a part of it for so long!