One of Australia’s biggest law firms is looking again at whether to enter the UK market – as well as seeking to bring British lawyers down under.
Shine Lawyers, which has more than 1,000 staff working from 60 offices in Australia and New Zealand, said it is monitoring the UK market and ‘carefully considering’ a number of opportunities in this country.
The listed firm was expected a decade ago to follow its domestic rival Slater and Gordon to the UK, but despite repeated speculation about mergers or office openings, the move never happened.
Chief legal officer Lisa Flynn hinted that this situation may change if the chance came about to expand. ‘The UK jurisdiction is one that we have always been interested in. It is a common law jurisdiction and has a much larger population,’ said Flynn. ‘This could provide the synergy and opportunity for us to enter the UK at some stage. However – it is critical that we make the best strategic decisions for the firm, at the right time. We will continue to learn as much as we can about this jurisdiction before making any further plans in this respect.’
In the meantime, however, difficulties in finding domestic talent has prompted Shine to cast the net to the UK looking for lawyers to move to Australia and New Zealand.
Flynn said that post-pandemic people may be reflecting on their lives and seeking a change, and the firm thinks it can capitalise on that with a direct pitch to UK lawyers to emigrate.
Chief operating officer Jodie Willey said: ‘We are a growing business keen to keep building on our quality line up, but challenged by the war for talent in the current climate.
‘We thought we’d tap into a different talent pool to solve the problem, mindful of the desire of many UK lawyers to make the move abroad, off the back of much reform in their jurisdiction. The lawyers we have recruited from the UK have added to the richness of our team. It has exposed our people to UK legal practices and how things work in that jurisdiction. It is always a bonus when we expand our knowledge bases to ensure we best serve our clients with a global mindset.’
The firm’s standard-bearer for its recruitment drive is Emma Crouch, acting general manager of the Queensland practice who moved from Manchester 21 years ago after seeing a job advertised in the Gazette.
Crouch said: ‘I had recently travelled to Australia on holiday with my then boyfriend (now husband) and loved everything about the country. I had been enjoying working as a PI lawyer in Manchester for four years but when the Shine recruitment advert appeared in the Gazette and my colleague threw the publication over the desk to me it felt like fate. I went for an interview that lunchtime and have never looked back.’
Pictured above: Shine Lawyers chief legal officer Lisa Flynn (left) and chief operating officer Jodie Willey
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