My Journey at Norton Rose Fulbright

They say “Time flies when you are having fun” and that clearly must be the case with my time at Norton Rose Fulbright. I started work today not expecting to end it filled with nostalgia – but a lovely hamper arrived from the firm wishing me well on my 20th anniversary as a partner …. what? That can’t be right. But it is. This also means it can’t be right that I am 35. Hmmm.

I have had a fantastic time with NRF. I came into the firm 20 years ago having had a bit of rough time:

I had been a lawyer for 7 years then gave that up to go to USC Film School (which was fantastic) then started as a “Creative Executive” at Warner Bros in LA. This was a job I had always dreamed of … but be careful what you dream of … the reality can be different. I decided the world of being a studio exec was not a great cultural fit for me – nothing against Warners – but Hollywood is a tough game.

It was 1999 and the dotcom boom was booming. I moved from Warners to join as COO of a start up. We had a great time and listed it on the ASX in 2000 and thoughts of “never work again” filled my mind. Then the dotcom crash and I never had “never work again” thoughts again. As my equity went south, my interest in the law (and feeding the kids) rekindled at a similar rate.

I decided to “risk-proof” my life and what better way than returning to the law and joining a professional services firm that had been around for 80 years with 85,000 people. I joined Andersen as a partner. 9 months later BOOM …. and I got a lesson in the joint and several liability of partnerships. Also that you cannot risk-proof your life

It was then I joined the predecessor firm of NRF as a partner and it has been all plain sailing since then.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me on my NRF journey, my team members over the years, biz services team-members, my partners, the senior management (who must wonder what crazy idea I am going to pitch this week) and of course my amazing clients. Also thanks to my family and the many others who have helped me and shown such kindness. Everyone has been fantastic – truly.

I have loved every moment and am tremendously grateful for the amazing opportunity I have had to be part of this exceptional firm & wonderful profession

Also (sorry) a plug for my podcast “Web3: From Mystery to Mainstreet” – where I showcase stories of mainstream companies embracing crypto, NFTs & Metaverse https://lnkd.in/dWYZ4gjf