DLA Piper

What was your journey to DLA Piper?

I first learnt about DLA Piper during university. I spoke to one of DLA Piper’s graduates at a clerkship careers event and I was really interested to hear about their work in the life sciences sector. Given they were the only person I had spoken to that night who had had experience in intellectual property law and life sciences, I remember thinking that DLA Piper’s sector specialties aligned with my interests. After that event, I had decided to apply for a clerkship at DLA Piper.

After going through the clerkship process, I joined DLA Piper as a summer clerk in 2021-2022, rotating in the Corporate and Intellectual Property and Technology (IPT) teams. As a clerk, I had the opportunity to work on a deal relating to the acquisition of an infrastructure debt investment management platform, which involved collaborating with lawyers, including our colleagues at DLA Piper, in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. I also worked on a large litigation relating to the medical devices industry during my summer clerkship, which was a fascinating insight into regulatory issues in the medical devices space. After the clerkship, I stayed on as a paralegal in the IPT team while I was completing my studies and continued to work on that litigation. Later in 2024, I returned to DLA Piper to start the graduate program in Sydney after a year spent studying and travelling in Asia and South America.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Currently, I am completing a rotation in the IPT team and I really enjoy the huge variety of work that comes into the team. The lawyers in the team have a range of specialities including life sciences, privacy and data protection, commercial contracting, and a broad range of regulatory and advertising matters. This is beneficial for me as a junior as I get exposure to a wide range of legal issues and industries, including some really well known clients.

It is really cool to work on matters for clients whose products and services I have used or which align really closely with my interests. For example, I have worked on a number of intellectual property infringement disputes on behalf of a renowned children's book franchise, which I read keenly as a child. It was fascinating to learn about how that franchise protects its stories and characters through registered trade marks and copyright. 

The IPT practice group also has a number of international focus sectors, which means that our colleagues in other offices often engage us to collaborate on matters that have a global reach. For instance, I have worked on matters for a major professional sports league in the US, advising on how its advertising initiatives could be rolled out in Australia.

Being in the IPT practice group also means that I learn about some very niche regulations in Australia and around the world, which are great general knowledge facts for any dinner conversation. One day, I could be conducting research into the efficacy of marketing claims regarding non-alcoholic wines and the next day, I could be reviewing patent specifications for products used in the mining industry. 

I like how topical the sectors are and really enjoy discussing updates in a sector with the team as my colleagues are genuinely passionate about their sector specialties.

What does an average day look like for you?

I like to start the day with a morning run or power walk. I love being outdoors so being active and having a good podcast on energises me for the day ahead. 

I get to the office at around 9. First, I quickly check my emails to see if there were any developments overnight and have a chat to my colleagues who sit near me. Then, I have a quick breakfast consisting of oats, chia seeds, nuts and some fruits from the fruit bowl. On Wednesday, the Sydney office does a delicious hot breakfast which is a nice treat and a great way to catch up with colleagues in the staff kitchen. 

After that, I get stuck into work. The IPT team is a fast paced team and the work varies day to day so I usually check in with my supervising partner and senior lawyers to make sure I'm prioritising the right things each day. Usually I try to work on more time consuming tasks like drafting court documents, contracts review or research in the morning while my brain is at its sharpest.

When mid morning rolls around, I'll either attend meetings as required or grab a quick coffee from the staff kitchen. Then I try to finish off what I'm working on before lunch. I always bring a packed lunch and eat with my grad cohort (who are a bunch of absolute legends) or other friends. 

In the afternoon, I will carry on with my to do list and it usually includes reviewing marketing materials for one of our clients. Most days, I log off at around 6pm, which gives me an opportunity to catch up with friends over dinner or play social netball and tennis before calling it a day. 

How did you find the clerkship and graduate programme at DLA Piper?

I had a great experience during my clerkship program and my graduate program has been very rewarding so far. As a clerk, I had so many opportunities to get involved in some complex matters, attend client meetings and work with colleagues in other DLA Piper offices. I liked how friendly everyone in the office is and I got to meet many people at office events and coffee catch ups, which gave me a good sense of how the firm operates and what each practice group's specialties are. 

As a graduate, I have had so many wonderful opportunities which were beyond my wildest dreams when I was at university. For example, in my first graduate rotation, I worked on an arbitration in which we represented a related entity of the United Nations in a dispute in relation to the delivery of goods to a country currently involved in an armed conflict. I had the opportunity to help draft submissions, interview witnesses and play a significant role in the hearing. The team I worked with were really talented and I learnt a lot about strategy in dispute resolution and being a good junior lawyer.

I have found all the staff at the firm to be really supportive and great teachers. In my experience, everyone I have worked with have taken the time to teach me new skills and give me feedback on tasks. In addition to on the job training, the firm runs regular graduate development sessions to help sharpen our technical skills as well as inform our career choices and development.

At the same time, the partners and senior lawyers are approachable and take a genuine interest in my development, which motivates me to work harder. It is a great feeling to come to work everyday and know that I get to work with people who are intelligent, curious and open minded. 

What are 3 pieces of advice you'd give to students applying today?

Tell your story: It is so important to be 100% yourself when writing applications and attending interviews. If you can tell your story well and include some memorable anecdotes or hobbies, it can help you stand out against other equally impressive candidates.

Read the news: Knowing what is happening in the world is so beneficial, not just in a commercial law environment but also it helps you gain different perspectives on current affairs and exposes you to topics and ideas that could influence your career and life goals. 

Get real world experience: Whether it’s a part time job in retail, a volunteer role in a remote community or backpacking, the greater your exposure to different parts of our society, the better placed you will be to collaborate with diverse colleagues and assist your clients. 

Everyone at DLA Piper has the opportunity to make an impact and shape their career by exploring their unique interests, whilst being meaningfully supported and challenged along the way. 

What was your journey to DLA Piper? 

After I left high school, I took a gap year to start my own small business providing ethically sourced clothing. The experience was incredibly rewarding! I had the opportunity to design clothes, build relationships with fabric providers in Africa and South Asia and I had the freedom to work independently. Once I began my Bachelor of Laws degree, I realised that while I enjoyed being part the fashion world, a career in commercial law was more appealing. In commercial law, I would have the chance to continue to work independently, work with large clients (think blue chip companies) and the matters would be varied and engaging.

DLA Piper stood out to me because in all my interactions with the firm, the people were genuine and made an effort to get to know me. During the interview process, my interviewing partner was interested in learning about my background and appreciated the fact that I had an unconventional journey to law.

I clerked in the Litigation and Regulatory team in 2020 and was invited back as a paralegal in 2021. Eventually I was invited to join the firm as a Graduate in 2022

What’s the coolest thing about your job? 

The variety of transactions and clients I get to work with! The firm encourages people to speak up if they have an interest in a particular area of law or a team, I expressed my interest in doing front end work and renewable energy work. As a result, I’ve rotated in Corporate (M&A), Projects (with a focus on renewable energy works) and am currently in Finance.

Our transactions often involve foreign jurisdictions. As a Graduate I regularly engage directly with our clients or counterparties. I particularly enjoy front-end work as our clients and counterparties have the same goal, so we all work collaboratively or (try to) negotiate a middle ground.

During my Graduate rotations I’ve been exposed to a wide range of matters. In my first rotation in the Corporate (M&A) team I was involved in a transaction where a small Australian medical technology company was acquired by a multinational pharmaceutical and biotech company. For that transaction, I was involved in drafting contracts, drafting shareholder documents and regularly attended meetings with all parties (although the timing was a bit tricky given the different time zones). In my second rotation in Projects, I was heavily involved in renewable energy work. This may be surprising to hear given that WA is known for its mining sector! The most memorable experience was when we advised a multinational consumer goods company on the construction and management of a refinery plant which will enable the company to reduce its use of palm oil.