Why did you come to Flex?

Flex is a business model that suits my own need to work flexibly and my desire to contribute my skills across a broad range of industries.

I wanted to align myself with a solution that helps address the shifting legal service landscape. Clients have new needs and expectations, and I believe the innovation and convenience Flex offers will deliver exceptional service to clients, and lawyers like myself.

What’s the biggest benefit for lawyers involved in Flex?

The opportunity to immerse myself within a client environment and to form part of an in-house team has provided me with an incredible opportunity to gain insights into our clients’ operations and their strategic challenges and imperatives. 
It’s very satisfying to see your contribution make a positive impact. The diversity of clients and industries that I’ve been able to support has made the experience even more rewarding.

How does MinterEllison support you as a Flex lawyer?

The Flex team are terrific at matching me to particular clients, because they take the time to understand my experience, skills and career goals, as well as the more practical aspects of being a flexible contractor, such as work location or availability.

I like that ongoing training opportunities are made available and I am encouraged to seek the advice of my colleagues with subject matter expertise to broaden what I can offer. When on secondment I’m fully supported to provide the best possible service to the client, and when I’m between secondments I’m kept up-to-date with upcoming projects.

What makes a good Flex lawyer?

The ability to quickly get up-to-speed with an industry and a client’s operations, and to build strong internal stakeholder relationships. Make yourself accessible, embrace your curiosity, communicate effectively, and act as a member of the team - not an outside advisor. The more effort you make to reach out, the more information that you have about a client’s operations and its commercial goals, the more readily you will gain the client’s respect by advising in a concise, nuanced and commercially meaningful way.