Stockland – one of Australia's largest diversified property groups – was implementing a transformation program for its conveyancing team, including the roll out of e-contracting and PEXA across four states.
MinterEllison Flex provided lawyers to support Stockland through this process and to cover a parental leave position. Through FY19, Stockland used two Flex lawyers, Lani Sutherland and Linda Martin, who assisted with activities such as updating compliance plans, on-boarding protocols, reviewing training materials, advising on application of Model Participation Rules and associated regulatory material.
Lani and Linda also both served as the Business Lead in relation to an enterprise wide SAP transformation project, managed legal problem solving as the internal escalation point within the national team and oversaw the e-conveyancing program and relationship management with PEXA.
"During the appointment we were fortunate to work with two Flex lawyers who not only contributed significantly to an internal transformation project, but also managed a national team and actively participated in our leadership group. Our colleagues from Flex went beyond filling a resourcing gap and made valuable contributions to our team and the broader organisation. Beyond the day to day requirements for the role they provided a fresh lens to assess risks and opportunities in the business and make connections across the team and leadership group," said Stockland General Counsel and Company Secretary, Katherine Grace.
For Lani Sutherland, working at Stockland as a Flex lawyer offered an agile path when she found herself at a career crossroad.
"It was a great opportunity to work in a team going through significant change. Stockland enabled me to utilise a variety of my skills. More than providing a legal resource, I was able to bring other management and business acumen to the table. It was fantastic to be working on cutting edge programs, and to deal directly with the regulators about it."
Being embraced as part of the team made the working experience particularly special for Lani, as did reporting to a non-lawyer.
"I reported to a former management consultant, which was one of the drawcards for me when I was told about the role. Having worked with and for lawyers for most of my career, it was a wonderful learning experience to work with someone who has the process lens in mind when analyzing things."
For Linda Martin, the flexible culture and variety of work has offered great opportunities.
The team has been so inclusive and 'can do'. I could not have asked for more!”
Linda Martin, Flex Lawyer
"I have thoroughly enjoyed Stockland’s flexible, output focused culture, the collaborative environment with talented colleagues, and the rich mix of legal transactional, digital innovation and business improvement project opportunities. It has been a growth experience for me to report to a manager with a transformative and lateral thinking approach to delivering great outcomes for Stockland. The team has been so inclusive and 'can do'. I could not have asked for more!"
