SEARCH
At MinterEllison, collaboration, innovation and opportunity are the foundations of our workplace environment. We welcome people who want exciting careers in high performing teams.
We embrace flexibility and empower all our people to learn, grow and become truly extraordinary. We provide our future leaders with best practice programs to accelerate their development and grow their careers.
MinterEllison people aspire to be our clients' best partner.
Our legal teams are supported in achieving their career goals and ambitions through regular feedback and coaching from partners who are industry experts and leaders in their fields. We facilitate secondments to clients, and within and across our lines of business.
We also develop capability through exposing our people to a broad range of clients and diverse work experiences – this approach supports our people to become our clients' best partner. We also offer learning programs that focus on building business acumen and personal leadership skills in addition to legal skills. We provide financial assistance and paid study leave for approved external courses including post-graduate studies.
What drives you on a daily basis?
Day-to-day, what drives me is the challenging, dynamic and fun team environment.
What opportunities do you have at MinterEllison?
Working here offers many opportunities, the most notable being the ability to learn from some of the best lawyers in the business and working on some of the most interesting and challenging deals in the market. I have a leading Asia-Pacific brand on my CV and access to resources I wouldn't have working at another firm.
Did you start your career with MinterEllison?
I started at MinterEllison three and a half years ago – as a summer clerk, progressing through the graduate program and now in my role as a lawyer.
What advice would you give lawyers thinking about a career at MinterEllison?
Come join us! MinterEllison is a great place to work, with people who value relationships and thrive in an environment that fosters collaborative performance and prioritises people’s happiness as a whole.
How have you found the mentoring of developing lawyers at the firm?
MinterEllison has a culture of continual learning, and this is seen in a whole host of different initiatives for developing lawyers including Continuing Legal Education, team knowledge sharing, senior investment in lawyer development and work and team structures that set people up to succeed.
Have you had any experience working on some of the firm's innovative projects?
I've been lucky enough to have been involved in several innovation projects, including the firm's recent acquisition of the IT consultancy ITNewcom and the provision of IT consulting services as part of MinterEllison's business; being trained in coding and then working on the development of apps; participating in working groups on blockchain at Data61 to develop recommendations to government on use cases for blockchain; and being a part of a collaborative IT / legal team building internal systems, such as the enterprise collaboration software, that challenges the status quo.
Is MinterEllison where it all starts for you? MinterEllison is the place to start your career if:
We asked graduate Gabrielle Chiu
My key driver on a daily basis would be the opportunity to constantly challenge myself, to work collaboratively with my team, to learn from their knowledge and experience so I can better myself as a lawyer, and to truly be our clients' best partner. I am always striving to not only develop my legal skills but to engage with our client's business and cultivate these relationships and my own commercial understanding.
The culture! Not only is MinterEllison one of the largest law firms in Australia and home to a wealth of knowledge and technical experience, high-profile transactions and some of the industry's biggest clients, but it promotes a culture that is second to none. MinterEllison truly upholds the values of collaboration and innovation. The lawyers at MinterEllison care deeply about your personal and professional development. They're also friendly and incredibly personable, which I really value. Not only are you learning from some of the brightest minds in the industry but you are supported across all aspects of your life.
Graduates at MinterEllison are provided with endless opportunities. My key piece of advice to any incoming graduate would be to take advantage of all the opportunities you are presented with - whether it be trying out a practice group that you never thought you would enjoy, going on a secondment, reaching out to areas or people in the firm that you are interested in, or attending peer networking evenings. These experiences are invaluable and will often surprise you. Never be afraid to ask questions and keep challenging the way you think.
As both a graduate and paralegal at MinterEllison, I have been fortunate enough to be involved in some really unique experiences.
I am a keen sportswoman and not only has MinterEllison been supportive in my continuance of playing national touch football, but I have also been able to translate this passion into my work. After reaching out to the Gold Coast office, I had the opportunity to work with the Gold Coast team on the Commonwealth Games for a week. This experience allowed me to travel to the Gold Coast, meet the team, and work independently on a number of venues including the Velodrome and the Convention Centre.
Further, as a paralegal I had the opportunity to go on two secondments - both in very different roles. My first secondment was for a client with a wide range of investments across the entertainment, media and tourism industries and I was able to work directly with the General Counsel. My second secondment was in the healthcare industry working in the governance sphere. Both these experiences allowed me to deal with very different subject matters and create an invaluable network of connections.
I have also been involved with a number of internal opportunities as a graduate. I currently sit on the Sydney Junior Professionals Committee where we are working on developing support networks, providing additional education and networking/social forums for junior professionals. Further, I am a facilitator of the SPARK program which is a pro bono program with the aim of developing the reading and literacy skills of primary school students in underprivileged areas.
The culture of MinterEllison is one that allows us to collaborate, innovate and inspire. The firm focuses on team development and collaboration in our work life which permeates right down to the open-plan set up of the office. This culture extends not only to the lawyers but the wider MinterEllison community. We work in tandem with one another, always learning and challenging each other, thereby enabling us to deliver integrated solutions and tailored advice. The lawyers are highly competent, diverse, approachable and supportive. The MinterEllison culture celebrates achievements across all aspects of life and there is a genuine recognition of the importance of having a balance between work and home.
The graduate program gives us the opportunity to practice a number of different areas of law, to learn from the best lawyers in the field, and network with all types of interesting clients. For me, the graduate program has also been incredibly flexible in that I was able to leverage off my previous experience as a paralegal (in corporate M&A) and settle after my first rotation in the Funds team. It has been supportive of my goals to kick-start my career whilst ensuring that I have substantial training and skill development. The graduate program has achieved a wonderful combination of bespoke training, on-the-job learning and client interaction. It is able to be tailored to each individuals required needs and has far exceeded my expectations.
Our practice group operations teams provide vital support across the business to enable our clients to succeed. Our executive assistants continuously develop their skills through regular coaching and feedback and our in-house learning programs. They also enjoy the support of our wide network of business operations teams, working collaboratively to be our clients' best partner.
What drives you on a daily basis?
My daily driver is my team. I'm incredibly fortunate to work amongst some very skilled and talented people and they inspire me in all that I do here at MinterEllison.
What opportunities exist for you at MinterEllison?
I've had a huge range of opportunities here, all of which have helped me develop my career. Currently I'm benefiting from ongoing specialised training and participation in workshops, regular one-to-one meetings with my direct manager that focus on my monthly KPIs, and my mid-year Annual Growth Plan where I take the lead and can be proactive in setting my goals for the coming year.
Why is MinterEllison a great place to work?
I’ve found that the firm endeavours to identify your individual strengths, embraces them, and finds specific areas where you can apply them to further your personal and professional development.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy being in a position to support and assist my peers as they work towards expanding and improving their roles.
How long have you been at MinterEllison?
I’ve been with MinterEllison for five and a half years. I worked my way into the Practice Team Leader role by starting out as a secretary supporting the Private Equity team.
What advice would you give to other practice group operations staff thinking about a career at MinterEllison?
The best advice I could give anyone considering a career with MinterEllison is to be clear about what areas you want to build your strengths and skills in. Even if you're not currently working in that area, there are always opportunities for you to move and expand into other areas within the firm.
Has MinterEllison’s position on flexible working enabled you to deliver better results and achieve a work/life balance?
Having the convenience of remote access, which makes it just as easy to work from home, means that I can advance my work outside of the office. This also enables me to deliver high quality work and ensures that I'm accessible to my team regardless of my physical location.
How does MinterEllison's approach to innovation play a role in your day-to-day business?
Innovation is crucial in the role of a Practice Team Leader, where you constantly need to find solutions to problems within the team and then implement the initiatives. For example, my team had been facing issues around time sheets and utilisation for some time. Within the first three months of taking on the role of Practice Team leader, I collaborated with the Finance department to design and create a capacity tracking model that reflected true time data. This innovation has now been rolled out nationally and many teams across the firm have benefited as a result.
From Client & Market Growth, Corporate Services, Financial Services, Information Technology, Legal Service Delivery and Talent, our business operations teams help drive MinterEllison's success through firm-wide projects that support our growth, capability and innovation strategies.
Our business operations people are continuously learning and growing through on-the-job feedback and coaching. They also have access to tailored learning modules to develop their skills such as leadership, coaching, feedback and personal brand.
What drives you on a daily basis?
To stay motivated, I need to be continually learning. Each day, I endeavour either to learn something new or contribute in some way to the team or the firm.
What opportunities exist for you here?
At MinterEllison I have the opportunity to continue to develop in my role as a Talent Adviser, and progress my career within the Talent Business Partner team working on some interesting projects.
Why is MinterEllison a great place to work?
MinterEllison is a place where you can bring your whole self to work and feel respected and valued for what you bring to the table.
How long have you been at MinterEllison?
I started at the firm in 2014 as a Coordinator in the Talent Connect team. I learnt a lot in this role and was promoted to Adviser level after a year and a half. I then moved across to the Talent Business Partner team in 2016.
Has MinterEllison’s position on flexible working enabled you to deliver better results and achieve a work/life balance?
Most definitely, yes. I wouldn't have been able to sustain studying and working full-time without my team supporting me in working from home when needed and taking study leave.
MinterEllison talks about its focus on innovation – have you experienced first-hand any innovative practices?
MinterEllison's approach to innovation is all about finding better ways to service our clients. The Empower Program being rolled out across the firm helps each of us find how and where we work at our best. The program encourages you to adopt new ways of working and encourages individuals and teams to find new ways to add value to their clients.
We take the security and privacy of our employee and candidate data very seriously. We recently suspended our use of PageUp (our third party online employee recruitment services provider) upon becoming aware of a data security incident involving PageUp’s platform. However, as part of an ongoing review of the incident by PageUp and other third party forensic experts, various remediation measures have been put into place to secure the PageUp platform. As such, we are assured that the PageUp platform is now safe to use, and we have now recommenced using it.
The review conducted by PageUp and other third party experts uncovered that some personal information stored on PageUp's systems may have been accessed by an unauthorised third party, however, there is no evidence that any personal information (including any personal information relating to any MinterEllison staff member) was transferred out of the PageUp system. The types of personal information that may have been accessed by the unauthorised third party included names, addresses, contact details (such as phone and email addresses), dates of birth and access credentials used for the PageUp site. The information accessed did not include tax file numbers, bank account details nor any other financial information.
Australia's National Identity Support Service, IDCARE, has expressed the view that the risk of identity theft to individuals is ''low''. IDCARE has made recommendations (jointly with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Australian Cyber Security Centre) for steps individuals could take to further reduce the risk of harm. If you would like more information on the PageUp data breach and what additional steps you can take to protect your data please read the Joint Statement by the ACSC, OAIC and IDCARE here.
If you have any questions or concerns in relation to the suspected data breach, please do not hesitate to email privacy@minterellison.com
We are committed to our people and reward them for their contribution.
Total reward
Our total reward program includes market competitive salary packages, incentive pay, salary sacrifice packaging, additional leave programs (SA/SC leave, purchased leave, parental leave) and referral rewards.
We also provide salary continuance insurance and corporate discounts including telecommunications products, financial solutions and travel.
Flexible work practices
We encourage our people to work flexibly to be our clients' best partner - this includes spending regular time at client sites to support their business needs. We also understand our people have a diverse range of personal commitments and we actively support them to balance these with work.
Health and wellbeing
MinterEllison's health and wellbeing program has been recognised for taking a holistic approach to wellness, by employing a wide range of initiatives designed to equip our people with health, safety and wellbeing strategies.
Our people benefit from free gym membership, financial wellbeing information sessions, access to Employee Assistance Programs (also available to their families), subsidised in-house massage and more.
Support for caregivers
MinterEllison supports caregivers through our paid parental leave, carer's leave, emergency childcare, eldercare and working parents programs.
Social
We offer a variety of firm sponsored teams – including touch football, netball, basketball, soccer, skiing, cycling and swimming for those who enjoy an active lifestyle. We host social events throughout the year and also have active social clubs.
Programs, rewards and benefits may differ by location.
At MinterEllison, our people are encouraged to be their own career architect by learning through experience, exposure to others and program participation.
MinterEllison is made up of teams of people who are experts in their fields. Being surrounded by this experience provides opportunities for everyone to collaborate, build their personal capabilities, share their knowledge and diverse experiences in an inclusive environment to inspire others.
We also offer a wide range of learning programs across the business to ensure our people are set up for success. We believe that continuous development is key to career success.
© 2018 MinterEllison
