graduate stories

belinda sigismundi

principal lawyer, commercial

 

what’s your name and job title?

Belinda Sigismundi, principal lawyer.

what did you study? when did you graduate?

BA, LLB at Melbourne University, [graduating in] 2003.

where did you grow up?

Melbourne.

tell us a bit about your education.

I was always very academic through my school years and was privileged to have some exceptional teachers in years 11 and 12, who helped push me to my limits and achieve the score I needed to do law. There was no other option for me. I knew from a young age that I wanted to dedicate my life to the law.

how did you get to your current job position?

I developed a real passion for intellectual property law at university. Once I graduated, my main focus was to build up my practical experience in the IP sphere. I managed to secure articles of clerkship at a boutique trade mark and patent attorney firm and was involved in some really interesting patent and trade mark infringement cases. [However] after 10 months, I wanted to explore other opportunities to further my career. So I applied for a role at Macpherson Kelley Lawyers. Despite the advertisement wanting a candidate with at least two years post admission experience, I still had a good feeling about the company, so gave it a shot and the rest is history! Submitting my CV to Macpherson Kelley turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I have been at Macpherson Kelley Lawyers for 13 years. While my role has changed substantially over this time, my drive and passion and love for the work I do continues.

how did you choose your specialisation?

I was really interested in the intellectual property subjects offered during my law degree and secured some volunteer research work for a prominent IP barrister. He inspired me to learn as much as I could and make some valuable contacts in the IP space.

were you weighing up any other alternatives before choosing this specialisation?

IP really did it for me and made my choice a simple one.

what was your interview process like?

The interview process was fairly informal and relaxed, which allowed me to be myself. I had an initial interview with the HR manager and a second interview with two principals.

what kind of questions were you asked?

My knowledge of IP law was certainly tested, particularly in the second interview. I was also asked why Macpherson Kelley appealed to me and what attributes I could bring to the firm.

suppose a student was considering your career. what would you advise them to study? should they pursue any sort of work experience?

Do what you love, and you will have a long, happy and fulfilling career. Don’t accept a job or get cornered into an area of law that doesn’t interest you, because you won’t stay in the legal profession for very long. Get as much work experience as you can in the area of law you enjoy. There are many barristers, for instance, that would welcome some voluntary research, so put your hand up and get your hands dirty. It is never too early to start growing your professional and personal networks. Good contacts can open up doors for you later in life, so nurture those relationships and continue building your networks throughout your career.

what does your employer do?

Macpherson Kelley is a national commercial law firm with offices in Melbourne, Dandenong, Sydney and Brisbane. We understand industry. Our focus is on providing specialised legal advice in the accountants, motor dealers, manufacturing, foreign owned subsidiaries, property development, insolvency and technology industries. We pride ourselves on being actively involved in their industries meaning we are well attuned to the issues clients are faced with and how best to resolve them.

what are your areas of responsibility?

I am a principal lawyer in the Intellectual Property and Trade team. I work across our Dandenong and Melbourne offices.

can you describe a typical work day?

The beauty about practising in IP law is that every day is so different. This is what yesterday looked like:

• I provided a client with trade mark infringement advice and prepared an urgent letter of demand.
• I then met some visitors from a Chinese law firm that we work closely with who were in Melbourne for business.
• I led a team meeting to discuss client targets and our team strategy for the coming 12 months.
• I advised a client on its brand protection strategy and conducted trade mark clearance searches in Australia and the United States.
• I finished the day presenting an IP seminar to a group of prominent artists in Mornington.

what sort of person succeeds in your career?

A lawyer who is driven and passionate about the area of law they practice in will succeed. Successful lawyers are also team players and have solid professional and personal networks. Good management skills are also essential as a lawyer progresses in their career.

where could you or others in your position go from here?

A law degree can lead to a realm of different opportunities and career prospects including private practice, in-house counsel roles, a career at the Bar as well as advisory, consultancy and management roles.

could someone with a different background do your job?

They certainly could. They would need a law degree, but I have worked with many colleagues who have had a different career before working in the law. For instance, engineering, local government and business management.

what do you love the most about your job?

I work for so many different clients, from book publishers and manufacturers of cosmetics and food products, to brand developers and designers.

which kind of task do you enjoy the most?

I love going out to visit clients and tour their premises. Learning about and truly understanding a client’s business makes you more than just their lawyer – you become their trusted advisor. Helping a client grow their own business and maximise the value in their intellectual property is the best and most rewarding part of my job.

what’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility?

Yes, I need to manage clients’ expectations, ensure my team does the same, continue to build and strengthen client relationships, make sure my team has enough work to meet their personal budgets, and work tirelessly to grow the practice and build our profile within and outside the firm.

do you have to work on weekends?

After a hectic week, the weekend is a time for me to de-stress and spend quality time with my family. So I try to avoid working on weekends if and when I can.

are the stress levels high?

Sometimes. Managing stress levels is an important part of my job. If things go wrong, the focus should be on fixing the problem and moving forward, rather than stressing about things you have no control over.

what advice would you give to a current university student?

1. Don’t waste time and energy stressing over the small stuff.
2. You can’t do it all on your own, get a good team around you.
3. Love what you do.
4. Network, network, network!

 

jordan woolley

associate, intellectual property & commercial law

 

what’s your name and job title?

Jordan woolley, associate

tell us a bit about your education.

I grew up in a high-achieving household and was therefore quite academic throughout my schooling. This, combined with a love of reading (fiction mainly for those interested), saw me excel during primary and secondary school – particularly in relation to any task or subject that involved reading/writing. Noting my strengths in these areas, a career in business or law seemed like a potential fit (the TV Show “SUITS” may or may not have also been released during this time).

However, following the completion of year 12, I remained somewhat undecided between these respective areas. Consequently, I initially undertook a Bachelor of Business Management at the University of Queensland. I found this degree to be somewhat rudimentary and, upon graduation, realised that in fact I wished to pursue a career in law (notably, this was a scary realisation – given I had just spent three years completing a degree which was only somewhat related to the law). Thereafter I pursued and completed a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at QUT, during which time I developed passions for the areas of Intellectual Property, Commercial and Technology law.

How did you get to your current job position?

Upon the completion of my law degree, I immediately enrolled in Practical Legal Training (PLT) at QUT. As a part of QUT’s PLT program, students are required to undertake approximately 4 weeks of placement (work experience) at a relevant company/organisation.

Fortunately, QUT has a placement coordinator who assists students in obtaining such placement. Noting that I was interested in Intellectual Property, the placement coordinator put me in touch with Mark Metzeling, who was, at the time, a Special Counsel within the Intellectual Property team at Macpherson Kelley Lawyers (MK).

Following an interview, Mark was kind enough to grant me the opportunity to partake in placement at MK. At the end of this period, I requested to continue to undertake work experience at MK on a part-time basis. Notably, at this time I had no contacts within the legal industry, nor any other substantial legal work experience. Consequently, I viewed the opportunity to continue to gain experience at MK as both necessary and invaluable.

After a few months in this work experience position, I was offered a job at a company which provided virtual case management and hearing services. I accepted this job on the understanding with Mark that at such time I was admitted as a lawyer, I would be eager to return to MK.

Approximately seven months later, I applied to MK’s graduate lawyer program and was accepted. Whilst undertaking the graduate program, Mark (who was now a Principal Lawyer), offered me a permanent position as lawyer within his Intellectual Property, Trade and Technology Team. I have remained within this position to date.

How did you choose your specialisation?

I currently specialise in Intellectual Property, Commercial and Technology Law. I developed my primary interest in intellectual property and technology during my time at university. I found the university subjects related to these topics to be quite interesting, and this interest translated to improved academic results in these areas. Separately, my hobbies outside of work/education overlapped somewhat in these areas.

Insofar as I specialise in commercial law, I only developed a passion for this area after commencing work at MK and being exposed to the same (owing to the natural overlap between IP and Commercial Law). In this regard, my time spent completing a Bachelor of Business Management ended up proving to be quite beneficial.

Were you weighing up any other alternatives before choosing this specialisation?

To an extent, yes. During my brief time completing MK’s graduate program, I found that I quite enjoyed Employment Law. The Principal within MK’s Employment team was great to work for and noted that they would be interested in having me end up within their team. In the end, however, I felt MK’s Intellectual Property, Trade and Technology team was the right fit for me.

What was your interview process like?

Owing to my prior work experience at MK and the occurrence of Covid-19, my interview process was slightly different from the standard interview process at our firm. I was required to complete a virtual interview (which involved recording myself responding to questions on the spot) and thereafter attend a one-hour interview with both the Managing Partner and head of Human Resources within MK’s Brisbane office.

Traditionally, however, graduate’s seeking positions at our firm are additionally required to partake in a half-day practical interview. This practical interview is quite a fun exercise and enables applicants to showcase their time-management and client-management skills.

What kind of questions were you asked?

Regarding the formal interviews, the primary questions related to my background, interests and passions. Additionally, there were various questions surrounding why I wished to work at MK.

Suppose a student was considering your career. What would you advise them to study? Should they pursue any sort of work experience?

On a general level, I always advise students to follow their passions and strive to pursue a career that strikes the right balance between setting themselves up financially and achieving work-life balance.

For those specifically interested in a career in practicing intellectual property, commercial and/or technology law, I would first advise them to enrol in as many IP and technology related legal subjects as are offered by their respective universities. Second, I would recommend for them to seek to get their foot in the door as early as possible (but not to worry if they do not manage to achieve this as early as they hope). Finally, I would advise them to read and investigate their area(s) of law as widely as possible (outside of formal university course-content).

What does your employer do?

My employer, MK, is a national full-service commercial firm. Essentially, this means that we act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for businesses operating within Australia – possessing the ability to cater to all of their legal needs.

What are your areas of responsibility?

My areas of responsibility are relatively widespread within our legal practice area. Presently (and non-exhaustively) I deal with intellectual property strategy, enforcement and commercialisation, commercial contract review and drafting and managing client-sided responses to government-body investigations.

Can you describe a typical workday?

One of the things I love about my practice area is that no two days or clients are ever the same. Matters I have worked on within the last few days include (non-exhaustively):
– Drafting complex and customised distribution agreements;
– Responding to and overcoming adverse reports issued in respect of trade mark applications;
– Acting as liaison between a client and an IP-valuations service provider;
– Reviewing and advising on SaaS agreements; and,
– Attending to the successful resolution of a trademark and copyright infringement matter.

What sort of person succeeds in your career?

To succeed in this career, I believe you need to be both passionate (at least in part) about your practice area and willing to work hard. The ability to write well and think practically will each also prove highly beneficial.

Where could you or others in your position go from here?

There are a variety of career avenues stemming from the legal industry. A person in my position could look to end up in a private practice or in-house counsel position, they could look to follow a career at the Bar (litigation), or they could seek other forms of corporate/business/not-for-profit advisory or management roles.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Provided they obtain a law degree and are admitted to practice as a lawyer within Australia, certainly! It is often the case that varied backgrounds offer unique and valuable approaches to the practice of law. By way of a quick example, many Intellectual Property lawyers have backgrounds originating in science, biology and/or software engineering. These backgrounds offer significant advantages in the fields of intellectual property and/or technology law.

What do you love the most about your job?

As nerdy as it sounds, my favourite part of my job relates to the satisfaction and sense of achievement I get from working through and solving the ‘puzzle-like’ element integral in all practice areas of law. By way of two examples:

– I greatly enjoy drafting customised contracts (whether it be a distribution agreement, licensing agreement, software agreement etc.) which are specifically tailored to a client’s unique needs. Often, such contracts involve a significant number of moving parts (in the form of clauses) which interact with and must account for each other. It is a great feeling when it all comes together in a practical and efficient manner; and,

– In relation to legal disputes, there is often a lot of “back-and-forth” arguments raised by disputing parties. I enjoy drilling down to the root cause of the issue and looking for novel or inventive solutions.

Which kind of task do you enjoy the most?

I am not sure if I am able to list a singular ‘task’. As stated above, I generally enjoy any task which has that ‘puzzle-like’ element. Additionally, I very grateful for the fact that in our practice area, our client base is significantly varied. It presents great opportunities to learn about the inner workings of a variety of businesses.

What’s the biggest limitation of your job? Do you bear a lot of responsibility?

As alluded to prior, a career in law can be exceptionally demanding. Reasons as to why this is the case include:
– The nature of your position means that you bear significant responsibilities (which if you fail to uphold can have significant and adverse consequences for your clients);
– You are often faced with a multitude of urgent and non-extendable deadlines;
– You may feel pressure to consistently monitor your email inbox – including during the night and on weekends;
– You may be dealing with clients facing exceptionally stressful situations;
– You may be required to meet billable targets and/or other KPI’s; and,
– You may face pressure to bring in additional clients/work.

Do you have to work on weekends?

Occasionally yes, although most of the time I try to ensure that my weekends are work-free. As someone who has struggled from burnout in the past, I place a lot of emphasis on ensuring that I use the weekend to unwind and recharge for the coming week.

Are the stress levels high?

At times, certainly. A great skill to foster is the ability to manage stress and not let it impact you (or reduce its impact upon you) mentally/physically. That being said, I can confirm that periods of exceptionally high stress are few and far between (at least in my experience).

What advice would you give to a current university student?

1. Ensure you have a passion for the law (or at the very least your area of practice). It is important to enjoy what you do;
2. Network as much as possible – connections can have a great impact on your career both in the short and long term; and
3. Recognise that you will have to work hard and sacrifice to succeed in this industry – particularly early on within your career. To the best of your ability, however, do not let this take precedence over your physical and mental health.