Lachlan Gibbs

6.00 AM

Another day begins!  Admittedly I am not a natural early riser however I have found a consistent morning routine helps me start each morning with great energy.

I start each day the same. I first make my bed (the power of doing this is unbelievable), foam roll, stretch my body and outline my goals for the day. It is important to look after the body and mind.

6.15 AM 

First coffee of the day! I review my exercise planner. I have a relatively low-key morning, a home bodyweight and elastic bands workout followed by a dip in the ocean.

One of the great things about Macpherson Kelley is the location. Living on the Mornington Peninsula the ability to work for such a great firm and stay by the beach is something I regard highly. I don’t know too many other firms which would allow me to continue living where I am while providing the same opportunity to work on such significant matters and with major clientele. 

The firm is super flexible with which office you work in and with the working at home arrangements. If I have engagements in the city after work, they are more than comfortable with me working from the Melbourne office. 

7.00 AM

A quick shower, brekky and coffee number 2 before I prep my lunch.

I check my calendar before selecting my outfit for the day. Macpherson Kelley has a dress for your day policy. If you aren’t seeing a client, the firm is flexible on allowing you to wear whatever is comfortable (I have seen Birkenstocks worn in the office before). 

I generally wear a shirt and chinos. As a graduate, they are super keen to get you involved in as many matters as possible and principals will often pull you into meetings with clients. I like to keep a blazer in the office for this very scenario. 

8.20 AM

I arrive at the office, I hate feeling rushed in the morning, so I like to get in early to review my emails and ease into the day. 

In your grad year, you rotate through 4 different practice areas. This is a great opportunity not only for exposure to different areas of the law but to meet people throughout the firm. I stop in for a quick chat with the Litigation team on the way to my desk. My current rotation is with the Trade and Intellectual Property team. I check my emails. The previous day I was asked to undertake research and draft advice for a long-time client. I saw the principal had already sent it off with no changes. Though receiving feedback is great, there is no better feeling than being backed by your principal.

8.45 AM 

Having settled into the morning, it’s now time for the weekly team meeting. This is just a quick informal chat updating everyone on the matters you are working on. It is also a great opportunity to get across different issues and hopefully score some more work.

9.15 AM 

From the previous meeting, I had been handed further matters to attend to. My first task of the day is to review an overseas client's Privacy policy and Data Protection Agreement. 

Privacy law is very interesting, and though I didn’t have the opportunity to study it at university, I love that it is something I get to work on now. The firm is great at providing you with further opportunities to learn, whether that is through regular learning forums or the business school. 

11.00 AM

My favourite part of the day is linking up with the unofficial Macpherson Kelley coffee club. A few of us as a daily ritual go down to the local cafe, grab a coffee and chew the fat. It is a great way to stay connected with friends from other teams, get away from the desk and enjoy a nice little break in the morning.

11.20 AM 

Having finished consuming my 3rd coffee of the day I am ready to bounce off walls! I turn my attention to one of the tasks I received in the earlier meeting. I commence drafting a shareholder’s agreement for our client. This is my first attempt at this type of task. Everyone from my mentor to the associates and principals encourages questions and is very approachable. They say there are no stupid questions (though I have asked some in my view) and are always happy to help. I finalise my first draft and send it off to be reviewed.

12.45 PM

As a grad, one of the extracurricular activities the firm gets you involved in is the social club. This adds a great variety to the day and gives us the opportunity to plan events including bowling, bringing your dog to work day and food trucks. We have our weekly meeting and decide on our next big activity.

1.00 PM 

Lunchtime. Despite having brought my lunch from home, my buddy sent me a message asking if I’d join her and the others in buying lunch. My will is weak and the opportunity to try one of the many great food options around the office has made my homemade lunch less than appealing. I’ll have it tomorrow.

We have a few favourite places in our office, but nothing beats the local Vietnamese. We roll down and grab a few banh mi’s and rice noodle bowls before returning to the office kitchen. Lunchtimes are great, everyone eats together, and it is a great vibe.

Lunch is followed by a very uncompetitive game of Table Tennis. Following an embarrassing display on my part, I return to my desk refreshed and with a bruised ego.  

3.00 PM 

I have a few matters I need to finalise before the close of business. I clap the headphones on and get to work. First is a review of a client’s warranty agreement. They are introducing a new product and it is my responsibility to ensure the warranty is compliant with consumer law. 

3.45 PM

My principal approaches my desk and asks me to attend a client meeting with them. The client is having issues with the registration of their product under the Therapeutic Goods Register. I attend the meeting with the client, and we plan our next steps. I now have another letter to draft up before I leave for the day. I am excited though, I haven’t worked on a matter like this before and look forward to the challenge.

4.30 PM

An important aspect of being a lawyer is business development. We have a meeting with a prospective client who is looking to register their business name as a trade mark. We take them through the process, the costs involved, and finally, the benefits of the protection a registered trade mark gives you. It went very well, and they are happy for us to proceed with the application. The client agrees to provide their details by the next week which I note in my calendar. 

5.45 PM

I draft and review my letter regarding the therapeutic goods matter and send it off to my principal. I find the quicker I turn around work, the quicker I get back which I appreciate. The busier you are the better in my view.

My principal sees the time and tells me to head off as I have training. The flex+ program the firm runs is outstanding. I play football outside of work and I appreciate that I am still able to get to training on time every week. The firm is very encouraging of this and having their employees have interests and hobbies outside of work.

8.30 PM

I get home from footy training and enjoy dinner with my family. 

I finally sit down and watch a few episodes of my favourite tv show (currently Donald Glover’s Atlanta), which takes me to 10.00 pm.

I happily switch off for the day and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

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