Attwood Marshall Lawyers featured in the Australian Financial Review discussing work life balance at the firm.
Thursday 12 September 2024. Written by Maxim Shanahan, Professional Services Reporter.
As the weather warms up, even the most committed commercial lawyer might be forgiven for briefly lifting their eyes from their computer screen, pausing their billing clock, and gazing out longingly from their high-altitude office towards the beaches.
“There’s a few of us that will go out and catch a few waves. It’s one of the most famous breaks in Australia, and it’s right across the road,” he tells The Australian Financial Review.
“When I worked in Sydney, I’d try to get to the gym during lunch. Sitting on a rowing machine is fine, but it’s a long way off from being able to paddle out in the surf.”
Lethbridge says that over his two decades in the profession he has seen lawyers given more latitude to express themselves and indulge in interests outside the office, as part of a slow recognition that happier lawyers make better workers.
“The old paradigm was that management and partners would try to get the most out of lawyers by creating an environment of fear, which was supposed to force them to work hard.
“Firms have since realised the best way to get lawyers to work to their potential is to create a safe workplace, and by encouraging them to genuinely look after themselves – that’s how you get the best out of people,” he says.
For former professional surfer and paralegal Sienna Marshall, the beachside locale provides an unlikely, but happy, convergence of passions.
“I’d always wanted to work in the legal industry, but I wanted a career that went hand in hand with being a surfer – I didn’t want to be chained to a desk.”
Marshall says being able to head out for a surf “lightens the mood” and helps when dealing with clients.
“You’re working with people going through really stressful times, so you need to be at the top of your game. We can’t show our best selves if we’re sat at our desks working ridiculous hours,” she says.
“My friends in the legal industry all work in the city. When I tell them I can look out at the beach, they’re incredibly jealous.”
