My career journey to the firm

I qualified as a lawyer in Australia in 2021, starting my legal career at a corporate law firm in Sydney before joining Slaughter and May mid-2025.

After spending a semester studying abroad during university, I knew I wanted to work overseas in the future, with London being a well-known global hub for top-quality legal work. Whilst working in Australia, I had heard great things about Slaughter and May, including the firm’s outstanding reputation, collaborative culture and its multi-specialist approach – I could see that working at the firm gave lawyers exposure to a wide range of matters and subject areas, whilst supporting the ongoing development of their legal knowledge and skills in an environment committed to legal excellence, which was why I applied for a role here.

The firm was very supportive during my transition from Australia, providing helpful resources and services to assist with my move. Upon joining the firm, I found the induction process to be thorough and the people at the firm to be welcoming, which confirmed that I had made the right choice.

My day-to-day

I am an associate working in our Disputes and Investigations group. When I started at the firm, I worked on a large group litigation, where my responsibilities included management of my allocated workstream, coordinating tasks across the team, and being a key point of contact for the client and counsel. 

A particular highlight to date was the first case I saw through from start to finish (which also fortunately had a successful outcome for the client in court). I loved being involved at every stage, from strategy discussions, pleadings, evidence gathering and submissions – it meant that I developed a strong understanding of the matter, was able to see the full picture of the litigation process for the first time and became familiar with all factual aspects of that case.

One of the key challenges I found in my new role was adjusting to the differences in UK court procedure and the differences in internal processes. However, the team have always been very supportive which made the adjustment feel much easier. I have enjoyed getting involved in my new matters and having the opportunity to take on greater responsibility in these.

The firm was very supportive during my transition from Australia, providing helpful resources and services to assist with my move. Upon joining the firm, I found the induction process to be thorough and the people at the firm to be welcoming, which confirmed that I had made the right choice.

My advice to candidates

The firm provides you with opportunities to take on real responsibility at an early stage in your career and to grow your skills quickly, which I have been grateful for. I have really enjoyed the level of responsibility that I (and the associates around me) have been trusted with on matters. 

I have also felt that everyone’s suggestions are always welcomed and considered, which makes for a great environment for associates to both learn and feel comfortable to contribute their ideas - I can see that associates’ suggestions are always considered by senior members of the team and that there is a lot of opportunity for associates to really contribute to their matters.