Left to right: Dan Daley, Libby Campbell and George Hoddle
There's a powerful synergy that comes from shared experiences. For a law firm, they can prove invaluable to building rapport with clients and supporting colleagues.
At Everingham Solomons, with offices in Tamworth and Quirindi, the common experience of studying at UNE and - in many cases - living in residential college, has proven a strong bonding agent.
All four of the law firm's directors – Jennifer Blissett, Clint Coles, Mark Grady and George Hoddle are UNE alumni and close to half its 40-strong staff graduated from our university. It's been an organic evolution, spanning several generations, and director George Hoddle believes it's now a strength of the organisation.
"The UNE network is strong and while we have each walked our own paths, we all have ties to the local area. This helps us to understand each other and our clients," he says. "Being a regionally-based firm, it's no coincidence that we attract a high number of regionally educated staff, but UNE is held in very high regard here. Our UNE graduates are hard-working and practical, courtesy of the UNE Law School's syllabus. Having grown up in regional NSW, they understand the problems of our clients - issues like farm succession, access to services, and the effects of the drought on the local economy."
Being part of the community is also an advantage in building professional networks and a solid client base. "Our clients are largely individuals and small companies, so staff who know who their clients are and the world they live in is very important," George says.
He hails from Gunnedah originally and spent three years living in Robb College while at UNE. After being admitted as a solicitor in 2008 George joined a commercial firm in Sydney, before moving back to the country with his young family in 2014. "The homecoming was really nice, and I enjoy being able to continue doing the same legal work I did in Sydney," he says.
Tamworth-born solicitor Libby Campbell graduated from UNE with a combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws in 2016 and joined Everingham Solomons a year later. She says her studies, coupled with her experience of living in Duval College, have equipped her well.
"I can see the benefit of being able to speak to anyone and always being prepared to get involved," Libby says. "I think the strong tradition of online study at UNE also means that many of us have not been afraid to go on to further study."
The familiarity born of a common university experience also makes for a supportive workplace. "In law you can be dealing with difficult experiences in peoples' lives," Libby says. "To have a network of colleagues who can work together to understand the situation and assist clients to get the best possible outcome is very beneficial. "
Solicitor Dan Daley's path to Everingham Solomons was a little more circuitous. He received a bursary from the firm to study commerce and law at UNE in 1998 (and the benefit of paid work experience during his summer holidays), added a Diploma of Education and proceeded to work in rural finance and high schools while completing his law degree part-time over 10 years.
Eventually, he was lured back to law and joined the firm in June 2020, where he was surprised to find a thriving UNE enclave. Dan says study at UNE suited him as a "country boy" and the relationships with lecturers born of the smaller class sizes continue to this day.
"It's great that staff in the firm have something in common, but I also think that going to a regional university means I have a lot in common with the people I am representing," he says. "That helps me to give them the best possible legal advice."
