The Boutique Lawyer Show: Taking work away from bigger firms
By Robyn Tongol|14 April 2021
When former accountant and barrister Trevor Withane moved over from the UK, he quickly realised that the Australian marketplace is much more relationship-driven than in Britain. As such, boutiques have to be strategic in approaching prospective clients if they are to land big matters.
On this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Blackwattle Legal partner Trevor Withane to discuss how best boutiques can successfully pitch clients for work that would otherwise go to the big end of town, and what approaches can and do work in making such pitches.
Perfecting your pitch for high-calibre clients
By Jerome Doraisamy|15 April 2021
Trevor Withane disagrees with the presumption that BigLaw firms are best placed to do the job for clients. Here’s how he looks to win work.
Blackwattle Legal partner Trevor Withane (pictured) said, as a boutique firm owner, he is fully aware that many corporate clients will perceive firms at the big end of town as being better placed to handle matters for them. Some lawyers, he added, also have that perception.
“I disagree with it,” he said.
Speaking recently on The Boutique Lawyer Show, Mr Withane said that boutiques wanting to snare major clients have to go for it.
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The argument over what should become of the old White Bay power station and adjoining land in Rozelle has been raging for 40 years, with more than a dozen proposals from casino to naval base.
As Jamie Parker, the state member for Balmain and former mayor of what was then Leichhardt Council, puts it: White Bay is the graveyard where thought bubbles go to die.
The White Bay power station lies defunct in 2020.
Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
The defunct coal-fired power station, built before and during World War I, looked set for demolition after it closed in 1984. But instead it survived long enough to be appreciated for its historical and cultural value, and was listed on the heritage register in 1999.