Mr Beavis did his clerkship in 2019 at Clifford Chance — during which he spent some time in Hong Kong — and then completed the grad program over two years, starting in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

“It was a really interesting time to be a lawyer. We were in the office for about two weeks during the clerkship, and then obviously the pandemic began and we were all told to work from home, and I guess it’s quite hard when you’re starting out and you’re learning new things, and then you’re also got to accommodate the fact you’re now at home and you’re doing everything virtually, but I guess everyone was in my position,” he said.

“It was quite a good growth opportunity, because you had to really hone in on your ability to communicate virtually, and you had to develop skills with people in terms of networking and building stronger relationships, albeit not face to face. So, it was a difficult time. There’s no doubt about it, but I think the people who went for the program with me became better lawyers for it in one way or another.”

After first starting at a “traditional, big-six Australian firm”, Mr Beavis aspired to work overseas — with different clients and in different jurisdictions, so he chose to apply to global firms when seeking a clerkship.

“I was particularly drawn to Clifford Chance because they provide those opportunities as part of the clerkship and grad program. So, as a clerk, you get to go to Hong Kong or Singapore, and as a grad, you get one seat overseas. Obviously, during COVID, I didn’t get that opportunity, but it’s commonplace within the firm to move around. People are constantly moving to different offices, whether it be Dubai or Singapore or Hong Kong or London,” he said.

“So, I think as I got towards the end of the grad program, I started thinking more about going overseas. London was always a place I wanted to go to. It’s quite a well-worn path for lawyers. I’m not the first to go. I won’t be the last to go to London to work as a lawyer. So, I mean, I started putting the feelers out towards the end of the grad program to try and make that happen, and it was actually quite a fluid process. Clifford Chance is quite open to people moving around the network. That’s kind of what they pride themselves on in terms of being an international firm.

“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity. It’s nice being in an international firm, but there’s other international firms in the market which also offer these opportunities. So, I think any young lawyer coming up, if you have these opportunities, definitely take them. Even if it’s three months, six months or 12 months overseas, it’s really good for your development as a lawyer, but also, just expanding your network is really important when you’re starting out. It’s really good to build that client base globally because as you eventually develop and become more senior, that becomes a very important aspect of being a lawyer is your ability to bring that work in.”

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In addition to being able to tap into a global network, Mr Beavis said he had learnt a lot of personal lessons in moving overseas, too — and said moving over to London and living by himself was a “massive adjustment”.

“One of the things I’ve learned the most is the importance of building a strong network around you. I had a couple [of] mates when I moved to London, but I mean, ultimately, I had to build a brand-new network. I have quite a strong network here in Sydney, and I had to build a whole new network over there, and those networks are really important in terms of your own development. If you’re going to thrive and succeed, you need strong mentors and strong people around you because you are a reflection of the people you spend your time with at the end of the day,” he added.

“So, there’s no doubt there’s challenges when you move overseas. You’re in a new city. There’s a degree of anxiety there because you’re in a new place in a new workplace, and you don’t necessarily have that comfort that you have from Sydney, in my case. But I think that offers, again, that’s an opportunity to develop yourself and better yourself. So, I would strongly encourage people to step outside their comfort zone.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with Max Beavis, click below: