Lawyers Weekly spoke to Ms Emera about the reason behind their decision, as well as challenges she’s encountered in opening up a new practice in a highly competitive marketplace.

What led to the decision to start your own firm with Ben Smith?

When my previous firm Slater and Gordon announced that they would no longer be offering a family law service, my immediate focus was ensuring that I could continue to offer this service to my clients. As I started to think about how to best do this, I realised I had actually spent most of my career thinking about the type of firm I would build if I had the choice/freedom.

A focus on client service is paramount for me, and it was something I knew I shared with Ben. I first met Ben during our PLT year in 2006 and we have been friends ever since, he’s the most genuine person I know, and we share the same values.

What was the process like in establishing your own firm, along with Mr Smith?

It all started with a conversation about our values and the type of firm we wanted to build, from there the concept grew into reality fairly quickly. Our clear alignment on all the fundamentals of Emera Smith set us on the right course and made the process a lot easier than I expected, although not without challenges.

It took about three months from start to finish, although to be honest we could have used an extra month or two! It was a lot of fun creating something from scratch and seeing it come to life. Milestones like seeing our website for the first time and taking our first new client were exciting and motivating.

VIEW ALL

What sort of challenges did you encounter along the way and how did you both effectively combat these?

We spent a lot of our energy on getting the firm up and running without too much disruption for our existing clients. To do this we had to complete an array of administrative and technology processes and things didn’t always go to plan. We found that simply being honest and sharing our experience with our clients helped a lot.

We are very lucky to have clients who are genuinely excited for us and were understanding when we hit speedbumps, like our computer systems not working for a few hours. We quickly learned that almost anything can be done with a laptop, a mobile phone, some wi-fi and a bit of ingenuity!

What would you describe as the firm’s key point of difference?

Ben and I established the business with a commitment to keep clients at the centre of everything we do. We believe this keeps us focused on delivering honest and pragmatic advice and supporting clients through the process.

Ben and I are both incredibly outcome-focused when working with clients, but equally we ensure that the people we’re working with understand the path ahead so they can make the best possible decisions for their future.

What are major plans for the firm this year?

Being based in the CBD we are well positioned to support a broad range of clients, but we are also committed to offering family law services to those who would prefer not to travel into the city. We are planning to expand into the Western suburbs by the end of the year, given Ben and I are both proud ‘westies’ it is the logical area for initial expansion. To support our growth, we also have plans to expand our team and will be hiring very soon.

Generally speaking, do you envision there to be more partners from either national or international law firms that will decide to leave and set up shop to their own practice over the next 12–24 months? Please explain?

Absolutely. I think there are a lot of talented lawyers and managers in the industry who are looking to create something new and different. The reasons vary – some want greater flexibility, others feel hamstrung by restrictive processes and want to embrace all things New Law. For Ben and I, it was really about setting-up a firm directly aligned to our values. Transformation can take place within existing organisations, but it is often easier when you are building something new!

What other trends do you believe will likely impact either the boutique law firm market, or the legal profession generally, going forward and how will Emera Smith respond to these?

I think there will be an inevitable shift away from hourly billing as clients seek to understand exactly what they are paying for and the value they are receiving. I am a supporter of the value pricing models, having worked with a fixed fee model for a number of years. We are open to exploring different pricing models that best suit our client needs. Our view is that agility and openness to change is crucial to our success and delivering the best possible service to our clients.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Ben and I are amazed by how much support we have received from our family law colleagues.

As a new firm with high ambitions it has been heartening to receive so many well wishes and such valuable advice. It has made us feel so proud to be a part of this community.