The pair spoke recently on The Boutique Lawyer Show about how they’ve managed to continually succeed during a turbulent year and what has and hasn’t worked for Argon Law post-pandemic.

Mr Gallagher set up the firm in 2013 and it has slowly grown since then – and post COVID-19, has a team of five.

“There was an initial period where things may have slowed a little bit, but there was no panic, and very quickly it was back up to business as usual,” Mr Gallagher said.

“And then very quickly there was more opportunity, we just saw it coming right across the areas where we were working in. So, there was demand and we actually ended up growing and finding staff.”

Ms Bryant added that when the pandemic first hit the Sunshine Coast, Argon Law originally started seeing clients with protective gear on, but said they were lucky to be based in a suburban community.

“I think we were quite fortunate with our clients. And a lot of our larger institutional clients, they implemented work from home really quickly, they implemented teams really quickly so our processes with them were really streamlined quite fast,” she said.

The firm has always been very “embedded” in the community, Mr Gallagher agreed. The firm currently sponsors different events in their community, such as art competitions and sporting events.

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“We continued to push forward with those things, it was as much business as usual trying to keep people comfortable and assure them that we’re on top of things, not just around the legal side of things because that was important with rules changing, there was a lot of information that went out and projections about what the regulations would be before the regulations came into existence,” he explained.

“We had to be across all that, and we made sure that we got out and communicated that to our clients as early as possible so that they felt that we had their back.”

The firm also implemented different strategies they knew clients would be able to implement themselves, Ms Bryant said.

“We knew there was going to be COVID delays and that the property contracts didn’t contemplate that so we drafted our own clauses. We knew that landlords and tenants were going to eventually have to implement a code that we didn't know anything about so we were like, ‘Okay, well, what can you do to prepare as a landlord or tenant?’” she said.

“Some of those larger issues that our clients across the board were going to deal with, we pre-came up with strategies and solutions for them that we then just tweaked once the actual legislation was out.”

She added that even at the height of the pandemic, the firm has always been able to identify the practice areas they do well in.

“We know who our client is, we know the work we offer, we know what our staff culture looks like, and so then even with the pandemic swirling around you, when someone comes across your path and you know that that's what you're looking for, you can grab it,” she said.

“For us, we know what we do well and we know areas where we have a higher level of knowledge than perhaps others. We focused on ensuring that we continued to do that kind of work at an exceptionally high level because that attracts more of that work and it builds your referral network.

“Then when it came to the work that wasn't suitable for us, or a practise area that we don’t practise in, we have other firms locally who we know well, we trust, we understand that they're going to do an exceptional service and job for our clients. I think that's really important, if you're going to say no to someone, or no to an opportunity, that you introduce them to the person who's going to say yes,” Ms Bryant added.

When asked if knowing how to say no to clients was as important as planning to expand, Ms Bryant said that “absolutely” it was.

“I think taking the wrong work puts a level of unnecessary stress and pressure into an environment that is already full of stress and pressure. We do highly intense, stressful work every day,” she said.

“If you’re throwing files at your staff in a small firm that are way above their skill set, you're just creating a level of disharmony and difficulty that's not worth it.”

Additionally, Mr Gallagher added that saying no and pointing clients to other firms can embed yourself within a referral network.

“It’s almost more important to know what to say no to and still make it into an opportunity of some kind by ensuring that it goes to the right hands and everyone remains happy,” he said.

“That's always been our culture, very much focused and we’re constantly trying to strengthen that, and we’re always looking for new contacts, new people, we're always wanting to understand who might be setting up in the region, who's interested in coming to the region, that sort of thing where we really sort of have a strong ear out for anything like that.”

Culture is an important part of any workplace – and for firms to be successful, they need to make culture “paramount”, according to Mr Gallagher.

“You must have values, you must have culture, and you must always look at things through that lens. You also need to make sure that you don’t hesitate on the small things, delegate authority to a reasonable level, but know the more important decisions, and make sure that you don’t rush those,” he said.

“In this COVID era, the regions really are so full of opportunities. There’s just no limit to it now. And the Sunshine Coast in particular, I think is a standout amongst that.

“I'm so excited for the Sunshine Coast, and for the opportunity that represents for us as a relatively small firm to be nimble and to take advantage of all these opportunities that are coming through now. It really is a great point for us to be at and a great time in history for us, so we're so excited.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with John Gallagher and Melinda Bryant, click below:

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