LOD Alumni: How Andrew found his home in-house at IAG
Meet Andrew, an LOD alumnus, who found his way in-house at IAG after a career in private practice across Sydney, London and New York. Through LOD secondments across telecommunications, health and finance, he broadened his commercial experience before securing a permanent role.
Tell us about your career background.
I started in private practice, working with firms in Sydney, London and New York. When I returned to Sydney about 10 years into my career, I moved in-house and never looked back. My career since has involved a broad mix of commercial work and I currently head up the Commercial Legal Team at IAG.
What drew you to LOD?
Variety and flexibility. It was my first gig after leaving private practice, so I was looking for a crash course in in-house practice. What really appealed was the chance to get inside a few different businesses and get exposure to different ways of doing things. LOD (then Advent) hadn’t been around for that long, so I was also drawn to being part of an innovative legal service model, as well as working with the great LOD team.
What were your experiences working on an assignment with LOD? What types of clients did you gain exposure to, and what kind of work did you do?
I did assignments in the telco, health and finance sectors, usually three or four days a week. The work was varied and often more senior than I expected - real, often urgent problems where you had to get across an unfamiliar business quickly, work out what actually mattered and give advice someone could act on promptly.
Not every assignment was a perfect fit - that was part of the value. You find out pretty fast what you enjoy, where you need to develop and the kind of organisation where you do your best work.
Where has your assignment journey with LOD brought you to now? For example, did it lead to a GC role, conversion into a permanent role with a team you love, or serve as a stepping stone into an area of law you never thought you would enjoy?
To IAG. I came in on an LOD assignment and immediately felt at home in terms of the team and the type of work I was doing. During my assignment, I was fortunate enough to be offered a permanent role and I’ve been at IAG ever since.
What was something that positively surprised you about working with LOD?
How quickly you stop being the person on secondment and just become part of the team. Within a short time you’re embedded and wrestling with the same stuff as everyone else.
I was also surprised how often assignments were extended. If you can come into a business, understand it quickly and make yourself genuinely useful, those opportunities tend to come up.
How has LOD supported you in your career and life?
Professionally, it was the best in-house boot camp I could have asked for. I got to experience a number of different organisations and different kinds of work in a very short space of time.
It also gave me flexibility to pursue other interests outside the law, which I am still involved in today.
What advice would you give to someone considering a secondment?
Go in with an open mind and don’t over-think whether each assignment looks like the perfect next step. Get inside the business, understand how it actually works and make yourself useful. You’ll learn an enormous amount and accelerate your development.
If you could describe your LOD journey using just one word, what would it be, and why?
Meaningful. It shaped the kind of lawyer I became and gave me a great opportunity to progress my in-house career.
Inspired by Andrew's journey? Speak to our team to learn how an LOD secondment could help you gain valuable experience, expand your network and take the next step in your legal career.