Updating Results

Thomson Geer

4.1
  • 500 - 1,000 employees

Nicholas Karam

As a graduate, I am able to work with a number of different teams which means that I am exposed to a diverse range of challenging and interesting work.

What's your job about?

Thomson Geer is one of Australia's largest and fastest growing law firms with offices across Australia. We work on a day to day basis with some of Australia's largest organisations, as well as with international groups and businesses to develop commercial, creative and comprehensive solutions to address client needs. Our firm has developed a genuine sense of collaboration across the different practice groups and offices in order to work together to deliver the best product for our clients. 

I am in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets team in the Sydney office. Everyday can be a different experience with opportunities to draft letters of advice or ASX announcements for clients, conduct research on particular areas of law, and review material contracts and agreements as part of due diligence for a major client deal. As a graduate, I am able to work with a number of different teams which means that I am exposed to a diverse range of challenging and interesting work. This has given me more opportunities for learning, growth and development.

 What's your background?

I'm from Sydney and have lived my entire life in south-west Sydney.

I went to primary and high school in Lakemba where I graduated as school Dux in 2011. I then spent five years at the University of Sydney studying law and political sciences. Before starting with Thomson Geer, I worked part time whilst at uni as an advisor to a member of parliament. That experience gave me great insight into how the political and parliamentary process works when it comes to creating laws, which can often be useful in the world of commercial law where you are required to use those laws to come up with commercial solutions for clients.

I was a clerk at Thomson Geer in the summer of 2015/2016 and received an offer to join the graduate program. I was also lucky to work part time with the firm in my final year of uni as a paralegal. I started as a law graduate in 2017. The graduate program at Thomson Geer includes rotations through practice groups which really allows you to get a taste of what it's like to work in different practice areas in order to make a decision about where you would like to settle. My first rotation was in the commercial litigation team and now I am in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets teams in our corporate division.  

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes – diversity is a really important part of any successful and thriving workplace and Thomson Geer has people from many different backgrounds and experiences. You just need to ensure that you have a desire to learn, are willing to put your best foot forward, and have your basic legal qualifications.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The people who I work with and the people who I work for are the coolest part of the job. We do some really interesting work for a diverse range of clients, and doing this work with genuinely nice people is a plus. Thomson Geer has made a real effort to foster a great sense of 'team' in the firm, which really comes down to the people who are at Thomson Geer. Our focus is on delivering the best product we can to the client, but the firm is also focused on making it a workplace where people can thrive and be their genuine self.

What are the limitations of your job?

Matters often reach a pointy end where all hands on deck can be required. This can be a stressful period at work, but often you look back at those times with fondness because of the fact that you worked together as a team and managed to support each other to get the deal done.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

  • Make sure you strike the right balance – study and work hard, but don’t neglect your family and your friends. The down time and socialising is really important for your mental health and well-being, enabling you to perform at your best at work or university.
  • Plan properly – start thinking about clerkship applications early on and do your research. Get involved in university extracurricular activities and meet new people as often as you can.
  • Read – read about the legal industry, subscribe to various news portals and get familiar with the commercial world. This will put you in good stead when applying for clerkships.