Happy International Women's Day from the entire team at Bennett & Philp! We're proud to support this important day as it celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also places focus on achieving greater gender parity in society, and the workforce.
In order to celebrate International Women's Day, Bennett & Philp hosted a morning tea for the whole firm. We're incredibly lucky to have amazing women in our team who play a huge role in driving the growth of our firm. Their drive, ambition, and day-to-day contributions make Bennett & Philp a great place to work and we wanted to thank them for that.
In light of International Women's Day Bennett & Philp asked the following women; Nicole Jacobs - Office Manager, Kristy Perdriau - Director, and Chai Hoe - Lawyer, some questions about what they do and an insight into what a typical day is like for them.
(L-R) Nicole Jacobs (Office Manager), Kristy Perdriau
(Director), and Chai Hoe (Lawyer).
(L-R) Nicole Jacobs (Office Manager), Kristy Perdriau (Director), and Chai Hoe (Lawyer).
The questions we asked are outlined below:
- Can you please introduce yourself and give us a brief summary of what you do?
- What's a typical day for you?
- What does success mean to you?
- How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
- What do you enjoy about your job?
- If you could give your younger self advice what would it be?
- What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
Kristy Perdriau - Director, Family Law
Can you please introduce yourself and give us a brief summary of what you do?
I'm the Director of Family Law and Wills and Estates at Bennett and Philp Lawyers and I've been a lawyer for 18 years. I lead a brilliant team of lawyers to do the best work they can do each day.
What's a typical day for you?
Most of my time is spent leading and directing our team in the best strategies to move toward to the resolution of matters.
What does success mean to you?
Happiness. Success is creating and living a life that makes you happy.
How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
Reading. I make sure I read every day, even if it's just for a minute. I read business development and self-development books. One of my favourite books is Stephen Covey's 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'.
What do you enjoy about your job?
The intellectual challenges of working through complex legal matters and that every day is different.
If you could give your younger self advice what would it be?
- You can literally do anything. Absolutely anything.
- If you didn't ask for someone's opinion, you probably shouldn't value it. What other people think of you doesn't matter. People throw rocks at things that shine.
What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
Being the best version of myself, no matter what that looks like. Being a good mother and role model to my children.
Morning Tea
Nicole Jacobs, Office Manager
Can you please introduce yourself and give us a brief summary of what you do?
I am responsible for the everyday operations of the firm and for making sure all of our staff have the facilities, environment and equipment that backs our skilled and talented legal teams service clients and obtain the best possible outcomes for clients.
What's a typical day for you?
There is no typical day! but usually, my day involves tasks that could be producing reports, supervising the admin team, recruitment, HR or payroll-related tasks, and IT management.
What does success mean to you?
I think success for me is completing a task or project knowing that I couldn't have done it any better or worked harder to get the best result or outcome possible. Success to me is also knowing that my contribution to the firm has had a positive impact on the people, clients, and company.
How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
I motivate myself by setting in my own mind what I would like the outcomes to be before starting a task or project and working towards those best possible outcomes. I think it is also important to keep a balanced and healthy lifestyle and making sure exercise and self-care are a priority and setting a good example for my young boys.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy the variety and challenges that each day and year brings and seeing the outcomes the legal teams are able to get for our clients.
If you could give your younger self advice what would it be?
Don't be afraid, give everything a go, and learn from what works and does not work for you.
What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
I still see myself making an impact and contributing to the firm's development and future. I'd like to see myself considered as a leader or mentor to others in the field, putting my experience to use in ways to keep helping the firm and others achieve the big picture goals (whatever those may be).
Morning Tea
Chai Hoe, Lawyer
Can you please introduce yourself and give us a brief summary of what you do?
I am a Dispute Resolution and Litigation Lawyer at Bennett & Philp Lawyers. I am a lawyer by profession, singer by passion and foodie by birth. I have over 6 years of experience in the legal industry. I was born and bred in Malaysia. I am fluent in English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese and Hokkien.I am committed to develop and facilitate the growth of the community of people who, like myself, seek to better, empower and educate themselves and others in order to grow as professionals and entrepreneurs. I am also passionate about improving access to justice. In my spare time, I undertake community service and pro bona work including her role as a volunteer lawyer working for the Women's Legal Service and Caxton Legal Centre. She also serves on the executive committee of the Lions Club of Brisbane Chinese and The Asian Professionals.Outside of work, I enjoy dancing and singing. I have been professionally trained as a Zumba instructor.
What's a typical day for you?
One of the most interesting parts of my job as a litigator is that there is no 'typical' day. One day I would be busy attending client inquiries and meeting clients, and the other day I would be busy drafting legal documents and preparing for court hearings. Maybe the next day, I would be spending most of the day in court for a hearing. On the days where I do not need to attend court, I usually begin my day by checking my emails and the calendar to make plans such as organising meetings and such. Then, I go over my to-do list to set up my priorities. This way I can be more productive for the day.I would usually schedule coffee or lunch catch-ups once or twice a week with my contacts to stay connected with them as I consider myself a 'social butterfly', I love meeting and talking with people. Some days, I will to the gym near my office during lunchtime or after work, I try to exercise at least three times a week.
What does success mean to you?
In simple terms, success means doing something that makes me happy and self-content while being authentic. Having said that, I think it's hard to measure 'success'. For me, I never feel successful enough and this motivates me to keep moving onward and upward.
How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?
There are many ways to motivate myself and stay motivated. For example, I would set goals - both personal and professional goals. The goals need to be specific, realistic and measurable, and this gives me direction to focus on and help me to stay motivated. I would also share my goal with my friends, and this makes me feel accountable and motivates me to try my very best to keep my word.
What do you enjoy about your job?
In a broad sense, I love my job because I enjoy helping people to resolve their legal problems. Specifically, my job entails helping businesses and individuals in a wide range of Family Law, Wills & Estates and Commercial Litigation matters. While my job can be challenging, it is always evolving and interesting. Every day is different, and it is a constant adventure.On another perspective, I enjoy my role and working at Bennett & Philp. I love having a voice. My boss listens to my ideas and the whole team works collaboratively to help our clients to achieve the best possible outcome. I also appreciate that I have a great degree of control and freedom within my job, and able to contribute my experience and skills in the business development of the firm.
If you could give your younger self advice what would it be?
In simple terms, you only live once live it to the fullest.
What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
On a professional level, I would like to be a skilled and well-respected litigation lawyer and be a thought leader who inspires others. I can see myself developing my skills set in my current role and being even more confident in family and succession laws, with more knowledge and experiences. I hope to advance in my role as much as possible and continue working in this collaborative environment. On a personal level, I would like to further improve my work-life balance and spend more quality time with my family. I hope to be in a leadership role in my community group(s) and bring positive changes to the local community.
Morning Tea
