Email fraud has become a very big risk for businesses globally, and law firms are no exception. In this podcast, PD Law Director Stuart Bell talks about the risk and,…
Read More
Although usually over in hours, the havoc a cyclone wreaks on small businesses can only be truly understood in retrospect. Here’s a brief account of our experience.
Sunday 26th March
As TC Debbie weaves towards the Whitsunday coast, the Region’s disaster response committee orders a mandatory evacuation of certain areas, including our office, located on the usually idyllic beach front at Cannonvale, Whitsunday.
That order alone robs us of tomorrow, and almost 100 hours’ working time. The cyclone isn’t due for 36 hours.
Monday 27th March
Our team of 11 is reduced to the two owners with everything to lose, after we send home two senior staffers who appear to help despite the evacuation order. Waiting for us are the usual client meetings, deadlines, mentions, settlements, critical dates, urgent emails and calls. Conscious that power and internet connectivity will be gone for who knows how long, we set to work on:
- re-routing and auto-responders for emails, main line and individual phone lines, web and social media updates;
- off-site data backups;
- some urgent, important and unavoidable work; and
- dousing countless other transactional deadline flames,
until the now hourly meteorology updates of TC Debbie’s looming arrival can be ignored no longer.
It’s very confronting to disconnect every computer, server and auto fax/scanner/copier (without tech assist) and relocate them to the strong room, watching deadlines pass by the hour and hearing phones ring off the hook. We’re dismantling and unplugging our livelihood while it’s running white hot, hoping it will be there when we return. We take some keep sake photos.
Tuesday 29th March
TC Debbie arrives. All essential services are down.
Wednesday 29th March
We find our office intact, less some roof iron, flashing and essential services. Carpet and floor coverings are soaked, plasterboard and ceilings damaged from roof leaks and door seals which had yielded to 18 hours of torrential rain driven by 260kmh winds. We’re relieved though. Some homes and business premises don’t have rooves, or walls.
Thursday 30th March
Office has now been closed for 3 working days.
Family and friends meet to start the clean-up. It’s hot, dark, wet, hard work but we toil to a stand- still ripping out ruined fitout.
Mobile reception is patchy, and phones can only be charged in the car (or the home generator if you have one, and fuel to run it – no service stations have power). We fluke a call to the local waste management boss and get a skip bin delivered so we can load our ruined fitout. We fluke another to a seller of generators and are promised a couple to get the office going – arriving any day we’re told.
Of course we need an electrician to safely wire them. Electricians reach demigod status locally.
Friday 31st – Sunday 2nd April
Colleagues unaware of our plight are told via diverted mobiles, and express concern and understanding.
The perspiring continues as does the bonus weight loss. Buckets of sea water from the beach and then fresh water from a nearby swollen creek are carried to wash debris covered windows, mop and re-mop reception, and to slosh out detritus throughout the office.
We panic about re-opening, and after half daily updates the generators arrive Sunday. Our saintly electrician works hard to let there be light and power. Sunday is spent re-connecting things that should never have been disconnected and they all miraculously come to life when we throw the now safe electrical switches.
Relatively speaking things look great.
Some other good news – we’re apparently on the ‘emergency services’ NBN node and so our internet and phones are back online early. Nodes only have a few days’ battery power before shutting down. Noted.
Monday 3rd April
We open. The office is an industrial shed: concrete floors, missing plasterboard and no air conditioning. A dozen pedestal fans shunt damp air about the office. Front and back doors are jammed open. Still no power or water. Everyone’s tired. Workstations, servers, networks and phone service are powered down every four hours to allow for generator re-fuelling. The work environment’s tough and home is no sanctuary either.
Damage control – literally dozens of transactional deadlines have passed. Other clients’ urgent matters have slipped and some golden opportunities evaporated. Every matter has collateral damage we need to fix. People are glad we’re back online, but want action and are frankly tired of waiting. Who cares that we have a makeshift office and are down approximately 600 working hours. Empathy has gone with the wind and the 24 hour news cycle.
We divert our tightening funds to market re-opening, and our limited time to deal with brokers, insurers, builders and assessors.
Post script
We could regale with war stories but that’s not the point. In all, we were without mains power and safe, running water for about 10 days, and a regular postal service for about 2 weeks.
So what’s Plan B?
No-one escapes natural disasters unaffected, and if it’s not a cyclone it’ll be something else. Assume your time will come.
- Check connectivity and NBN especially if on VOIP phones;
- get a generator and an electrician now;
- take pics of damage for insurer but get moving on your own clean up – there’s no cavalry;
- Set and re-set client expectations – lost hours don’t come back;
- Check insurance – especially business interruption and fit out, ask your insurer to appoint a claims preparer;
- Check lease – especially rental abatement;
- Watch cash flow – a couple of weeks lost/delayed receipts will hurt;
- Back up all data – assume you’ll lose everything in its current format;
- Watch your team – everyone copes differently; and
- Encourage resilience.
Cheers from the team at PD Law
“Women in law and other dumb concepts”
We all woke to the attached ad in the local paper. Our competitor asked:
“Have you ever wished an experienced lawyer would carry out your legal work instead of a girl in the office?”
Um. None taken.
Let’s introduce ‘a girl’ or two from our office:
Bernie Gunders – having owned and operated her own family sporting goods business, and with practical expertise and on the job legal training spanning over a decade, Bernie’s professionalism is unrivalled. Though a girl, she offers measured, real world advice, collaborates with her colleagues (including girls), and maintains a strong relationship with all of her loyal clientele. Oh and she also raised two sets of twins. Wait, wait. Nope. Sorry she’s a girl.
Sarah Smith – Bond university graduate, 7+ years’ experience in various areas of law, as both a trainee and a lawyer, also has a loyal and well serviced client base, not to mention a very hard working mum of two. Hang on a sec. Yep as we suspected, Sarah too, is in fact, a girl in the office.
Ok then let’s see, Robyn Batman, 25 years’ experience providing a high level of administrative support to top executives from a cross section of corporate entities including Price Waterhouse, CSR, GE Insurance and Phillips Fox Lawyers. Bugger. No good. She’s a girl, and in the office also.
Melissa Wick – decades of experience in various industries, primarily involved in practice management, business marketing media and project management, having qualifications in project management and business analytics Wicki has consulted to Telstra project managing aspects of the NBN roll out in various major regional and metro areas. She has worked as a consultant for Allianz, AMP and RAMS Homeloans too, But, you guessed it, she’s a girl too. Curses!
Mel Cox – despite her gender, embarked on a paralegal career nearly 20 years ago. Now, as a 50% owner of PD Law, Mel is also the CEO. In addition to being a girl, in her spare time she’s also studying for her masters of business administration (MBA). Whoa! Mel’s also a girl. Dang, of all the bad luck.
Foolishly, we employ more girls than just those mentioned here. And a couple of men too.
As was so eloquently stated by Dame Stephanie (‘Steve’) Shirley “you can always tell ambitious women by the shape of our heads: they’re flat on top from being patted patronisingly”.
Since 2012, PD Law’s goal was to re-think legal services delivery. “It’s no secret legal services are a bit of a grudge purchase”, director Stuart Bell said. “We’re working hard to change that, and offer an affordable menu of contemporary services so people can immediately assess what sort of value we can add.”
This is being achieved in no small part to their investment in technology and further education, though not just legal education. CEO Mel Cox is several years in to her MBA. “We’re a business first, facing the same pressures as all small business. The legal profession is undergoing massive change and we’re making it our business not just to move with the times, but to be at the industry forefront.
“Geographic location is neither a consideration nor an excuse for us not being at the tip of change.”
Contemporary relevant service delivery is just part of the picture. Recent recruits Christine Kinnear (employment law, business and property development) and Sarah Smith (family law, estate planning, criminal law) have welcomed the energy of working in this environment. “To be exposed to the innovative alternatives to traditional legal services is exciting” Christine Kinnear said.
“The last thing you want is for a client to leave feeling unsure, and in high stress personal situations it’s often hard for them to come away empowered and informed, but this is our aim”, family lawyer Sarah Smith remarked.
Exploiting technology enables PD Law to achieve more in less time, which equals efficiency for clients. Conveyancing manager Bernie Gunders: “Looking back to traditional conveyancing service delivery, it’s chalk and cheese. With the systems we’ve developed in-house, we offer a more reliable, thorough service every time, and it’s not over. We’re testing and evolving almost every week!
“Don’t get me wrong – change management is a daily challenge, but it’s rewarding.”
Receptionist Sue MacMillan said “I remember almost from day one the different feel this place gives off. Although we all work very hard, it’s a very vibrant environment, and we’re always learning, all of us. I enjoy work and that’s such a bonus in any working environment”.
No business thrives without a strong management team, preferably devoid of lawyers! “When I began here in 2014, marketing knowledge was limited but I saw the directors had a clear vision for the business. I knew my industry expertise would be embraced and complement their direction” marketing manager Melissa Wick said.
“Because we’re in a knowledge based industry we’re offering our services across Queensland. We’re very proud of what our brand conveys and it’s an exciting time for us so watch this space!”
Measured growth is equally important. “It’s no secret all business suffer knee jerk reactions sometimes – we get busy, employ more team members, grow, but efficiency, profit and job satisfaction doesn’t always reflect this,” Mel Cox said. “We now only seek new staff whom we can tell straight away will buy into our vision, and keen to grow. We recently took on local law graduate Hayden Grimston applying this model. Hayden is keen to learn and apply his legal knowledge, but equally keen about the business, how it runs, who we are as a group and how we deliver our service.”.
Check out our team bio’s here: Our Team
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrives in Airlie Beach on 13 January 2016 and the fleet will be on display at Abell Point Marina from 13 – 18 January. There are lots of Free Events happening over this festival period. Check out the timetable of events here: Round the World Clipper Festival Events – Abell Point.
About the Clipper Race
Normally the domain of seasoned pros, this supreme challenge is taken on by ordinary, everyday people. Having completed a rigorous training course, participants are suited and booted in the latest extreme protection gear to commence the race of their lives – an unparalleled challenge where taxi drivers rub shoulders with chief executives, vicars mix with housewives, students work alongside bankers, and engineers team up with Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
This is one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other. With no previous sailing experience necessary, it’s a record breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht. All that is asked of participants is a good level of fitness, an age over 18 – and a thirst for adventure into the unknown. Divided into eight legs and 14 individual races, you can choose to complete the full circumnavigation or select individual legs. It is the only race in the world where the organizers supply a fleet of twelve identical racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper to safely guide the crew.
Get yourself down to Abel Point Marina
It’s an amazing sight to see and there will be lots to do for all the family, including: Fireworks, a 5km Park Run and the Outrigger Paddle Challenge! So get down there and the PD Law team will see you there.
*Photo credit Stuart Bell- “Clipper Yachts at 5.30am”
Monday Inspiration : Bob Oatley – Owner of Hamilton Island since 2003, Legendary Business Man, Creator of the Oatley Wines empire and Owner of Maxi Yacht Wild Oats X and Super Maxi Wild Oats has died aged 87.
Mr Oatley was one of the Whitsunday regions most famous champions and a true inspiration to many Australians.
When accepting his Order of Australia (OA) Medal in 2014, he said ‘To share my passions of wine, sailing and Hamilton Island, as well as my good fortunes to aid cancer research and visual arts with the people of Australia, gives me immense pleasure and pride. I am a proud Australian, so to be awarded the Order of Australia is a great honour.’
Photo courtesy of BRW (Louis Douvis)
Press on the picture to play our seasonal greeting!
Season’s Greetings
The PD Law Christmas/New Year Elite Special Ops division will be available over the Christmas break (excluding from noon Christmas Eve and statutory holidays)
We hope you and your family have a fantastic Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!
PD Law has revealed its new look office signage.
Thanks to local signage business – Angel Signs we now have a brand new look – and we think it’s great. We recently redefined our vision statement and wanted our branding to reflect this said Mel Cox – Director/CEO.
Our firm is relentless in building a trusted brand associated with consistent delivery of highly skilled, ethical legal representation for a fee that aligns with client expectations. We don’t just want to meet client expectations, we want to exceed them!. Having a clear and defined vision helps PD Law demonstrate through its branding, the diverse services that the team can offer.
“Property & Development Law offers a variety of services and this new signage really shows off what we can offer our clients!” Mel Cox
PD Law are delighted to announce, that this week they have launched a Client Portal and Mobile Phone App, offering their clients the opportunity to access their information by downloading an iPhone or iPad app or going onto the web.
Clients will be able to check on their critical dates, look at reminders, view their contracts and other important documents, as soon as they have been prepared. Mel Cox – CEO is very excited by the launch, she says “This implementation is a huge benefit to the business and for our clients, who now have access to their information at weekends, out of office hours, literally 24/7!”.
“With just a couple of steps our clients can access information that they would normally have received in the post or via email”. Mel said “The opportunities for office efficiency are huge and the PD Law team are very keen to give clients immediate access to documents in one place”.
The roll out for the client portal has commenced and will be offered to clients with new matters. This roll out will soon be followed by online access for our real estate agents.
This was the topic set to the Finalist Panel for the ALPMA/Telstra Thought Leadership Award Finalists by Warrick McLean General Manager, Coleman Greig Lawyers ALPMA.
Mel Cox CEO/ Director of PD Law answers the 5 questions posed regarding Innovation and Law Firms :
- Q1 What is the difference between innovation and improvement and what is the defining characteristic of each?
- Q2 What is the single most impressive example of innovation or thought leadership that you know of at a law firm?
- Q3 Everyone understands that innovation is vital – what blocks it from happening and what propels it to success?
- Q4 How does the market’s expectation of innovation differ between large and small law firms?
- Q5 Make a prediction – what’s the biggest innovation or change we will see in law firms in the next 24 months?
See Mel’s answers by clicking on the below link:
Meet Isabelle (Izzy) who is completing her structured workplace learning at PD Law this week. Isabelle is in Grade 12 at Proserpine High School and she expressed an interest in working with us, when the opportunity came up.
We asked her a few questions to get to know her:
Why did you want to do your work experience at PD Law?
“I am very interested in Law as a career when I leave school, as I have family members who are involved in Law – my mum has completed a partial law degree and one of my relatives is a criminal lawyer in Sydney. When I was asked where I would like to work, your company had been recommended to me and I also know Shanay who works with you and she always says great things about working there”.
What have you enjoyed so far about your work experience ?
“Well the people are great, they are very kind and they don’t mind me asking lots and lots of questions! I like that I get shown what to do and can then go off and try it myself. I also have a great desk at reception with an amazing view of the beach”.
What do you do in your spare time?
“I read lots of books – I am a huge Agatha Christie fan. I also like playing piano and watching Dr Who on TV”.
We have loved having Izzy with us this week, she has been very helpful and we wish her all the best in her future career in Law.
You’re invited to an investment information evening.
For investors in the Whitsunday region, or aspiring ones, the property market can be a confusing place.
Stuart Bell, a director at Property and Development Law, will be one of the speakers at this event, to advise attendees on asset protection, entry and exit strategies and contract costs.
Stuart says of the event:
“No matter what the investment circumstance, be it a new business or investment property, we all need find the optimum balance between tax minimisation, asset protection and succession planning flexibility.
Finding out there was a ‘better way’ after you’ve committed can be monumentally expensive, or even impossible, to fix. This event has the right people in the one room, all at once, to talk about the things you need to think about”.
Ray White Whitsunday have organised this event to provide up-to-date information, and address questions from those in the property investment game and those considering it.
The event is supported by Leader Group (accountants), Property and Development Law and the Home Loan Specialists.
Mark Beale of Ray White Whitsunday says the reason for the session is simple
“The aim was to help the community of past, current and future investors by giving them advice and tips in regards to their investments,” Mr Beale.
“It is an exciting but daunting experience to become a property investor for the first time, so we want to help smooth the process for new investors.”
“Landlords have expenses, receive an income and have tax implications. The importance of landlords complying with the Residential Tenancies Act and meeting tenants obligations regarding repairs is critical to running a sound personal investment business,” he said.
“We want people to enjoy being an investor in our great community!”
In addition to presentations from Mark and Stuart, Terry Archer from The Home Loan Specialists will talk about why certain home loans suit different people, he’ll address fixed versus variable rates and talk about leveraging equity for investment.
Graham Mazlin of Leader Group will cover the topics of negative gearing, self managed super funds and borrowing structures.
The event will be held at The Reef Gateway Hotel on Thursday February 13 from 6.30pm – 8pm.
Download the event flyer here Investment Information Evening
RSVP to Natalia Inglis on 07 4948 8500 or email natalina.inglis@raywhite.com
