Show Notes
In this episode, we are joined by a career complex commercial and civil litigator from Buddle Findlay, Cora Morrison. Cora has gained a huge amount of experience across smaller and boutique to large national and highly-ranked Firms, gaining interesting perspective on the workplace.It may have been really easy to discuss Cora's background and work, but she chose to do something a little different and address the elephant in the room - the darker side of practicing law. Of course we are talking about ambition, expectation and success, balance and burnout and how to deal with these things.As an ambitious and self-proclaimed impatient person, Cora heaped expectation on herself early to reach goals faster. With a whirlwind approach and external factors impacting her personal life, she barreled towards full-blow burnout, twice. Learn from Cora how this happened, what she did to rectify the situation and how one might prevent falling into it in the first place.
More from What a Lawyer
In the fifth episode of season four, Erica Burke joins Sam for chat about self awareness as a practicing lawyer. This one is invaluable for those seeking to understand what's important in the early stages of their careers. Erica began her career in Family law with two renowned Auckland private practices - those of McVeagh Fleming and Haigh Lyon. After nearly a decade in firms, she started her own practice to create a values-driven, intentional way of working; one where she could offer clients expertise alongside empathy, trust and guidance. Erica specialises in relationship property, family violence, and care of children matters, bringing strong preparation, pragmatic advice, and advocacy that puts people at the centre. Her appointment as Lawyer for the Child in the Family Court reflects balanced judgement and deep understanding of complex family dynamics.She works collaboratively with solicitors, and other professionals, taking care to ensure clients feel informed, heard, and supported every step of the way. Beyond the courtroom, she is actively involved in advancing gender equity as Vice President of the Auckland Women Lawyers' Association and was Co Editor-in-Chief of Te Aho Kawe Kaupapa Ture a Ngā Wāhine | New Zealand Women's Law Journal. She is also a mentor with the He Ira Wāhine University of Auckland Law Women Mentoring Programme.Erica's unique perspective of a legal career, not just in family, is one everyone could learn from. It's not just about the technical, but how the layers underneath matter so much more.
In this episode of Season Four, Sam caught up with Alasdair Christie - a former Partner of 27 years at Sharp Tudhope in Tauranga. Alasdair has recently retired having spent a whopping 39 years with the same firm. Alasdair reflects on his journey, the lessons he has learned, his intentions for post-practicing life outside of law and leaves our listeners with some solid advice for a long and fruitful career.
Cam Madgwick is the CEO of Gibson Sheat, a medium sized law firm that has serviced the Wellington, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa regions for the last 100 years.Cam began his career as a practising lawyer and has built an impressive career spanning private practice, in-house legal roles, governance, and executive leadership. Over the years he has worked across a diverse range of organisations and industries, giving him a unique perspective on the legal profession from both inside and outside traditional law firm environments. His experience extends well beyond the technical practice of law, encompassing strategy, organisational leadership, client service, and the broader role lawyers play in helping organisations and communities thrive. Today, Cam is best known for his leadership within the legal sector and his commitment to building high-performing, people-centred organisations. As CEO of Gibson Sheat, he has become a respected voice on law firm culture, leadership, and the future of professional services. He is also widely recognised for his governance and community contributions, including many years of service supporting access to justice and community organisations throughout New Zealand. Cam discusses his background, practicing law in private practice and in-house environments, key leadership ideas and the detail around them and some practical tools that our lawyers of tomorrow could implement today.
Fiona McMillan from Lane Neave joined Sam again on the podcast. New Zealand recently introduced some changes to the Employment Relations Act with the Employment Relations Amendment Act. There were four key changes that are already in effect and they are: 1. Contractor vs Employees (Gateway test), 2. High income earners cannot raise a Personal Grievance in the event of unjustified dismissal, 3. Stricter limits on remedies and 4. A repeal of the 30-day rule. Fiona discusses these changes in detail and gives practical takeaways for our everyday lawyers.
In the first episode of Season Four, Sam is joined by Jason Welsh - a specialist Environmental lawyer who spent time in large national firms and boutiques.