Andrew Boog is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of business, having come from a family of experienced small business operators. As the partner of Austen Brown Boog, Andrew has served as a solicitor for over 37 years, specialising in business law. Insights spoke to Andrew about how he came to be a business law expert, what he enjoys most about the field, and what advice he might have for lawyers looking to move into business law.
No such thing as a “regular day”
Andrew came to business law “almost by accident.”
“When I joined the firm, there was already a solicitor doing much of the litigation work,” explained Andrew. Commercial law came quite naturally to Andrew. Indeed, prior to becoming a lawyer, Andrew worked as an accountant for Austral Bricks, and as a tax assessor for the ATO.
“The more commercial side did appeal to me having come from a family where small business was predominant,” said Andrew. “Also, being dually qualified in accounting assisted with the commercial work. Once in the area, I was able to convince myself that I knew what I was doing, and it grew from there! Strangely, the more you do of this work, the less certain you are that you do know.”
Every day brings a different challenge. For the most part, his work will involve analysing facts and advising clients on their options. This can mean structuring a transaction, then proceeding to document and implement the proposed structure.
“Once I get a regular day, I will let you know what it looks like,” said Andrew. “In the meantime, my days are usually spent on the telephone, in conferences with clients, responding to emails, drafting documents, dictating correspondence, and generally just trying to stay on top of the tsunami!”
Happy, satisfied clients on both sides
What sets business law apart from other areas is how clients respond to the work itself.
“Unlike many other areas of law, you can arrange things so that your client ‘wins’,” explained Andrew. “In most commercial transactions, it is possible to have happy, relatively satisfied, clients on each side of the dealing.”
Naturally, this comes down to how well a lawyer manages client expectations and understands what a client wants from a commercial dealing. However, as much of a business lawyer’s work is facilitating business, it can result in all parties to a transaction happy with the result.
For Andrew, being a good business lawyer means understanding the intricacies of each client’s business.
“The work provides many windows into various businesses, all of which are interesting,” observed Andrew.
A highly stimulating, constantly changing field
For lawyers looking to move into business law, they should be prepared to stay up to date with quite a few different areas of law which might impact a business.
“You need to be across many things,” explained Andrew. “While you do not need to be an expert in any of them, you will need to know a bit about a lot.”
While large firms can provide an opportunity to further specialise, the majority of business lawyers tend to have a broad understanding of the various areas of law that can impact a business.
“Law never stands still, so keeping up to date is always necessary,” said Andrew.
The legal profession, alongside the wider economy, is presently weathering unprecedented economic uncertainty. However, Andrew remains upbeat.
“The requirement for transactional work and lawyers who can add value to that process will never stop,” said Andrew. “In fact, each time the economy moves, whether up or down, transactions take place. Competent lawyers can assist and contribute to these transactions.”
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