This is Allens

Jane: My role on the Allens Board gives me a unique perspective on the firm – I'm both deeply invested and an outsider. It's been fascinating and inspiring to observe the way the firm and its people have tackled the challenges and opportunities of the past year. While Allens has a long legacy of leadership in the market, I think 2021 was the year many people realised the importance of personal leadership, and bravely stepped into that role.

That realisation has been helped along by the impact of COVID and the way it's encouraged us to shed many of the trappings of work life. Lots of the things we thought really mattered in professional relationships have been challenged, and we've seen a return to the basics – genuine connection, merit, enthusiasm and curiosity – which has been a revelation for leaders and teams alike.

Other events this year have challenged the Board and our people and prompted some soul searching. No matter the issue, the firm approaches it with curiosity, thoughtful reflection and always with reference to its values. The leadership team sees every challenge as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to improve which, in my experience, is pretty rare and very brave.

2021 has thrown many challenges our way, but we've achieved a tremendous amount which has, quite frankly, surprised me. Despite the many hurdles and impediments, we've had some great times together. We didn’t press pause on life in 2021, and I think we all feel stronger for it.

Real change is never easy and almost always slow. Perhaps the fact that Allens has been around for almost 200 years gives it more confidence and stamina to embark on such journeys and play the long game. It's a firm that has a lot to be proud of and so much promise – I feel privileged to be able to share in its remarkable heritage and future potential.

Greg: 2021 has been characterised by change and uncertainty for all of us. Cleary there wasn't enough of that for me though, so I threw in a new job with Allens, a second baby and a stint in isolation to keep things interesting. 

It's been an incredible time to join the firm. The appetite and the need for support has never been greater, and it's been really gratifying to see the variety of ways I've been able to help people through my role. From weekly wellbeing sessions and one-on-one coaching through to helping teams and having input to organisational change initiatives, it's been busy, challenging and never, ever boring.

You don't often think of lawyers as risk-takers, but I've seen the firm make some very brave and bold moves to not only respond to current challenges, but position itself for the future. Allens' early adoption of hybrid work last year is one example, as is our current work to lead a new standard of respect and fairness in the workplace. Deep thought is a hallmark of the culture, which means there are rarely quick or easy answers to problems – there's a commitment to get to the root cause of issues and a willingness to change things that aren't working and create something new. I find that impressive, even if it is scary for some people. As a newcomer observing this commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, it's easy to see how the firm has survived and thrived for so long.

The past year has seen leaders really hone their skills in offering support to their teams in times of great uncertainty. They've been looking out for their people, and have taken on the responsibility of caring for others in a way that's been incredibly valuable, but probably unsustainable. As we look to the coming year and the hope of some return to normal, I'd love to see leaders consider how they can weave sustainable levels of support into their everyday interactions, and make caring for people an integral part of leadership.

This year I've seen such tremendous resilience from our people and from our firm. A lot of people think being resilient means being invincible. It's not. We are all affected by the events of life. It's about what we do to minimise the impact and what we do to recover that matters.