Shows
The Resolution RoomEthics in negotiation with Kate AveryI recently had the opportunity to sit down with my good friend and colleague, Kate Avery, a respected personal injury solicitor, to discuss the critical and often overlooked topic of legal ethics in negotiation. Drawing from her extensive experience in acting for both plaintiffs and defendants, Kate highlighted the nuanced ethical challenges practitioners face, particularly when their obligations to clients and opponents collide.Kate's career journey, from plaintiff advocacy to founding Care Lawyers, offers invaluable insights into the complex interplay of duties in negotiation environments. Unlike courtrooms where ethical guidelines are clear-cut, negotiations often exist in a...2025-07-2931 minThe Resolution RoomEthics in mediationThere's a dangerous misconception lurking in our profession—that negotiation operates as an ethical free zone. While we've meticulously developed ethical frameworks for courtroom conduct, the obligations practitioners owe to opponents in negotiation and mediation remain frustratingly under-explored. Too many assume that once we step outside the courtroom's formal boundaries, we enter a realm where every person fends for themselves and strategic advantage trumps professional integrity. This couldn't be further from the truth. Negotiation isn't a game where honesty takes a backseat to strategy, nor is it a lawless frontier where ethical constraints simply evaporate. The reality is...2025-07-1511 minThe Resolution RoomBeyond Traditional Practice: Kim Wiegand on the Strategic Future of Legal ServicesKim Wiegand brings a rare perspective to professional services transformation. With over 22 years of global experience as a strategic growth and client experience advisor, she operates at the intersection of transformational leadership, operational capability, and sustainable revenue expansion. Her career spans leadership roles across major law and accounting firms, where she's built high-performing teams, advised boards, and fundamentally reshaped firm-wide growth agendas.In an industry where strategic advice often comes from consultants who've never navigated the internal complexities of professional services, Kim's hands-on experience provides invaluable insight. She understands both the boardroom pressures and operational realities that...2025-07-0146 minThe Resolution RoomHow to build better teamsWhile many executives invest time in crafting the perfect vision statement to bolster their team, I find this process somewhat overrated. Steve Simpson’s concept of unwritten ground rules offers a more authentic reflection of workplace culture—focusing on the actual behaviours and practices that define how a team truly operates beyond what’s stated in organisational materials.Understanding these unwritten ground rules is crucial for any leader aiming to align culture with actual values. The old adage that people care more about what you do than what you say holds true here. Through surveys and honest dialog...2025-06-1714 minThe Resolution RoomMastering the art of negotiationIn our daily lives, negotiation plays an integral role, weaving itself into interactions ranging from persuading our children to eat their vegetables to reaching agreements in complex legal cases. As a lawyer deeply entrenched in both legal and leadership perspectives, I've come to realise that negotiation is an art that, when mastered, can be transformative in both the legal industry and the broader business arena.Negotiation is an intricate dance, requiring a balance of empathy, strategy, and ethical considerations. Whether rooted in trust or positioned adversarially, mastering negotiation can lead to profound outcomes in both the legal...2025-06-0312 minThe Resolution RoomThe Ego Trap: Lessons in Leadership from the Legal SectorAs I sat down recently for a deeply engaging conversation with my friend and esteemed colleague, Gabrielle Forbes, I couldn't help but reflect on a pervasive challenge I've observed spanning my years in the law and business: ego. In the pressure-cooker environment of professional services, where intellect and competition dance a fine line, ego can either serve as a driving force or become a career-stalling impediment. Over our discussion, Gabbi and I explored how unchecked ego can undermine leadership, especially in the uniquely collaborative world of law. Our conversation was not just about the theory of ego i...2025-05-2133 minThe Resolution RoomBreaking Free from the Golden Handcuffs: My Journey from Big Law to Evolve ResolveLeaving the comfort of a secure job is never an easy decision, especially when you're walking away from something often referred to as "the golden handcuffs." In the legal industry, these handcuffs are not only golden but intricately woven with the prestige and stability of being part of an established law firm. So why did I leave big law, a global business that I helped launch in the Australian market, to embark on a new path as a mediator and leadership coach?For me, the decision wasn't just about financial readiness to take a risk, although that...2025-05-1303 minThe Resolution RoomWelcome to The Resolution RoomAs someone who's always had a keen interest in the dynamics of leadership and the intricacies of mediation and negotiation, I found myself at a crossroads where I wanted to connect the dots between these passions and my professional journey. This is how "The Resolution Room" was born. A podcast designed to discuss topics around leadership, mediation, negotiation and team building.You might wonder, why the name "The Resolution Room"? This title encapsulates the dual purpose of my mission at Evolve Resolve: resolving claims and elevating leadership. I've found that in professional services, many people overlook the...2025-05-0703 min
Lawyers Weekly Podcast NetworkDeveloping future leaders of the legal professionIn this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Evolve Resolve, we unpack how lawyers can become more than just technically proficient and transition into leaders that the professional services marketplace both needs and increasingly demands. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Evolve Resolve founder and director Damien van Brunschot about his journey in the legal profession (including being managing partner of the Australian arm of a global firm), how he developed leadership capabilities in law, and why he thinks the development of leadership skills in the legal workplace is still often overlooked. The...2024-09-1930 min