HHG Legal Group

About the Firm

What are your core values? The six key values that define HHG Legal Group, guide our behaviour and growth strategy are: Teamwork. We are committed to establishing and maintaining collaborative, supportive teams with our colleagues and with our clients. We encourage personal responsibility and accountability. Client focus. We value our client relationships. We listen to our clients and respond to their needs with energy, enthusiasm and efficiency. We focus on solutions that create value for our clients. Respect. We are committed to building and maintaining an environment in which we respect each other, in terms of talents, personal qualities and differences. We appreciate diversity in thinking and share what we know. Integrity. We inspire trust as legal advisors. We deliver on our promises and maintain the highest possible ethical standards. Continuous improvement. We believe in continuous learning. We embrace change and reward goal-oriented effort and achievement. We are committed to coaching where everyone can enhance their ability to contribute. Fun. We enjoy what we do. How does your firm distinguish itself? What really sets us apart from other firms is the HHG Service Guarantee. We understand that good service is subjective from client to client and guarantee that we will strive to deliver the best service, no matter how complex a matter is. We do this by checking in regularly and ensuring that our clients are receiving the level of service they want, in-line with their desired outcome and budget. We can do this by ensuring: •Expertise - The best solicitor will be selected and will possess the right legal expertise coupled with real industry or matter type experience. As a full-service firm, you have the benefit of having access to multiple specialist solicitors across all areas of law covering every eventuality and giving you peace of mind. •Knowledge - The solicitor will garner full knowledge and understanding of your matter, insofar as possible, during your consultation. •Regular Communication -

Our clients choose their level of service. If they wish we can leave no stone unturned and reach out daily however there are cost implications, so we will manage expectations from the outset. Equally they can opt for a light-touch approach Level 8, Cloisters Square, 863 Hay St, Perth 6000

hhg.com.au/careers

and everything in between and regular communication ensure our clients are being serviced at the level they want. •We care - Ultimately, we want to deliver the best service and outcome possible at what can be a very disconcerting time for clients. We value our client relationships and want to build on them, for the long term.

How would you describe your firm’s culture? At HHG Legal Group we are aware that our reputation will always depend on the people behind us. That is why we are committed to attracting staff that not only demonstrate great legal knowledge, but who have the skills to communicate effectively and build close relationships with all types of clients. In addition, we look for those who display our standards of integrity and a commitment to helping those in need. Our philanthropic arm, HHG Giving Back, assists many vulnerable groups by way of charitable giving and fundraising, sponsorships of community initiatives and via our pro bono commitment to Law Access and various community organisations. At a fundamental level, everyone at HHG Legal Group enjoys what we do (and have fun doing it), but we’re not afraid to work hard either. We place great importance

on working collaboratively across our five offices (Perth, Albany, Mandurah, Bunbury & Joondalup) which drives the opportunities to learn from each other and be a valued and vital team member.

What notable awards has your firm recently received? In just the last year, the HHG Legal Group team has received several accolades and recognitions including: •Employer of Choice: Australasian

Lawyer’s Top 24 Law Firms •2021 Doyle’s’ Guide: Leading

Wills, Estates and Successions

Planning Lawyer – Janene Bon,

Special Counsel •2020 Australasian Law Award for Excellence – State/Regional

Firm of the Year •2020 Doyle’s Guide: Leading

Wills, Estates and Succession

Planning Firm (Third Tier). •2020 Doyle’s’ Guide: Leading

Wills, Estates and Successions

Planning Lawyer – Janene Bon,

Special Counsel •2020 Doyle’s Guide:

Recommended Wills and Estate

Litigation Firm •2020 Doyle’s’ Guide:

Recommended Wills and Estate

Litigation Lawyer – Murray

Thornhill, Director •Recognition in 2021 Best Lawyers in Australia list for work in Family

Law – Simon Creek, Executive

Chairman and Special Counsel •Recognition in 2021 Best

Lawyers in Australia list for work in Real Property Law – Anne

Hurley, Special Counsel What significant work has your firm recently undertaken? Corporate & Commercial Law •Acting for Calan Williams

Racing in Calan’s bid to be an

Formula 1 Driver •Acted for the WA based target in a friendly agribusiness merger with a national firm •Successfully represented financial planners pursuing damages for a seller’s misleading conduct and breach of obligations in a business sale •Assisted many in-house and private lawyers on novel and complex applications of

Personal Property Securities

Act provisions •Acted for an Indigenous

Corporation’s subsidiary in partnership matters with

Federal statutory body relating to a solar power facility Property & Planning •Advising local governments in managing public liability risks in relation to approval and management of unique community and sporting events on public land •Acted for a client in a family dispute over land with a value circa $12 million •Acted for a local government in the grant of a 50-year lease over a site with contamination Building & Construction Law •Acting for contractors owed money and defending defect claims in various arbitration matters •Wills, Estate & Succession

Planning •Representing a global contractor in a multi-million dollar claim against an

Australian contractor under a failed infrastructure project •Complex business and farming succession matters involving multiple entities and multimillion-dollar transfers and transactions •Complex estate administration dealing with many types of assets, different trusts and companies, self-managed super fund issues, assets in

Australia and overseas as well as beneficiaries’ resident in and out of Australia Family & De Facto Law •Successfully represented a family law client in obtaining an order so that she retained the family home and half the husband’s superannuation portfolio •Provided difficult and complex advice to a 10-year-old child in protection matters where both parents have complex social needs •Obtained a recovery order for the return of a child where the

Father had ‘taken off’ with him, placing the child in danger Crime and Traffic •Advising and representing clients across the following areas: •Criminal Magistrates and

District Court matters; •Traffic matters; and •Restraining order matters (Violence Restraining Order,

Family Violence Restraining

Order, Misconduct Restraining

Order.

During which periods do you offer clerkships? Typically, HHG takes on clerks anytime from October through to January, however we also recruit graduates throughout the year, as required. What sets us apart is we can offer unrivaled exposure to matters across all disciplines and client types, whether commercial, government or private client, however we do not adhere to the strict annual recruitment dates recommended by the Law Schools, due to the dynamic nature of our firm.

How many clerkship positions are available for 2022? Four, one per practice group. •Family & De Facto Law •Wills, Estates & Succession

Planning •Corporate & Commercial (including Employment Law) and Property Law •Dispute Resolution and Litigation

What tasks do clerks usually undertake? •Legal research •Drafting legal articles and media briefs

How can a clerk stand out or make a good impression? •Solid academic record •World view or travel •Altruistic community experience Do you offer clerkships to non-penultimate students? HHG Legal Group offers clerkships to both penultimate students as well as those completing their final year of studies.

Graduate Jobs

What does your firm look for in a graduate? At HHG we look for people who: • Convey their passion for the law; • Look for solutions not just problems; • Commercial thinking – good social media profile and exposure; and • Show initiative.

How can students apply for a graduate positions? Application – applicants can apply through our career microsite at https://hhg-legal. breezy.hr/ - we suggest they visit our website to find out about our values and practice areas at https://www.hhg.com.au.

How many positions are available in 2022? At HHG Legal Group we do not have a fixed number of Law Graduate places each year; it will depend on the growth of the practice areas and the capacity of the supervising lawyers. This year we proudly took on 4 graduates who were placed in our Perth, Joondalup, Albany and Bunbury offices.

What kind of pro bono work does the firm engage in? HHG Legal Group is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate. Over the last twenty years there have been significant and unprecedented cuts to Legal Aid funding, placing vulnerable individuals further at risk. To lessen this gap, HHG Giving Back provides free legal assistance clinics and notfor-profit sponsorships, ensuring that help is accessible to those in need. In addition to this, HHG Legal Group is a very active contributor to Law Access, which assists hundreds of Western Australians per year who cannot personally fund or access government funded legal services. In addition to Law Access, HHG Legal Group assists other community-based legal services with pro bono work; these include, but are not limited to, the Peel Community Legal Service, Employment Law Service, Women’s Legal Service, Alzheimer’s WA and Fresh Start Recovery Programme. In 2020 HHG Giving Back extended its pro bono service and provides invaluable legal clinics for Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren (WA) Inc, facilitated by former Attorney-General, Hon Cheryl Edwardes AM, also HHG Giving Back’s newly appointed Chair. GRWA is a registered charity offering vital support services to grandparents who care for grandchildren on a full-time basis whether it be due to parental drug and alcohol abuse, family violence and incarceration and sometimes this led to court restraining orders and custody battles.

Does your firm offer any international opportunities for graduates or junior lawyers? HHG Legal Group provides legal services across our five offices in the Perth CBD, Mandurah, Albany, Bunbury and Joondalup. Although we cannot offer graduates any international opportunities, what we can offer is a lifestyle choice. We can offer the corporate “Terrace” culture at our state-ofthe-art inner CBD office or for those living in Perth’s northern corridor, an office close to home with minimal commute time, in Joondalup. We can also offer a regional and semi-regional lifestyle in either the Great Southern, South-West or Peel regions, via placement at our Albany, Bunbury, or Mandurah offices. What does your firm like to see in a job interview? • That research has been done!

We won’t identify where because we want candidates to show initiative. • Demonstrate any relevant experience and knowledge of the practice area you are keen on. • Be prepared to be asked why you are looking at a particular practice area. • Establish your passion for the law, and rationale for why you are today seeking a career in the legal profession.

How can students best prepare for an interview with your firm? We look for people who are: • Personable – we have a collegiate and team culture across all practice areas; • Demonstrate good initiative for getting relevant experience, even if not in the legal space; • Have good life references; • Are amenable to working across WA, Great Southern and Peel regions; • Possess emotional intelligence; and • Shows commercial nous (across all practices). Does your firm offer casual or part-time employment? At HHG Legal Group, we are always on the lookout for enthusiastic law students and graduates who want to gain real life experience within the firm. Several of our Law Graduates commenced their HHG life as casual interns, gaining a real feel for our processes and culture prior to being offered a formal graduate position. At HHG, our graduate and internship recruitment process is: Application – applicants can apply through our career microsite at hhg-legal.breezy.hr/ - we suggest they visit our website to find out about our values and practice areas. 1st Interview – a video interview initially across Microsoft Teams or Zoom to discuss reasons they are looking to get into law and establish any preferences for direction and practice area.

2nd Interview (Shortlist of candidates, typically 12)

– face to face interviews with prospective shortlist of candidates over a couple of days

Team building and game

play – we look at all twelve candidates’ verbal reasoning, problem solving, team play, communication, leadership and emotional intelligence to go towards the final hiring decision. This is an extremely effective way to ensure graduates possess all the characteristics we look for in an HHG team members and provide a way for them to stand out from their fellow candidates.