Leading specialist law firm Twomey Dispute Lawyers is taking flexible working arrangements to the next level with one of their team members set to operate out of a remote lakeside Canadian cabin.
In true Bear Grylls-esque fashion, associate litigator Tegan Childs is returning to Whistler once again to adventure amongst snow-capped mountains during the day and moonlight as a lawyer in the evening.
A self-described ‘die-hard’ litigator with the travel bug, Ms Childs spent 2020 snowboarding, dogsledding, hiking in snowshoes and snowmobiling – all while maintaining a high stakes law career with the Gold Coast-based firm.
“During the 2019-2020 winter, I was living in an A-frame cabin by a frozen lake working as a tour guide for a Canadian wilderness adventure company whilst also working for Twomey Dispute Lawyers,” says Ms Childs.
“I’m really looking forward to going back and the time difference offers an ideal opportunity for me to enjoy everything Canada has to offer while allowing me to continue working in a career within a company I love.
“From 8.00am onwards, I essentially had the whole day to ski the mountains, snowshoe, snowmobile, just adventuring all day and then spending my evenings doing legal work – it was the perfect balance,” says Ms Childs.
“Every day felt like I was on this insane adventure, where not one day was like ‘oh it’s Monday, I’ve got five working days ahead of me’, it was a question of what exciting activity I was getting up to and then what cool legal work I’d have in the afternoon.”
Director of Twomey Dispute Lawyers Ben Twomey says he fully encourages opportunities that support wellness and positive mental health outcomes amongst the team.
“It’s important that work and life outside of the office is both fulfilling and enriching, and I’ll support that anyway I can, including having a team member working from Whistler,” says Mr Twomey.
“Which is an awesome and compelling story that our office culture is not only supporting optimal wellness, positive mental health and flexible working arrangements, but actively demonstrating it.
“I was stoked when Tegan told me her plans and I can’t wait to hear about her adventures, especially if they’re anything like the last time.
“For leaders, particularly those in law firms, it’s important to enable opportunities for growth in both the professional and personal lives of team members.”
A few months after COVID-19 hit in late 2020, Ms Childs returned to Australia and continued working as a litigator for Twomey Dispute Lawyers.
“Working in law is like a muscle – you need to keep working at it and when you take a break, you need to get that fitness back,” Ms Childs says.
“It’s such an intense career that there is a huge drop-off rate and a lot of employee burnout within the first few years.
“I love travelling but I also love being a litigator, so having the balance to do both reduces burnout because you have harmony between the things you love doing and your career.”
Ms Childs is set to return to Canada in time for ‘March Madness’, a term coined by Whistler locals to describe the idyllic weather conditions which include lots of powder and snow, perfect for spring skiing.
Twomey Dispute Lawyers offer top-tier advice for disputes and are experts at finding solutions and resolutions for several specialist legal practice areas including defamation, workplace law, debt recovery, corporate insolvency and bankruptcy, property, shareholder disputes and construction law.
