Stuart Loudon

Never feeling at home within a traditional law firm culture, QLD-based Stuart Loudon followed his instincts and started his own firm, LOUDON LEGAL, with the guidance of The College of Law’s LPMC.

Today, former social worker Stuart is leveraging his deep understanding of human behaviour to run a law firm that puts clients at the centre.

A life-changing career decision

I come from a family that’s heavily involved in activism and social justice. So for my first career, I chose social work.

This vocation helped me recognise I had a natural ability to understand people and help them find solutions. So in my late 30s, after my third child was born, I decided to study law.

And given my background, choosing my major was easy: mediation and dispute resolution it was.

It was an intense period of my life, taking on a Bachelor of Laws, while working full time in social work – all with a young family. But now that I’m out the other side, I can say it was all worth it!

Fit for law, but not in a traditional sense

With a law degree in hand, I started working in litigation for a commercial legal firm.

But I soon discovered that I didn’t quite blend in with the culture of a traditional firm. We’d been encouraged to aim to rise the ranks to partnership – but I was more interested in achieving good results for my clients.

What’s more, as a creative person, I felt a need to think differently. However, I found the rigid hierarchical structure that’s typical of so many firms left little room for creative expression.

The signs were all pointing me in one direction, and I knew I had to follow my gut.

I decided to start my own firm.

A real-world course for a real-world endeavour

Despite having a decent amount of commercial knowledge, I knew I had a bit to learn about starting my own business. So I decided to enrol in the LPMC.

I found the course very practical, as it directly related to the real-world scenario I found myself in. The lecturers went the extra mile, speaking plainly and honestly about their own experiences, which gave me valuable insights while embarking on my own journey.

In particular, I became more mindful of my economic reality. Given I was launching my firm in April 2020, after the COVID-19 lockdown, I realised I needed to shift my mindset. Instead of fixating on big picture goals around staffing and office space, I should plan for slow, steady growth.

Opening the doors to a new kind of practice

Despite the doubts of starting a firm in 2020, it’s been a positive experience. This was largely because I already have a solid network to draw on, with colleagues from previous firms sending me work.

I also believe it’s going so well because I was determined to do things differently from the get-go. I’ve seen firsthand why clients become frustrated by lawyers, and I knew I wanted to solve this.

For starters, I offer flexible appointment times, charge fixed and transparent fees – and communicate in plain English wherever possible. I also aim to be down-to-earth with my clients and forgo the legal tradition’s rigid formality.

Going forward, I plan to tighten up my processes and build the firm’s presence. And I hope to provide community education to help people avoid common legal pitfalls.

Find your own path – and follow it

If you’re thinking about starting your own firm too, my first piece of advice is to back yourself.

Know your communication and working style, your personality – and the unique qualities you can bring to the business. Never underestimate yourself.

Start small and focus on designing processes that will make life easier for both you and your client.

Lastly, be sure to get help and insights from other people. The LPMC is the perfect place to start.

Looking to take a step outside the traditional legal firm box? Start your journey today – and enrol in the LPMC today.

Register For LPMC