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Practitioner Profile: Georgia Uzabeaga, Commercial Litigator
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Like many legal professionals, Uzabeaga came to specialise in her chosen field after first attempting other practice areas.
“I started off working in criminal law during my PLT at The College of Law and realised that it wasn’t for me,” she said.
“My dad owns a building and project management and maintenance company so I thought I would try my luck in the commercial sector and see if I was better suited to it. I started online researching reputable commercial and building and construction firms in Sydney CBD and came across Kreisson. The rest is history! I’ve now been working here since December 2014 and have had so much exposure to all facets of the law that I enjoy: building and construction, commercial and even some property law.”
As a commercial litigation professional, Uzabeaga says the content of her days can shift depending on the requirements of her workload.
“I usually begin the working day with a team meeting or a meeting with the managing solicitor to determine the work load for the day,” she said.
“This also helps me in prioritising work that needs to be done urgently to comply with a Court deadline or ongoing work that is being completed in stages. I then review all of my emails received overnight from clients, the Court or other solicitors following up matters. I try and squeeze in administrative work as much as I can in the morning (filing is the bane of my existence but in retrospect, is very helpful) and then move on to the major chargeable work. This can include anything from drafting Affidavits to Statements of Claim, preparing pleadings for Court, reviewing Court diaries, taking statements over the phone from clients or third party witnesses, or reviewing credit applications.
“Every day is different and you never really know what sort of hurdles you are going to encounter when you embark on a specific task.”
Having accrued professional experience in the area, Uzabeaga says that enrolling in a Masters of Law specialising in Commercial Litigation was the next logical step in her career progression.
“I have always had an interest in Corporate and Commercial Law and I decided that the Masters program in Commercial Litigation would be a great overview of all of the subjects I really enjoyed at university,” she said.
“It is somewhat of an umbrella of all of the types of law that I enjoy i.e. Insolvency, Contractual Law, Civil Litigation and Building & Construction Law. It is the most relevant subject on offer to the work that I do every day and gives me a better understanding of why I do what I do every day. It has also given me an opportunity to refine my skills.”
Uzabeaga says that working in commercial litigation for an established firm affords her numerous opportunities, including the chance to publish articles, present at seminars, and work on high-profile cases. However, the variety of work is what Uzabeaga says she enjoys the most.
“The work is interesting and no two matters are ever the same,” she said.
“They can range anywhere from shareholder disputes to high level contract and Australian consumer law disputes. I enjoy the challenge of putting the pieces of a case together and figuring out what really happened. I also enjoy being about to formulate a claim or a defence to a claim.”
For those who are interested in pursuing a career in Commercial Litigation, Uzabeaga advises that patience is a virtue.
“My experience has been that finding the job that is right for you in commercial law does take time, often more time than finding working in criminal law for example,” she said.
“In saying that, don’t settle for a job you can just tolerate. You spend A LOT of time at work and you want to feel encouraged and supported by your colleagues around you.”
She also advises to balance a rigorous work ethic with a sense of humility and self-awareness.
“Don’t be afraid to fail or make mistakes – you’ll make a lot of them, but it’s all part of your journey. You need to learn from the mistakes. Be prepared to work hard and sometimes long hours. Be organised. Time management in this job is so important. Be prepared to work in a team environment with a view to achieving the same goals. Finally, follow your passion and do what interests you. ”