In the middle of 2009, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) meant the graduate legal market in South Australia had all but closed.
Louise Craven was finishing university and about to enter that job market. Louise found an opportunity at a boutique Adelaide firm, at the time known as ‘Andreyev Lawyers’. Seventeen years later, she is now an owner of that same firm.
As part of ADLV Law’s 25 years celebrations, we are highlighting stories and experiences from a variety of our team members who have been with us for some (or almost all) of the journey. In this interview, we asked Louise how she got in the door, why she stayed, and what she thinks the next 25 years hold.
How she got in the door
You finished university in the middle of the GFC. How did you find the job?
“A friend at a different university found the ad on her uni’s noticeboard. They clearly weren’t looking for someone from mine. I applied anyway.”
The call came back the same day, with an interview scheduled for the following morning. Two interviews later (plus an extensive conversation about Andrew’s recent attendance at a Queen tribute concert), the offer arrived with virtually no runway at all.
“It was pretty much, can you start on Monday? And I had to say, can I start on Tuesday? I need some work clothes first!”
What did the firm look like when you walked in?
“It was basically two people working for the firm in Kent Town, in a little office there. I was just so excited to get my first proper legal job.”
From a little office to two cities
Louise did not stay in Kent Town long. By late 2010, the firm had merged and moved into new premises in the Adelaide CBD. At the end of 2012 she put her hand up for a move to the firm’s Sydney office, and stayed there until 2016.
What did the Sydney years give you?
“It was a real learning curve, getting across a different jurisdiction in terms of the clients and the work and the law. It was quite a small office at that time, and I’d been used to having a bigger team around me in Adelaide. It was a good experience to get my sea legs properly in the job.”
She came back to Adelaide in 2016, by which point the firm had substantial teams in both cities and had moved to its King William Street office. Many of our longer term clients will remember that space.
Why Louise stayed
Seventeen years is a long time in one firm. What kept you?
“When I joined there were two lawyers in the firm. It was never going to stay that way, I was excited about the prospect of getting to be a part of that journey and growth.”
“It was apparent to me really early on that he (Andrew Andreyev) was at a different level to a lot of the other lawyers I had seen. And the reality is that never really dropped off.”
“I could still see how much more wisdom and experience he had, and that there were still things to learn.”
You bought into the firm in 2022. Was that always the plan?
“Becoming an owner was something I had always wanted to do, really from the very first day.”
“It’s been a good shift. It means a stable, well-rounded business, with real opportunities for other people to carve out long careers here.”
Is there a matter you look back on proudly?
“A long running litigation matter that went to trial while I was working in Sydney which spanned over about 4 years. We felt we were on the side of the angels, and we won on every front. It was an exercise in determination and persistence, because there are a lot of lawyers who don’t stay at firms long enough to even see the end of proceedings of that length.”
What stays with you from something that long?
“Over that length of time, you really develop something close to a friendship. At the very least, a strong rapport with your clients. I remember one of my clients visited me in hospital just three hours after my son was born! I was a little surprised to see them at the time, but they brought a really thoughtful gift which we still use whenever a new baby arrives in the family.”
“Even years later, one of the clients used to send me his short stories and poems for feedback on how his creative writing was going.”
What do you think would surprise people about working here?
“Despite our sociable appearances, we’re really all a bunch of nerds who just like being lawyers and trying to get good work done.”
“A lot of the conversations in the office are around how we can get the best outcome in a matter, or how to keep things moving for the clients.”
The next 25 years
What does the next 25 years look like?
“We’ll keep seeking out like-minded clients. Business owners, family businesses, clients who we respect and who respect us. And we’ll continue to aim to be a trusted advisor to them.”
What is changing in the market around that?
“There’s a lot of fragmentation of legal practices. The bigger end of town are getting larger, and there are a lot more sole practitioners. We’re losing the mid-market.”
“The ease of remote working, and support from overseas and from AI, means a lot of people will forge out on their own. Previously there were built-in overheads that stopped them.”
And for people starting out?
“There’s more of an appetite to take on people who are already trained lawyers, rather than training them up themselves. Many are looking to replace graduates and law clerks with AI alternatives.”
“We’ve got great team members who are finishing their studies, and we know they’ll join us as lawyers one day. That’s exciting to watch.”
Where does technology land in that?
“We see technology as a tool to support us. But it can’t replace humans. And that just makes the human side of what we do more important.”
Thank you to Louise for taking some time to share her story with us. We are looking forward to sharing more of these stories with you over the next few weeks.
If you have a legal issue and Louise seems like the right person to help, call us on 1300 654 590 or email us.
