Life at Allens

Space to pursue your passions: Lauren Cutuli's switch to Allens

Senior Associate Lauren Cutuli had never planned on life in a top-tier firm, and she had plenty of reservations about the idea! We sat down with her to find out how things at Allens have been working out. 

When asked what initially drew her to the law, Lauren revealed she'd previously wanted to go in a completely different direction.

'Initially, I grew up wanting to be a doctor. But I was ultimately drawn to the law because I have always been passionate about what is fair and right. Even as a child, I always felt the need to advocate for myself at school and at home if rules felt arbitrary (looking back, this is probably a very annoying trait for an eight-year-old). I then won awards for some of my legal studies assignments and felt like a career in the law suited my strengths.'

Having had a successful career at her previous firm, Lauren started to feel that she had achieved everything she could there and had become far too cosy sitting in her comfort zone. However, she had never been drawn to top-tier firms.

'I was always concerned I would end up being just a number among many other lawyers and feared that the demands of the job would be completely unreasonable. I also really enjoyed networking and building my own practice, and was concerned that this would not be supported at the top-tier level or not be possible while balancing the job's demands.'

We were keen to know: why Allens? And was it anything like she expected?

'When I was considering a new role, I was drawn to Allens because of its achievements in the gender equality space, as compared with some of our competitors. I have been pleasantly surprised that all of my initial expectations and fears regarding a top-tier firm have not been the case!'

Lauren reflected on the rewarding mixture of high-profile corporate work and the opportunity to do good in the wider community that has been a hallmark of her life at the firm.

'The move to Allens offered opportunities for more challenging and complex work, with larger clients. I had never been involved in a deal that lands in the Australian Financial Review – and now it is almost a weekly occurrence. I have also really loved and valued the pro bono experiences offered at Allens – I have had such job satisfaction in giving back to vulnerable members of the community.'

Lauren has been surprised by just how much she is enjoying the intellectual stretch.

'I am really enjoying working cross-jurisdictionally, and closely with other practice groups as real estate support on their matters; both of which I had not really considered would be such a big part of my role. These opportunities make room for growth in other areas and with other teams.'

Lauren had some advice for lawyers who might not be sure about pursuing a career at a top-tier firm. As she put it, 'It's not as scary as you think it is, and you only do yourself a disservice by sitting in your comfort zone. Allens has fantastic training and career opportunities, and creates genuine space and support for individuality and growth.

'Other than the obvious (lunches, dinners and daily snacks!) I think the key benefit of a top-tier firm like Allens is that there are enough resources and support that if you want to pursue a client, practice area or sector of the market, you are genuinely encouraged to do so and celebrated for it.'

And, besides the many opportunities to give back to the community through pro bono work, there is another aspect that is particularly close to her heart.

'When you belong to one of the many Allens internal committees, you feel like part of a mini community outside of your practice group and direct team.'

Lauren summed up her feelings about life at the firm with the statement: 'If there is something you are passionate about, there is space to pursue that at Allens.'