LawAdvisor goes HotDesq’ing in the Sunshine State

LawAdvisor
Aug 28, 2017 · 4 min read

For the past 6 months, the team here at LawAdvisor has been marking territory in sunny Brisbane. We’re working with key clients in the area, and we’re especially enjoying the shift from being a predominantly remote team to working in close proximity to one another; some of the team are even flat-sharing together! We get to embrace the diversity of our team — and discover our hidden culinary talents!

A new office for the team, thanks to Hot DesQ

The LawAdvisor team ditched their coats and donned their flip flops to enjoy their newest office in the Brisbane sun. LawAdvisor’s winter escape was all thanks to Hot DesQ, a government-supported Queensland relocation program for high-growth startups.

Making the most of the weekend: the team enjoying the view after climbing Mount Coolum

At the centre of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, sitting above its bustling entertainment district is River City Labs (RCL), a co-working space purpose built for young companies. RCL is more than just office space: it has created an environment for startups to thrive by hosting events, facilitating networking opportunities with investors and like-minded businesses; generously providing access to mentors and battle-hardened entrepreneurs.

Several of LawAdvisor’s key team-members have been based (and spoilt) in the new Brisbane office in a residency that will last six months, working even more closely together as momentum ramps up on the final touches for two exciting forthcoming product launches to be revealed later this year.

Getting things done in Brisbane

We live in Brisbane now! Foreground from left to right: Raphael, Jason and Aris. Background: JP and Norman

Brisbane represented an ideal place for LawAdvisor to expand its Australian residency. For the staff relocating their home and their life, living costs are pretty reasonable in Queensland and quality of living is high, with great weather, food and opportunities for sightseeing and other outdoor activities. A few members of the business staff were already well acquainted with the area, including LawAdvisor’s founder Brennan, having recently been in Queensland to work with launch partners for LawAdvisor’s upcoming products. The Hot DesQ opportunity therefore came at a great time, allowing our young startup an opportunity to align our engineering and business teams on a personal, friendship level. By bringing our development and strategic staff closer together we have quickened the pace of development, enabling instant feedback, continual discussion of ideas and quick resolutions to problems. The networking opportunities here are great too. Being so close to our Brisbane-based clients and launch partners keeps us in regular contact, and meeting and sharing knowledge with the people who make up the other vibrant, high-growth startups based in River City Labs has been an incredibly worthwhile experience.

‘If you can laugh together, you can work together’

The Hot DesQ opportunity has also been great for team bonding and collaboration. Team members who previously communicated remotely have now been able to put heads together in person for the first time, and in the case of the software engineers, actually live together too! Since May, LawAdvisor’s software engineers; Jason, Raphael, Norman and JP, plus UI designer Aris, has been living, working and cooking together! A side-effect to this is that in addition to their LawAdvisor roles, new roles have been steadily emerging:

  • Raph has become the resident chef
  • Aris is developing a love for surfing (bound to happen on the Gold Coast)
  • JP has proved that the stereotype of the nocturnal software developer may hold true after all. In one now famous event, he stayed at River City Labs so late that on attempting to leave, he found that the doors had been locked, and had to stay put until opening time next morning.
Software developers doing what they do best…sitting by their computers.

The team at LawAdvisor believe that ‘if you can laugh together, you can work together’. Being able to have fun with the people you work with is important, not only keeping spirits high but a shared outlook means that everybody is on the same page, and more likely to hit group goals. What’s more, it doesn’t hurt being only a couple of hours drive from some of Australia’s most beautiful beaches and hikes along the Gold Coast. Every weekend has involved taking the team on a day trip; whether to picturesque gems like Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, or the must-see-even-if-just-the-once Surfers Paradise.

LawAdvisor: an international team, because access to legal help should have no boundaries

A view of Byron Bay taken during one of the weekend team trips

The expansion to Brisbane builds on LawAdvisor’s headquarters /birthplace Melbourne, and its new London office also established in early 2017. LawAdvisor is proud of its international workforce, hiring global citizens with backgrounds from all corners of the world. Valued team members from Australia, the UK, the Philippines, Austria, Germany and Russia create a company with global ambition and plans for further international expansions. That’s why a solid base on home turf is so critical, and the latest move to Brisbane is a key step in LawAdvisor’s strong, widening foundations.

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LawAdvisor

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Everyone deserves access to justice. Writing about legal industry news, events and updates from Australia and around the world. www.lawadvisor.com

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