In our next partner Q&A, we get to know Sydney based General Liability specialist, Meisha Tjiong.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a partner at W+K

I feel it has been quite a (long) journey to Partnership and I have had a few detours along the way, which have allowed me to focus on my family and health. I grew up in a country town on the NSW mid north coast. After finishing up at the local high school I moved to Canberra for university before finally making it to the big smoke that is Sydney. During those years, I experienced and witnessed the challenges that diversity brings whether it was race, gender, socio-economic or education. Being part of the legal profession was no different and this has definitely shaped the type of person and lawyer I am today.

My journey included seeing a female partner succeed in a discrimination claim against the firm I worked at, working during a time when bullying and harassment was acceptable and difficult to speak against, presenting a business case why I should be allowed to work part time after returning from my first maternity leave, and facing resistance to changing my work arrangements after returning from leave to recover from breast cancer. None of which happened at Wotton + Kearney, I’m proud to say! I am grateful for the mentors I have found along the way. Even though I am an optimistic person, I am not sure whether I would have achieved Partnership without their support and encouragement during the hard times.

Since joining W+K in 2016, I have definitely seen some significant changes being made in the legal profession and I am particularly proud to be a partner of a firm who is leading the change towards diversity and inclusion on so many different fronts.

What made you decide to become a lawyer?

I never decided to become a lawyer! Contrary to the Asian stereotype, my parents never pushed or encouraged me into any profession. Nevertheless, I come from a family of medical professionals and had every intention of following the family trend. As fate would have it, I just missed out to get into medicine, so I enrolled in Science/Law at ANU. While at Uni, I managed to work part-time as a paralegal in a national insurance law firm in Canberra and from there I was exposed to the big wide world of insurance law. As the saying goes “I have never looked back since”!

What do you think is a major issue facing your area of insurance law?

I do a lot of work acting for institutions and their insurers in response to historical abuse claims. It has been great to see our community attitudes shift and our legal system evolve to better acknowledge the wrongs committed in the past and allow survivors to receive recognition and compensation for their suffering. As survivors feel more supported to come forward and noting the changes in legislation allowing past settlements to be revisited (most recently in NSW), institutions and their insurers will need to be prepared for the increasing number of claims and the increasing costs associated with these claims.

What’s the best piece of advice (work or personal) you’ve been given?

I have received a lot of great advice over the years, but I guess the best advice can be summed up as – It doesn’t matter what work/career you decide to follow, just do your best, be happy and be kind.

What do you enjoy most about working at W+K?

That is easy – the people. I love working with the people at W+K and the relationships I have with my clients. At W+K, I am surrounded by good people who are motivated to work together and support each other to do well. However, my pub test is “whether I could happily and willingly share a meal (or a few drinks) with those that I work with” and at W+K my answer is definitely yes. I guess that is why I have formed many valued friendships at this firm.

What do you get up to outside of law?

During the past 18 years, the focus of my life outside law has been my family. I am now learning to claim back some time for me and as my eldest has just finished her HSC and my youngest daughter enters her senior years at high school, I am a little excited at what life might look like when I have adult children – although I am fully aware that it will take more than turning 18 before they are actually independent adult children!

Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would be… 

Probably be a psychologist. It was one of my majors in my Science degree and I was always interested in understanding other people’s perceptions and experiences. I think I am a good listener and also like to encourage hope and positivity in others.