Tim Bowley

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When did your career with Johnson Winter & Slattery start?
I worked at Johnson Winter & Slattery as a clerk in the winter of 1995 and the summer of 1996. After completing a Master of Law degree at Cambridge, I returned to JWS in 1998 to become an associate as I enjoyed the work they did and found it rewarding working alongside senior practitioners.

Why did you go overseas?
My postgraduate studies in England had exposed me to the big London firms and I decided that working for them would be an excellent experience. I left JWS in 2001 to join Slaughter and May, one of the leading “Magic Circle” firms, working in one of their corporate/M&A groups. My wife and I decided to return to Australia in 2005 following the birth of our first son.

Why did you return to Johnson Winter & Slattery?
Upon returning to Australia I joined the Sydney office of JWS. Even though they had a relatively new practice in Sydney, I felt that their approach to legal practice and the quality of their lawyers meant that they would be successful. I also felt that a growing firm like JWS offered better prospects for promotion and professional development than the mature national firms.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
JWS is a much truer partnership than many of the other larger and more institutionalized Australian law firms as it very much run by the partners. This creates a collegial atmosphere which, in my opinion, makes it a better place to work and develop my skills as a lawyer. In addition, I get to work on a range of matters for a variety of clients located in various Australian states. Lawyers at JWS are not pigeon-holed in terms of the work they do, the other JWS lawyers they work with and the clients they work for. I really enjoy the variety of professional experiences which results from this approach.