Meet Our Team: Tom Hanna

Thomas Hanna joined Aspen Legal in 2023 and is a Senior Lawyer in Aspen Legal’s Melbourne office.

He works with a broad range of clients and is a critical member of our tertiary education sector practice.

Tom has had a diverse career to date, starting in boutique private practice before honing his in-house and specialist legal expertise working at one of Australia’s leading universities.

Tom recently shared what a typical week looks like for him at Aspen Legal, the importance of adopting an in-house mindset when partnering with clients, and what university lawyers will need to keep front of mind in an evolving landscape over the next 12 months.

1. You have had a diverse career across both private practice and in-house roles. What have been the major milestones in your career journey to date?

I started my career fresh out of university supporting a sole practitioner in Melbourne where I was exposed to multiple areas of legal practice and developed strong fundamental legal skills with a principal who placed a high importance on learning. I then moved to a larger (albeit still boutique) firm where I was a Senior Associate responsible for overseeing multiple practice areas and mentoring a junior team.

Wanting to branch out and experience an in-house environment, I took a role within the Office of General Counsel at Monash University where I was able to learn the inner workings of the University and the scope (and breadth) of its activities.

I started at Aspen Legal in July 2023 where I continue to work closely with clients within the University sector as well as the health sector and large blue-chip corporations.

2. What made you want to join Aspen Legal?

My time at Monash University exposed me to subject matter which was entirely new to me. This was helpful in identifying areas which were particularly intriguing, and I also gained invaluable experience developing the skills needed to be successful in-house (in particular when it comes to legal drafting).

Working with Aspen Legal allows me to pursue areas of law which I am passionate about whilst also continuing to challenge and expose me to new areas with many large corporate clients. What also appealed to me was the ability to participate in secondment opportunities with universities and other large entities to continue to hone my in-house communication skills.

My time at Monash University also reminded me of the benefits of working with a smaller team and the opportunity to mentor junior staff members. When contemplating a move to Aspen Legal, I was keen to join a firm that still offered these things as well as genuine career development and growth.

"Working with Aspen Legal allows me to pursue areas of law which I am passionate about whilst also continuing to challenge and expose me to new areas with many large corporate clients."

Thomas Hanna

3. What have been the highlights since joining Aspen Legal? Have there been any challenges and how have you overcome them?

I have enjoyed the ability to work closely and develop meaningful relationships with clients. Aspen Legal is quite unique in that even within the law firm arm of the business, clients value the “in house mindset”. Learning about our clients and simply spending time with them is invaluable and allows us to provide much more tailored and relevant advice. Whereas within a traditional law firm model you may be asked to draft lengthy legal reviews, our clients (who are often tired of the traditional law firm experience) look to us to provide clear and concise advice.

This is not without its challenges and often requires a lot of undoing of learning which many lawyers pick up in larger law firms. My time at Monash University certainly helped ease me into the in-house mindset, however it is an ongoing learning curve.

Aspen Legal also places significant importance on ensuring clear and tailored communication with clients that aligns with their preferences and is focused on their commercial drivers. This can sometimes be challenging but it’s also what keeps things interesting and what our clients tell us we do particularly well.

4. What does an average week look like for you in your role at Aspen Legal?

I am currently on secondment part time with the University of Sydney and will shortly hold the title for the longest secondment within the firm! I work in a small internal team with a particular focus on philanthropy and trust matters within the University and dealing closely with internal stakeholders on these matters.

For the other two days a week, I work across a multitude of different subject matters including commercialisation work for other universities, broad general commercial and advisory work for medium to large national (and international) companies, as well as working with individuals looking to buy their first franchise business and occasionally in other areas of law such as property and wills and powers of attorney.

It is such a broad field of work that it constantly keeps me engaged and learning.

"Aspen Legal is quite unique in that even within the law firm arm of the business, clients value the “in house mindset”.

Thomas Hanna

5. What do you think are the qualities required to be a successful in-house lawyer, particularly in the tertiary education sector?

Within the tertiary sector particularly, I think that one of the main qualities is the importance of continuous learning and development. The tertiary sector is so highly regulated, it is constantly evolving and frequently captured by new legislation purely because of its size and the breadth of its scope. I think this is quite unique with the legal framework and environment in other areas of law not subject to change substantially within any given year.

In addition, the importance of “in-house style” communication is paramount. Being able to communicate in a clear and concise manner and often tailored to the specific client (or stakeholder) that you are liaising with is very important and highly valued by clients who are tired of the standard legal manner of communication.

6. You have significant university sector experience, both in-house and now on secondment and across Aspen Legal’s law firm. How has the sector evolved over the last few years and what do you see as top of the agenda for university legal teams over the next 12 months?

The tertiary sector is constantly evolving, creating an ever-growing list of issues (and legislation) which need to be considered by university legal teams. This inevitably results in university legal teams being under a greater level of stress having to address urgent queries which are raised often as a result of knee-jerk legislative decisions. A perfect example of this is the international student caps late last year which were the subject of great concern to the sector.

Despite it being defeated (and something which was also highlighted during COVID) I think that we will see a greater shift of universities wanting to expand into other areas to minimise the reliance on international student numbers, such as in research as well as changing the way that students study to help increase domestic student numbers. This will inevitably change the demand for certain areas of expertise within university legal teams.

In addition, I believe that many university legal teams will continue to feel the “financial pinch” with teams being asked to do more with less with the sector not immune from the impacts of cost of living and inflation.

"We will continue to see legal teams seek out bespoke and innovative ways of resourcing peaks in workflow, including through interim resourcing models such as secondments."

Thomas Hanna

7. What are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months?

Professionally, I am looking forward to continuing to develop and foster my relationships with clients. I think it is an invaluable skill and requirement to always make the time for a check in, even if it is just to say hello. Aspen Legal is really proud to partner with fantastic clients, and it’s always enjoyable to spend time with them outside of working on matters, to hear what is front of mind and share what we’re each seeing in the market.

On a personal level, I am looking forward to a Japan trip that I have booked in January-February next year for snowboarding and continuing my multitude of hobbies which keeps me busy (martial arts, gaming – both board and video, gardening and gigs).

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Aspen Legal is one of Australia’s fastest growing interim legal contracting businesses complemented by our adjacent commercial law firm that delivers in-house style legal services.

We are in-house experts focused on partnering exclusively with in-house legal departments across all sectors. Whether you engage us for secondments or legal advisory services, one thing remains the same – we make engaging with us simple, offering bespoke and commercial solutions to suit your requirements.

Keen to learn more about partnering with Aspen Legal? Get in touch with our team – we’d love to hear from you.