Five minutes with Anil Sharma.
Five minutes with Anil Sharma.
What made you decide to become a lawyer?
My father was a lawyer which I believe contributed to my decsion in pursuing law as a career. Having said this, I’ve always been a very independent person and developed a strong interest in law myself.
How long have you worked at lexvoco and what brought you to this position?
I’ve worked at lexvoco since July last year. In 2012 I finished working at gotalk Ltd. and I was at a sort of crossroads - I thought, do I continue persuing GC roles, or do I look for something else that’s still in law, but perhaps a bit more exciting and challenging?’
I’d been a General Counsel for many years - around seven years at AAPT, a little over a year at Incitec Pivot Ltd. in Melbourne, and then at gotalk. I thought, I’ve had enough of that for now. A few years ago I met Anthony Wright, who went on to create lexvoco, and the rest is history.
What’s the strangest case you’ve ever worked on/been involved with?
While I can’t name a particular case, I worked on many strange and memorable cases when I was a Crown Prosecutor for the Director of Public Prosecutions in Fiji. I conducted many criminal trials which included murder, rape or burglary. While I can’t say that these cases were enjoyable, they were certainly interesting. The trials were complex because you were dealing with human beings, rather than entities like in the corporate world. You’d have a victim standing in one corner and the accused standing in the dock. Interesting dynamics.
If you could invite three people for dinner, dead or alive and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Mahatma Gandhi for his resilience, Anthony Robbins for his great insights and Lord Denning for his human approach to law.
You’re based in Sydney – where’s the best place to go for a drink and/or dinner after work?
I like restaurants that have nice vegetarian meals such as Nilgiri’s in Crows Nest, and Maya restaurant in Surry Hills.
What’s the best piece of advice (work or personal) you’ve ever been given?
Be honest. Law is a noble profession and honesty and integrity are fundamental to the law.
Do you have any hobbies/interests outside of work?
I enjoy watching cricket and I’m a passionate rugby union follower - I’m a great supporter of the All Blacks. I like to spend time on the weekends with our 14 month old granddaughter, Harriette.
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would be…
A doctor. But I made the right decision in choosing law.
What do you think will be single biggest issue facing the legal space in Australia in 2016?
The advent of “New Law” firms coupled with rapid technology advances.
If you had Malcom Turnbull’s job for one day, what would you do?
Stay well away from politics.
What do you love about your job?
I love the variety my job offers. I’ve been fortunate throughout my career in this regard, especially while working at lexvoco where there’s such a broad range of assignements and clients, so you’re guranteed variety and interesting work. You just roll up your sleeves, adapt to the new environment and off you go.
What would you change about your job right now if you could?
Nothing, I am very content at the moment.
