Gilbert + Tobin partner Tim Gordon tells Australasian Lawyer about the strangest case he’s ever been involved in
What made you decide to become a lawyer?
A combination of really enjoying all the reading/writing subjects at school (English, History etc) and being not nearly as good at rugby or cricket as I would have liked to have been.
How long have you worked at Gilbert + Tobin and what brought you to this position?
I’ve been at Gilbert + Tobin for 9 years and a partner for 2. I wanted to join G+T because the firm was doing amazing deals but was still a relatively new firm that had a lot of ambition. Despite all the growth in the meantime it still feels like that same place.
What’s the strangest case you’ve ever worked on/been involved with?
I was involved in an investigation into the grisly murder of a fortune teller. The police brought in a supposed psychic, the Stupendous Yappi, who seemed dubious and wasn’t much help but in the course of the investigation we crossed paths with an actual psychic, a chap called Clyde. After a lot of twists and turns Clyde helped us solve the case (the murderer was yet another psychic!) - but in a tragic irony, Clyde ultimately predicted his own death.
On reflection, I think that may have been an X Files episode.
If you could invite three people for dinner, dead or alive and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Tim Sheens, Ricky Stuart and Mal Meninga – with the only agenda item for the dinner being a wide ranging discussion on how awesome the Canberra Raiders 1994 Grand Final team was.
You’re based in Sydney – where’s the best place to go for a drink and/or dinner after work?
The rooftop bar at Sweeney’s is an after work classic.
What’s the best piece of advice (work or personal) you’ve ever been given?
Be calm.
Do you have any hobbies/interests outside of work?
I’ve joined the hipster revolution and set up a beehive. I just harvested my first honey which was delicious (the chaos and constant near death experiences of the extraction process definitely make it taste sweeter).
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would be…
A crafty medium pacer and dashing lower-order batsman who’s retired from long-form cricket to play T20 tournaments all over the world, or, failing that, an archaeologist.
What do you think will be single biggest issue facing the legal space in Australia in 2015?
Firms coming to grips with the opportunities and threats caused by “LawTech”. I think a lot of people in the industry are talking about it but only a few firms are really taking meaningful action. It’s going to become increasingly unavoidable and is a real opportunity for the firms and lawyers who get it right.
If you had Malcolm Turnbull’s job for one day, what would you do?
Watch my back.
What do you love about your job?
Helping smart people do interesting things.
What would you change about your job right now if you could?
I’d love our head office to be in Lake Como.
