Duncan Cotterill partner: Practise gratitude for what you have and where you are every day

While Nick Laing considers making partner to be one of his biggest accomplishments in life, he’s come to see the importance of staying grounded through an attitude of gratitude.

The Duncan Cotterill partner was drawn to law because of his passion for advocacy, and today, he considers helming and mentoring the firm’s litigation team in Whakatū Nelson to be the best part of his job as a lawyer.

In the first part of this interview, Laing discusses being able to “type less and talk more”, and working on a case “about promises made and broken”.

What made you choose a career in law?

Advocacy. I was a keen debater at school and love the exchange of views through litigation. I enjoy finding the space between the arguments, trying to understand why people are fighting and what it might take to help resolve the stress of that. I love the challenge of being “on my feet”, needing to persuade, inform and educate the Judge or the decision-maker about the merits of your client’s case.

What's your favourite part of the job?

The favourite part of my job is jointly leading our talented litigation team here in Whakatū Nelson. We currently have seven fantastic lawyers in the team, all working on varied and interesting cases across a range of litigation practice areas. They are at different stages in their careers though have chosen Whakatū Nelson as their home. Keeping them engaged, interested and developing (as lawyers and as people) is what keeps me awake at night.

What tech-related initiatives adopted by Duncan Cotterill, if any, are you most excited about?

Duncan Cotterill has an extremely capable and highly professional in-house IT team. One of the greatest benefits to my practice is the secure connectivity solutions they provide so I can work effectively from anywhere: home, on the plane, or even in the car. That is evident to me through our VPN, apps on our iPhones to access our firm’s systems. However, the thing I am most excited about is the constant evolution of our dictation software (which is becoming more and more accurate) which means I can type less and talk more.

What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so?

Professionally, being counsel at trial for two large Crown entities in long-running High Court proceedings arising from the settlement of Whakatū Nelson in the 1840s. While it’s a case seeking private law remedies arising from a breach of fiduciary duty, it’s also a case about promises made and broken, the inter-generational consequences flowing from that, and how to try and remedy it. The other lawyers working on the proceedings are exceptionally talented and dedicated and it is a privilege working with them.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned in the past year and what advice can you give fellow lawyers about it

The biggest lesson in the last year has been learning the “arrival fallacy”: becoming a partner is one of the proudest accomplishments in my life. Though I realise that I had already arrived quite some years ago in working within a supportive, talented team of lawyers and with amazing role models in the firm to guide and lead me, and not to mention excellent clients. Practising gratitude for what you have and where you are each and every day is really important to remain grounded, rather than focusing on just chasing a title.

Next week, Laing shares his experience with learning te reo Māori, and the challenge of picking up a new language as an adult.