Patrick Kerin encourages fellow lawyers to not panic

The DMAW Lawyers principal believes that getting stressed is often not worthwhile or productive

Patrick Kerin encourages fellow lawyers to not panic
Patrick Kerin

Back in March, DMAW Lawyers announced that construction and infrastructure litigation star Patrick Kerin had joined its disputes team as a principal. The Doyle's Guide-ranked lawyer specialises in building, construction, infrastructure, projects and engineering matters.

HIs field of law isn't the most relaxing, but Kerin has learned to keep his cool - so much so that he's been told that he doesn't seem stressed enough sometimes. In the first part of this May interview, Kerin shares how he knew he wanted to be a lawyer before he finished high school, and how mongooses messed up his golf game during a Fiji holiday.

 

What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job? 

The biggest influence on choosing law was my family, with my father being a lawyer, meaning that I was exposed to the profession from a young age. I knew before I finished high school that I was interested in studying and practising the law.

What really attracted me, and still attracts me, to the profession is the problem-solving nature of the job. No two matters present the same issues, so it is always an interesting challenge to work out a solution that suits your client’s needs.

What in your opinion has been the most memorable event of your career to date? 

There are two cases that stand out. The first is a case run to judgment in the Supreme Court, which we won for a large not-for-profit educational institution. There were significant financial implications on the line for the client, and the matter ran all the way and finished with a really positive result which was particularly satisfying on a personal level.

The other was a long-running and relatively acrimonious construction case for a major builder worth in excess of $10m which ran for close to five years, before settling just before trial with a reasonably good result for the client. This matter was notable to me as it presented a bit of everything, including a number of very complicated legal issues and some difficult-to navigate human elements, with the personalities involved making a reasonable settlement difficult to achieve until very late in the piece. 

What’s the biggest lesson you learned in your career and what advice can you give fellow lawyers about it? 

Not to panic. It is easier said than done, but getting stressed about anything is not usually worthwhile or productive. There are not many issues in legal practice than cannot be overcome with enough hard work, persistence, and a willingness to ask your colleagues for help when required. Some of my junior lawyers have occasionally pointed out that I sometimes don’t seem stressed enough, so perhaps there is a balance to be found. 

If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be and why? 

From a career perspective, the day of my admission to practice. My dad moved my admission and we went out for lunch afterwards. Looking back it was in some ways a defining starting point of what has been a very fulfilling vocation so far.

From a personal perspective, my partner and I were on holiday in Fiji and I played golf at the stunning Natadola Bay golf course – I lost about 10 balls to the tall reeds and mongooses, and I played terribly. Maybe if I could relive that day I wouldn’t play so badly and I could add some reasonable golf to the picturesque memories of the place.