The firm’s managing director shares the main adjustment he’s had to make since joining the legal profession
Before he began leading AJ Park in January, Steve Mitchell spent two decades working in the IT consulting, media and financial sectors. He was initially nervous about his lack of experience in legal and IP, but the welcoming reception of the legal profession has “delighted” him.
In the first part of his interview with NZ Lawyer, the managing director told us what his top priorities for AJ Park were; in the second half of the interview, he touches on his first couple of months in the business and tells us what he considers to be the standout aspect of the legal profession.
You started in the managing director role in January – what has it been like leading the firm thus far?
My first couple of months have 100% correlated with what I was told about the business during the recruitment process. I’ve found a business with a wonderful brand and market reputation, a team of true intellectual property (IP) experts, and still with opportunity to grow both domestically and internationally.
Personally, I’ve been delighted at how welcoming the business has been, and the way the team has brought me up to speed - despite my initial nervousness about not coming from either a legal or IP background.
You’ve worked across the IT consulting, media and financial sectors – what adjustments, if any, did you feel you had to make in transitioning to a role in the legal profession?
AJ Park is somewhat unique in being a pureplay full-service IP firm, unlike most other firms that offer a broad range of legal services. Obviously, I’m on a steep learning curve being new to this industry, so developing an understanding of the key business levers and commercial practices across IP services is the key adjustment I’ve needed to make to this point.
What led you to work in this profession, and what for you has been the unique aspect of working in legal?
I believe this role is combining the very best of my experience from my previous roles, both here in New Zealand and overseas. I was drawn to the positive impact that IP has on innovation, which is the core purpose of the business and aligns strongly with my aims for New Zealand to innovate and improve.
In terms of working in the legal field, what stands out to me most is the absolute criticality of IP protection, which results in a very diverse client base.
