Trent Hancock is the Co-Founder and Principal Lawyer at Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers, a law firm in Melbourne that provides specialised legal services to employees. Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers has been consistently recognised for its expertise in providing advice and representation to all types of workers across Australia and helping to achieve fairness and equality in the workplace.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Trent, to know a bit more about his journey as a lawyer.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Trent: I was inspired to start Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers with my colleague Andrew Jewell after recognising there was a more efficient and cost-effective way of providing legal support to employees in Australia. Andrew and I were determined to create a firm that operated outside of the traditional shackles of most law firms by embracing new and flexible ways of working. The ability to create our own destiny, quickly adapt to changes in the legal profession and be truly agile in how we ran our business was also quite appealing.
Q. How did you get started?
Trent: Andrew Jewell and I had worked together for almost ten years at a boutique employment law firm in Melbourne. During the pandemic, we were both ready for a change and felt the time was right to branch out on our own. Within a few short months, and with the support of the broader legal community, we managed to build the foundations of Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers and commence operations. While the pandemic did pose some challenges, it also created some unique opportunities for us in how we structured the firm and offered our services to clients.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Trent: Our biggest challenge initially was finding the right people and businesses to partner with. We wanted Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers to be a progressive firm that embraced technological change and wanted to partner with like-minded businesses from the outset. We knew, in the long run, this would also benefit our clients, who would receive the most efficient and cost-effective service possible. We were therefore careful in completing our due diligence and interviewing a number of potential suppliers before making a decision. In the end, we realised this groundwork was time well spent and have managed to develop some of these key relationships over the last 12 months to help bring our vision to life.
Q. What is the Most Memorable Thing You’ve Done Since you Started your Business?
Trent: The most memorable achievement came approximately three months after starting the firm when we were in the unexpected position of being able to bring onboard our first new lawyer. The demand for our services was much greater than we anticipated and being able to bring another lawyer in to join the firm was a particularly exciting time for us. Since then, we have continued to grow, with five lawyers in total now and some additional support staff joining shortly.
We have also been fortunate enough to pick up a number of awards along the way as well, including being recognised as a leading law firm in employment law by Doyles Guide in 2021 and as rising stars in employment law by APAC Insider in 2021.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Trent: I recently re-read Animal Farm by George Orwell. As an employment lawyer, I think it’s a great read for employees, employers, and entrepreneurs alike. Among other things, it’s a very simple but effective commentary on working life and the ease with which workers can be exploited through the gradual reduction in rights. It’s also an important reminder to business owners and entrepreneurs to be constantly self-regulating to ensure that those working the hardest for you are properly rewarded for their time and effort.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Trent: Ideally I’d like to improve the professional lives of as many working people as possible. From advice to representation, my goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for every single one of my clients, many of whom are going through one of the most difficult times of their careers.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Trent: Find your niche and back yourself.
To keep up to date with Trent and his journey, connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
