Andrew Tolé | Allens
Pivotal experience
A pivotal experience that shaped my career path was having the opportunity to work on the Vodafone proceeding against the ACCC regarding its merger with TPG, which was the larger merger litigation in the 10 years. It was my first time in court and my first taste of litigation and I've never looked back. The experience of working closely with so many leading lawyers in both competition law and commercial disputes was truly inspiring and has helped ground my knowledge that I am in the right field.
Typical day
My typical day as an associate at Allens involves a mix of things. At the moment I have a whistleblower investigation, an insurance dispute and a number of regulatory notices keeping me busy. So between those I am drafting the outcome report for the whistleblower matter, reviewing documents in relation to the regulatory notices and working closely with our client to identify further documents and information, and corresponding with the other side in relation to the insurance dispute as we pursue a resolution.
Confidence at Allens
What makes me feel confident at Allens is the unwavering support and mentoring I have received to date. I have worked at Allens for seven years and I have always felt empowered to speak my mind and pursue my interests, this would not be possible without the fine culture of collaboration and respect that people across the seniority levels work hard to foster. Our culture of collaboration and respect is fostered through committees such as our 'Women at Allens' committee, of which I have been a member for six years. I am involved with Women at Allens because its mission statement of supporting all people who identify as women to achieve their career goals and to foster a culture of gender equality and inclusion within the firm, is very important to me. This is because as a queer identifying person I deeply value allies and I know that one-way allyship is not sustainable and that you must always show up for others.
What personal action and/or collective initiatives do you believe are crucial for driving greater gender equality and representation within the legal profession?
I think we should always start with personal action, whether that is a commitment to do pro bono in a specific area of interest to you, or stepping up to run an event to raise awareness or raise funds, or even as simple as turning up to an event on a topic that does not or cannot affect you directly, such as endometriosis or queer parenting. It is these kinds of acts of solidarity and allyship that I believe are crucial for driving greater gender equality and representation because they are grounded in knowledge and compassion.
