November 2022 | Erin Molony | Senior Associate, Allens
I became a lawyer because…
I became a lawyer because I enjoy critical thinking, advocacy and the power of language. This interest was sparked at a young age debating various topics across the dinner table with my family, followed by more formal debating at high school.
When I decided to study law at university, I had no idea what area of law I'd ultimately practise in. Like many others, I initially entertained ideas of moving overseas and working in international law. However, along the way, I fell into competition and consumer law which is the area I now practice in. I was initially attracted to this area of law for the way it grapples with legal, regulatory and economic issues of policy, law and enforcement. At its core, competition and consumer law is about making sure businesses compete on their merits and treat consumers fairly.
A career highlight has been…
A career highlight has been my promotion to Senior Associate earlier this year. In the lead up, I've been able to work on some very interesting and challenging matters including most recently:
- acting for ANZ in criminal cartel proceedings against ANZ, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and others (which the CDPP ultimately discontinued); and
- acting for Epic Games in two separate proceedings against Apple and Google (which are still currently before the courts).
The best advice I have received is…
The best advice I have received is you can never take credit for your successes or truly blame others for your failures. Recognising the role you and others each play in key moments of your career (good and bad) keeps you humbled and more compassionate. I am lucky enough to work with a great team of lawyers in the Competition, Consumer and Regulatory team at Allens who look out for and support one another. We are supported by a strong partner group who care for our team and invest in our development. I have also benefited enormously from the support of my partner and family outside of work.
Outside of work I enjoy…
Outside of work I enjoy getting out of the city and going hiking with my partner. I find hiking to be great way to disconnect from the digital world we spend so much of our working lives in (with the added bonus of limited phone reception). Our favourite spot is the Cathedral Ranges which is only a 90 minute drive out of Melbourne. It's a bit of a steep climb up but the hard part is over quickly and then you're treated to speculator views for the rest of the hike.
