Mark Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer of Hall Payne Lawyers, has over 26 years of experience in the banking and finance industry, and began working in the legal area after requiring the assistance of a lawyer to resolve a commercial disagreement with a partner in a franchise banking operation. His whole working life, which began at the age of 15 at his parents’ service (petrol) station, has been about how to interact with people from all walks of life. He shares, “Everyone is on their own personal journey, and every day of that journey will invariably be different to many others, and as such we need to understand we cannot possibly hope to have one communication style and to develop your style to suit the circumstances.”

Hall Payne Lawyers

Hall Payne Lawyers began as a partnership over 30 years ago, with one member focusing on Industrial Relations/Employment Law and the other on Personal Injuries.

The business was established primarily for the aim of assisting working people in obtaining legal aid that would otherwise be unavailable. Mark explains that the ordinary worker was afraid to talk with a lawyer since attorneys are usually seen to be highly cerebral and unapproachable and that simply speaking with one would cost a lot of money. For many decades, such was the situation. Hall Payne was founded on the concept of a free or low-cost initial consultation, an honest assessment of a customer’s condition, and simple recommendations that the client could comprehend.

Ensuring Your Right to Justice

Hall Payne Lawyers prides itself on being a “Boutique” firm with two areas of expertise. It has been able to grow because it provides the same quality of care to all clients and focuses on developing connections with them so that they continue to use the business rather than merely being transactional.

According to Mark, Hall Payne Lawyers has clients who have contracted a terminal illness as a result of dealing with dangerous materials, including asbestos and coal dust. It includes the families of workers who have been murdered on the job, as well as many others who have been handicapped in life as a result of an experience they had as a youngster. Mark and his whole team believe everyone has a right to access legal services, not just the wealthy and larger corporate and commercial entities and owners, but the average mum and dad who thought they may never obtain justice.

The firm’s tag line is “WORK LIFE FAIRNESS.” Overall, Mark believes that in all areas of life there must be fairness and that work and life are very closely aligned, if not inseparable. He further adds that it is also extremely important that the lawyer who is working with the client, remains unchanged until such time as the matter has been finalised, so the client has assurance that their counsel knows their story and they do not have to repeat it on multiple occasions.

Mark asserts, “Clients don’t want to learn all about the law and all associated case histories and challenges; they want to speak with someone who will clearly explain to them, if they have recourse against injustice and how much those services will cost.” As mentioned previously, the law should, by right be available to everyone; however in reality that is often not the case.

Leading the Vision

Mark’s responsibilities as CEO are diverse. His job is to leave a legacy that will last long after he is gone, ensuring that the team remains relevant to the firm’s clients and the market in general.

A huge part of Mark’s role also involves understanding the firm’s clients of the future. He shares, “I need to understand and capture the “WHY” of the business so as to be able to ensure the values of all employees align with this. I need to have a goal in place as to what I want the business to attain in the next 12 to 60 months, and then build the strategy to ensure these goals are met, as well as assist all employees being able to be 100% happy and fulfilled with themselves as a person, before they arrive at work, and then ensure every employee is 100% happy and fulfilled with the role they have and the team they work in.”

While many current clients are eager and delighted to participate in face-to-face interactions, future generations are already demonstrating that they find this method of interaction obsolete and unneeded. Therefore, the company must modify how it engages to stay relevant. This, according to Mark, also entails ensuring that all of the company’s personnel are able to use the technology accessible to them.

Recognition that Inspires

As Mark sees it, the greatest recognition he has ever received, was when he was given a Christmas gift by a group of employees with a card that simply said, “thank you for everything you do for us and making work a place to look forward to.”

Mark has also been nominated for and won the Mid-Sized Law Firm CEO of the Year (Australia) in 2021 and then the Law Firm of the Year CEO in 2021 (Australia). He shares, “To be recognised for one’s efforts is very humbling and encourages me to keep doing what I am doing, as I am making a difference, both at a business level and by guiding others to make a difference in their own lives.”

Advice from Experience

As a lawyer or non-lawyer working in the legal sector, Mark constantly advises people to put “PEOPLE” first, because if you don’t, you won’t be able to connect with colleagues and clients as successfully as you could, and you’ll miss out on a lot of happiness and fulfilment.

He explains that there is a significant distinction between the law and the practice of law, with the former involving an understanding of the technical side of the law, such as the study to become a lawyer and continued study to maintain and retain those qualifications, and the latter involving an understanding of how the skill and method of interaction inside the court differs from most other interactions. He says, “The ‘Law’, is an adversarial industry where matters are argued over the meaning or contextual understanding of a word or a term.” He also believes that whilst that is necessary in the practice of law, it is definitely not going to allow anyone to engage effectively with employees or clients. He opines, “If you recruit the right people and make them your sole focus, then you do not need to micro-manage and the business will prosper.”

Insight on Leadership and Future Goals

Mark’s ambition is to expand the firm’s footprint in each capital city where it presently operates, until it has a substantial presence in each of Australia’s major cities.

Mark, for one, intends to give presentations to individuals who aspire to leadership positions, in the hopes of inspiring others who aim to be leaders to begin their path toward that objective. He says, “Leadership is not a topic you study for 4 years and then obtain a certificate in.” He states that one can learn about different types of leadership and different skills that a leader should possess, but it will be only through your own journey, including trials, tribulations, and wins, that you may eventually get there.

Mark Wiggins as A Person and A professional

I am a simple man who likes to keep things uncomplicated. At work I am everything as set out above, and outside of work I am the same although I do love to garden and work with timber, as they provide me with outlets I do not engage in my professional role.

I am also a student of life and believe we need to commence moving away from a “human doing” way of life, and actually act like the “human being’s” we are meant to be.

I am also a keen student of neuroscience and how it does actually impact every part of our lives. By understanding how the mind and body can work together, as well as against each other (if allowed), we can understand how we are able to change the things about ourselves we wish to change and lead a very happy and fulfilled life.

I am also a champion of challenging the status quo, that taking care of yourself in the first instance is an undesirable trait and we need to look after others first. That notion is so irrational as to be laughable, although it is not humorous in any way and leads to so much anxiety and unhappiness.

Self matters and you are unable to be of any support/help to anyone else if you are not of any help/support to yourself.

Website: www.hallpayne.com.au