Kylie Staines
Kylie Staines is a commercial and corporate lawyer now working flexibly through Pinsent Masons Vario.
Kylie had worked in numerous In-House Counsel positions in Melbourne and Sydney Australia over recent years, but it was when she was contacted on LinkedIn by one of Vario’s Accounts Team, she decided to apply to work on a more flexible basis. “In my circumstances, the decision to work freelance was an easy one for me. As soon as my two little children arrived, I knew I needed a more flexible work environment for a certain period in my career” reflects Kylie.
Becoming a Vario will likely provide you with broad industry experience, flexibility and grow your network.
Describing her experiences with Vario, Kylie says, “I have really enjoyed my time as a Vario. From my experience, Pinsent Masons invests a lot of time in its people and the culture of the firm. It has been a good fit for me and the Vario team are terrific. They always have top-tier high value project assignments in the pipeline and you feel very supported and connected to the team and the wider global law firm. There is extensive training to be 'on-boarded' and CPD modules are available to active Varios – which is a great benefit. The IT team are friendly, easy to access and have quickly assisted to resolve any IT issues I have had working remotely and interstate.” In addition to being fully supported by the dedicated Accounts Team, Kylie also has access to the wider Pinsent Masons firm and its global resources; this includes incoming projects from its international clients. Here she describes her most recent assignment, “I have been working on a defence-related project. It has involved a secondment within the client's in-house legal team as well as being embedded within the business. A lot of the material has been new and challenging for me - it has been an engaging assignment that I have enjoyed.”
Joining the Vario Flexible Services hub has already proven to be the right career choice for Kylie, her young family and her chosen lifestyle, but what advice would she impart to other legal practitioners considering a similar step for their career? “Consider your career as a whole, where you are in your career path, what types of work you enjoy and how your values, skills, experience and knowledge can be of assistance to different types of clients. Becoming a Vario will likely provide you with broad industry experience, flexibility and grow your network. If you are seeking an alternative pathway to do interesting projects, then becoming a Vario may be perfect for you” she advises.