Oh, Christmas Tree! Embracing creativity in law with Anthony Curtin, Merton Lawyers (ep 94)

Anthony Curtin credits Christmas trees, in part, with being a better lawyer. Intrigued? Back in 2009 Anthony found himself stung by the GFC and losing his job to redundancy. Needing to draw an income between jobs, he started a Christmas tree delivery business, Melbourne Christmas Trees, which is still successful today. Anthony found that his business had a much bigger impact than he ever expected. More than just delivering trees, Melbourne Christmas Trees helped children to create happy memories and taught Anthony that business could be a vehicle not just to make money, but to contribute to a greater good. Fast forward to 2016 and Anthony and his friend Dave Rennex started collaborating about their next venture. They discovered they both enjoyed law and shared the same values. They started Merton Lawyers under a stairwell in a co-workspace and the business rapidly grew to take over the entre venue. Working with founders, tech companies and the people that like to invest in those companies, they bring the values and creativity from Melbourne Christmas Trees to the legal field, even employing staff from Christmas Trees and creating opportunities for their staff and clients. This episode is brought to you by The Prepared Company. About Anthony Curtin Anthony is a lawyer, founder and family guy. He loves working with founders, tech companies and those that invest in them but also spending time with his family and being forever challenged and inspired by his three kids. In 2016 Anthony started Merton Lawyers with Dave Rennex. They now employ 23 people across four locations in Victoria and Queensland. They advise clients in corporate/commercial law, dispute Resolution and property construction. Find Anthony online at Merton Lawyers, on Instagram and LinkedIn. Anthony Curtin quotes * “It’s incredible to see the journey that a lot of our clients have gone from back in 2006 to now and they’re now, by progression or growth, it’s natural for them to look to the US and we kind of want to go on the journey with them.” * “It’s not just the tree that we are giving, it’s the smell of the tree, it’s actually developing happy memories for a lot of these kids that have gone through a really challenging time. That is one of the most fulfilling parts of my work across anything that I’ve done.” * “We’ve got three of our staff at the moment… that have worked across account management, business development, management of clients…so for them at a junior level they’re getting exposure to a start-up, they’re getting practical experience, and it just adds another feather to their bow.” Bring your law firm into the 21st century with The Prepared Company  This episode is brought to you by The Prepared Company. The Prepared Company helps wills and estate lawyers by providing a secure white-label platform to manage and distribute their client’s digital records after they pass away. Passwords, cryptocurrency, photos, legal documents, and more – you can now provide a safe and secure way to pass your client’s data while also protecting their privacy. Mention the Doing Law Differently Podcast for 20% off your business subscription.  Are you ready to Do Law Differently?