Recently, I had the incredible fortune of sitting down with Greg D Ross, a distinguished lawyer who has built a legal career (celebrating 50 years this July) at the intersection of government and business.
Greg runs his own practice after decades of experience spanning civil and Government contexts. He’s an Accredited Specialist in Government and Administrative Law under the NSW Law Society’s Accredited Specialist scheme. He was even the Head Assessor for that field from 2011 to 2013 for the NSW Law Society’s training Accreditation program. He also played a role in the now-defunct Organisational Review Committee (“ORC”) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
From the start of our chat, I was immediately struck by how approachable and authentic he was, given his broad experience. Greg has worked on everything from government contracting and procurement projects to intellectual property and probity matters.
He told me his focus is on helping clients navigate the complex interfaces of law, politics and society, as well as on empathising with clients and ‘meeting them where they’re at’, so to speak.
Greg also shared a fascinating example with me over our discussion.
He spoke about a client that was connected to companies in some other countries, where two companies were favouring each other and placing the Australian company in a difficult situation legally and commercially. Greg’s professional handling and awareness of international corporate sensitivities is helping to resolve the matter.
In doing so, his paramount commitment to aiding his clients shines through.
It is just one of the examples among the many others that his career is replete with.
Greg’s path wasn’t a straight line, but his deep expertise is clear. He has a quiet confidence that comes from decades of handling complex, high-stakes matters where government and business intersect.
What I found most valuable was his realism about the profession and emphasis on professional duties being paramount. He didn’t shy away from describing the meticulous, often painstaking work involved in areas like legislative reform or procurement, but he also conveyed a genuine passion for solving problems at this unique intersection.
My main takeaway from our chat?
A career in law can be incredibly varied and connected to the wider world. Greg inspired me as to how you can build a practice that is both deeply specialised and globally engaged, working on important and complex domestic and international matters, while simultaneously being generous with his time and wisdom to someone like me who has no professional experience but is wanting to make a career in the same field.
Learn more about Greg D Ross and his work at his website and/or his LinkedIn page.
