Nick Amore interview
Nick Amore (Partner, Cornwalls), Adam Gringlas (Managing Director, Jadig Finance)
As a trusted family business, we like to think we keep good company with some of the best experts in the industry. So, for Jadig’s legal matters, we choose to work with one of Australia’s oldest and most respected legal practices, Cornwalls. It’s a partnership built from the ground up – just the way we like it.
To give some context to our stakeholders, we sat down with Cornwalls’ partner, Nick Amore, our legal advisor on all banking and finance matters to find out more about this important partnership.
Describe your work with Jadig.
Nick: We began working with Jadig Finance more than 10 years ago, firstly with Jack and then with Adam and his team. Our relationship grew as we worked through some difficult transactions, and spent a lot of time together bouncing ideas off one another. Adam has no hesitation in pushing us to think outside the box and create practical solutions.
We pride ourselves on being more than law. As a full-service corporate firm, we have a rich heritage that runs through our veins, for example, we admitted to practice the very first female lawyer in Australia. But just as importantly, we have a willingness to do things differently. We recently refurbished our new Melbourne office in one of the CBD’s iconic buildings, creating a more innovative, inclusive environment – that’s a little different to the stereotypical law firm.
How have you adapted to industry changes over the years?
Nick: In recent years, the biggest changes are the rapid speed that transactions come to market and the ever present and instant communication available. Here, lawyers in their 70s recall writing letters and waiting at least seven days for a response, but today we’re used to close to immediate service. The market is competitive, and you have to be up to speed because the difference is your client missing out on a job.
To reduce that risk, you must consider the issues appropriately and apply quickly to ensure they win the job. It’s also valuable to provide legal advice not just in banking and finance but also across all aspects of property. I don’t pigeonhole myself into a specific area but have expertise in financial services and mergers and acquisitions. This gives me a greater ability to provide a full, trusted service. Jadig takes comfort in the level of oversight and risk mitigation I can provide because I am across all matters, and this strategic focus brings together all aspects of law in a tight, robust manner.
How important is trust in our industry?
Nick: Historically, the perception of finance and lawyers has been mixed. Just because someone knows how to write a loan agreement doesn’t mean they’ve factored in that their client’s business is to make a return to their investors and close a transaction. To me, you have to balance being process-driven and hard on price with a relationship focus. Relationships that become partnerships are something we pride ourselves on, and we feel we’re aligned with Jadig too.
We also appreciate that the advice we give can potentially change the whole world of our clients. I think a lot of lawyers get caught up in the law and don’t necessarily balance the law with achieving commercial objectives, but our approach is to get involved at the beginning, be highly measured and good listeners. By being invested at the start, we work to de-risk Jadig’s exposure to the developer in their endeavour to complete a project – and procure the best outcomes.
What’s your measure of success working with Jadig?
Nick: What has been most impressive is how quickly Jadig Finance and Simple Property Loans have developed, with exponential growth in a short period of time. That’s phenomenal, and it would appear seamlessly, although there has obviously been some hard work behind the scenes. The fact that we are there supporting, that makes me really proud.
As they continue to grow, we’re going to be out in front with them too. While we acknowledge we’re a service provider, we do work together to ensure we’re always ahead of the curve. Playing a part in their growth is very rewarding.
