Legal Consultant Profiles: The Flexible Parent Tessa Whittle..

Tessa joined KorumLegal in the late 2017. As well as being a managing consultant and the Head of Legal and Compliance here at KorumLegal, she is also a mother of two young kids (and that is a job in itself). Tessa made the move from London to Hong Kong over a year ago to make a fresh start and discover the "gig economy". Let's see how Tessa is getting on with the demands of her job (and her kids).

1. How has this past year been for you since leaving the ‘conventional’ legal practice/joining KorumLegal?

It’s been great – I am enjoying the legal work, new challenges and control over my career.

2. With the added flexibility of working in the ‘Gig Economy’, what have you been able to achieve outside of your legal consulting career?

More time with my children during “kid friendly” times. Legal consulting has given me the flexibility to structure my working hours so that I can be more present in their daily activities – I can volunteer for school activities, take my daughter to ballet class, my son to tennis lessons and help with homework (of course not always a fun task!)

3. What’s your new year resolution – both personally and professionally?

I’m always keen to develop my skill set. This year I wanted to gain experience beyond the law. Fortunately for me KorumLegal allows me to do this; I have taken up a new role as Head of Legal and Compliance for KorumLegal and I am gaining valuable insight to legal process management and business operations.

On a personal level, I’m trying to enhance my limited cooking ability. I’m trying new things but my “Hong Kong kitchen” has limitations including no oven …

4. Last year when we spoke you had just started your first assignment – any update on any surprising or juicy anecdotes of your experience being a legal consultant?

I started a 3 month role in Jan 2018 and I am still doing it 12+ months later. The initial scope of the role has changed to suit the needs of the business. This has taught me how important it is to be adaptable as a legal consultant. If you prove to be valuable to a client then you can help share your role and enhance your experience.

5. Do you have any tips for consultants looking into joining the flexible workforce? Any Dos and Don’ts? (Productivity tips?)

Be open to change and variety - your professional and personal experiences will benefit.

Be mindful of the demands on your time. A flexible approach to work comes without the structure and expectations of more traditional work places. This can become a double edged sword where the promise of “flexibility” turn into a loss of control.