Davis & Faulkner solicitors Georgina Love & Carmen Swaffield take over the business as partners
It’s not every day you get to tell your friends your mum’s a partner at a rural law firm, but for Carmen Swaffield’s three young children including a six-month-old daughter, they will in the years to come.
Just last month, solicitors Carmen Swaffield and Georgina Love stepped up as Davis Faulkner Lawyers newest owners with former partners Alex Nicholls and Hugh McDonald passing on the baton.
This means that all three solicitors and four support staff at the firm are females.
Paula Beaton is the third solicitor on board but is not a partner, she is excited for what the dual has to bring to the firm and the community.
“It’s good to have Yass locals be partners for the business. They are excellent and driven young women and they’ll continue to do an awesome job in their roles,” she said.
According to a Financial Review publication and Law Partnership survey two years ago, females make up an average of 42 per cent of new partners in 2018.
This was a nine per cent increase since 2017 and the survey predicted numbers could increase to 50 per cent by 2030.
The ages of Carmen and Georgina at 37 and 28 respectively, are both incredibly young too.
With the community celebrating both these remarkable female figures of our times, the duo both agreed their first decision as partners would be to retain the Faulkner name, which was founded by Anthony Davis and Peter Faulkner in 1984.
Carmen has been at Davis Faulkner Lawyers for seven years and she specialises in criminal law such as drink driving matters as one of them.
With the decade milestone not too far in the horizon, Carmen is hoping to set a good example for her three children.
“The idea of working in a larger firm never once appealed to me. I always wanted to work in a smaller country firm,” Carmen said.
“In terms of work and family balance, I am struggling I won’t lie. There’s a big balance and I am missing my children terribly. But I hope I am setting a good example for them and that once things eventually calm down, I will be able to see the kids more.”
Georgina has been working at the firm for four years and she specialises in commercial law in areas such as commercial leasing and shareholder agreements.
She said it was family and the Yass community that kept her in the area.
“I went to university in Canberra so I never really ventured too far from home. My family is still here and my husband is from Murrumbateman so it all just made sense to stay locally,” she said.
“Carmen and I will be continuing on business as usual and just continuing to help our Yass residents with any issues they have as when they arise.
“We’re always available to speak to people if anything comes up and we’re more than happy for people to come in and introduce themselves if they want to!”
Both Carmen and Georgina went to school in Yass and completed arts and law degrees at the Australian National University in Canberra and Deakin University in Geelong, respectively.
Christopher Tan
