“I am a big believer that my generation, and those to follow, need to do more to donate their time in the community, particularly those of us who are fortunate enough to have been given the benefit of a Girton education, as we often have a lot to offer, especially for the benefit of those who are less fortunate or privileged than us. Although there may not be any ‘monetary’ reward, I find that you cannot put a price on the satisfaction and pride that you feel having given your time to others in the community, especially when you do so and expect nothing in return.”
When David Symons graduated from Deakin University in 2015, he was nervous about the future. He was worried that his grades weren’t good enough, and that he would have to reassess his career options. “Fortunately, I got lucky and got my foot in the door at HQ Law (despite a few comments about my somewhat ordinary university marks!) and haven’t looked back since!”
Now, after more than nine years at HQ Law and moving from a graduate role to a role as Senior Associate, David has proven that it wasn’t just luck.
David attended Girton between 2005 and 2010 as a member of Jenkin House. Among other subjects, he studied Business Management and Psychology in year 12, and names Mrs Matthews as his most influential teacher. “Her best attribute was that she took a very no-nonsense approach to how she taught us in both Business Management and Psychology – I feel that her teaching style best prepared us for life beyond school.”
Life beyond school initially meant Deakin University for David, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws in 2015. He went on to obtain a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the Leo Cussen Institute before being admitted as a lawyer in August 2016.
At HQ Law, David works predominantly in the area of Wills and Estates. While it wasn’t the area of law he was originally interested in, he has loved every minute of it. “I definitely never expected to practise in this area of law, or in fact to enjoy doing so. I am now so grateful that I ended up practising in this area by default.”
It can be difficult to work in this area. But David gets great satisfaction from working with people during what can be the most emotional or vulnerable time in their lives, when they have lost a loved one and may also be navigating fraught family dynamics. “Generally, people are extremely grateful and appreciative of the care and compassion that we try and show them through this time.”
He notes that he finds it particularly rewarding when he can help those who may have been unfairly left out of a Will. While he acknowledges that Wills should be respected, he has seen scenarios, particularly with parent-child relationships, where someone may have been unfairly excluded from receiving something that they had a reasonable expectation of receiving. He is proud of the times he’s been able to help resolve those situations.
David’s willingness to show care and compassion and do what’s right for others extends beyond his professional life. He has been involved in playing, coaching and volunteering behind the scenes for football and water polo, and has also sat on the local soccer tribunal for a number of years.
He also plays an important role on the committee of a local charity, raising funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. David says he’s a big believer that we need to do more to donate time to our communities, and he is walking his talk.
When he’s not donating his personal time to important causes and local sporting clubs, David likes to travel, and has recently returned from a holiday to Europe with his partner.
