Taylor-Made
Taylor-Made
Words by Stacey Carrick
“I find property law to be interesting because it lets me be involved with all manner of projects both local and State which impact on people’s everyday lives.”
Ben Taylor loves helping people achieve their goals in his role at MacDonnells Law.
The recently appointed Senior Associate likes to consider himself a problem solver.
“If someone has an issue or needs help to achieve something that is complicated in their mind and may be hard to do from a practical or legal perspective, I find enjoyment in making that possible and as easy and simple as it can be,” Ben said.
“What I didn’t know would be as fulfilling when I first started to now is how great it can feel to help someone else achieve their goals, be that the sale of a business or property they have worked on for years or buying something new or starting a fresh venture and seeing how they go about realising that.”
Ben, who has been working at MacDonnells Law for almost six years was promoted to Senior Associate at the end of last year.
“It feels great to have the hard work you put in acknowledged,” he said.
“I love working here because of the growth mindset of always striving to be better, both for clients and personally, which is one of the tenets of our Firm and is driven by everyone here. Having a workspace where you feel energised to come to each day makes it easy to enjoy my work.”
Ben oversees the property team at MacDonnells Law, which involves giving advice and assistance to clients regarding all aspects of property, development and commercial related matters.
In his role, Ben advises State and local government bodies, developers, business owners and large corporates on all manner of property matters, which range from assisting with multi-billion-dollar projects all the way through to commercial sales and leases of local Cairns properties and businesses.
“I find property law to be interesting because it lets me be involved with all manner of projects both local and State which impact on people’s everyday lives,” he said.
“From negotiations on large projects, residential and commercial developments, advice to local governments on the use of assets to assisting local business people to acquire and then grow and expand businesses, it’s always rewarding to be involved with people who are getting out there and having a go.”
Ben’s career goal is to be the go-to lawyer for property matters in Queensland.
“I believe to be successful as a lawyer you need a willingness to learn as well as an ability to speak with people and really listen and understand what they’re looking to achieve,” he said.
“I feel lawyers can sometimes get lost in doing the work without considering if what they are doing is actually the outcome that the person they are advising is looking for.”
Ben’s secret to success is to take every opportunity that presents itself to you.
“Look for opportunities and then put in every effort to capitalise on them,” he said.
“Things can pass you by without you even realising it if you aren’t looking.”
Ben has lived in Cairns his whole life and while he has been lucky enough to do a significant amount of travelling, he feels there is nothing quite like coming home.
“The thing I love most about Cairns is that while there is a relaxed nature that comes with living here, being able to go out to the reef or up to the Tablelands, we are still big enough to have events like the Australian cricket team coming to Cazalys or live music at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre,” he said.
“I get to drive into work in 15 minutes, have a good day’s work and still have time afterwards to enjoy some social sport or time with the family.
“I like playing a round of golf when I get the time, though my mates would call me a hack. I’ve also played every sport imaginable over the past 20 years, though one constant has been touch footy – I’ve always made sure I’ve had a team every year.
“It goes without saying that my partner Sarah plays a massive role in my life and her support makes it possible for me to have the late nights or go to functions and events necessary for a legal career.
“I’m also a director of Worklink Group Cairns which I enjoy as a way to lend some of my time and experience to give back to the community I love and am a part of.”
To contact Ben and his team, phone (07) 4030 0600, or see www.macdonnells.com.au
