If secret agent MacGyer needed legal advice for the Phoenix Foundation, Michael Brennan would answer the call.
The Director at SV Partners in Townsville, who was a member of the Queensland Law Society Council from 2016 to 2022 including the role of Deputy President, received his 25-year QLS membership pin along with three other members at the Celebrate Recognise Socialise Event on Thursday night.
Michael has spent his career assisting people facing business challenges and now focuses on helping with restructuring.
Admitted in 1999, he practised in commercial law before becoming an insolvency practitioner. Michael also has volunteered in the not-for-profit sector with a focus on small business assistance and professional associations. He is also known for his fundraising for better mental health and well-being.
He shared his motivations and history with Proctor.
What first attracted you to law?
“When I finished year 12, I got accepted to study teaching at UQ. I didn’t have the funds to move from Cairns and survive in Brisbane, so I took a gap year working in a bank. At the end of the first semester, my friends who were studying law came home and told me that they had 13 contact hours a week and spent the whole time drinking $1 pots and playing pool at the uniclub.
“As an 18-year-old with zero cares, it sounded like a dream so I transferred my enrolment to law. As it turns out, they all dropped out after a year or two and I was too stubborn to quit! Next minute I was an articled clerk earning the princely sum of $18,500 doing afternoon deliveries to the Stamps and Titles Office, picking up dry cleaning and filing CCH updates. Living. The. Dream!”
What do you enjoy most about being a regional lawyer?
“Helping regional businesses. Small businesses in the regions are the MacGyvers of the commercial world. They generally make do with less and innovate along the way. They truly are men and women of steel and being part of their trusted advisor group is a privilege.”
You’ve been active on committees and in the community, fundraising for causes – what motivates you?
“Two things. The first is a desire to be part of change. If you want to drive change you need to be inside the tent. People would be amazed at how small the distance is between a number of policy committees and shaping legislative change for the good. Good law comes from making sure that good lawyers are in the room when it happens.
“The second motivation is service. Tim McKee OAM, my Master at Articles, has been a massive influence on me in this space. Tim instilled in me the notion that being a solicitor was more than just a job. When you signed the roll and became an officer of the court, you swore an oath that carried gravitas and a social responsibility. We all have a choice to be a lifter or a leaner when it comes to helping in our community. We all have different seasons when we have the capacity to contribute. Some have more opportunity than others. I guess I have found myself in places where I felt I could do good for others so I have done what I could when I could.
“Having said all that, I was elected to my first committee as the Deputy President of the JCU Law Students’ Society on the platform of using all our funds to buy a racehorse. Sadly, the committee voted against my proposal once elected. Later in my career I was only asked to join the Townsville District Law Association as treasurer because they thought I might know how to use Excel and MYOB. Later still, I ran and was elected to the QLS Council as a bet that I could get elected when someone over drinks said that I was no chance. Sometimes it is not the reason why you start the journey that is important, it is what you do along the way that really counts.”
What did receiving the 25-year pin mean to you?
“Receiving my 25-year pin means an enormous amount to me. I absolutely and fundamentally believe in the rule of law as the bedrock of a functioning, successful and equitable society. During our membership of the Law Society, each of us are stewards of a profession that has been around for centuries. The profession is there to shape, protect and guide our broader society, so for me, this pin is a profound honour.”
More articles on Proctor this week about 25-year membership recognition in Townsville.
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