Aptum comprises a team of values-driven legal and business professionals who share a passion for making litigation a better experience both for clients and the people who work in it.
In this series, we highlight some of our graduates to explore what drove them to the law, their experience of working at Aptum, and the kind of lawyer they want to be.
Here, we spoke with Stephanie Wong, Lawyer (2024 Litigation Graduate Program).
Steph joined Aptum in February as part of our 2024 Litigation Graduate Program. Steph came to Aptum with broad experience in taxation, financial services and administrative law, having worked as a Senior Consultant at a big four accounting firm and an Associate to a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
At what age did you decide you wanted to be a lawyer?
Well, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a fairy! No idea why, I think it was because I dressed up as one during book week at school. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a lawyer until I did my first law subject in undergrad (Bachelor of Commerce), which was Principles of Business Law; a compulsory subject for an accounting major.
Up until that point, I thought I wanted to be an economist. I liked the logic part of economics, but I discovered I was better with words than numbers. And if you combine logic and words, you get law! So, when I graduated from my undergrad, I decided to pursue further studies and applied for a JD course.
What interested you during your JD? How did you decide to focus on litigation?
Having also studied Principles of Taxation Law in undergrad, I confirmed that I wanted to work in tax during my JD, where I studied MORE TAX! The Melbourne Uni Tax Clinic was by far my favourite subject of my JD course. I also got the opportunity to do a whole subject on GST, which was actually part of the Master of Laws course. Other than the coursework, I got to live out my courtroom drama dreams by participating in the Witness Examination competition, which, I realise retrospectively, sparked my interest in litigation.
I became more deeply interested in litigation during my experience working at the AAT. That was fun and exciting to me. From day one of a dispute, there are so many trajectories and paths you can take. It’s also an area where you could contribute to making new law.
Do you have a favourite tax case?
GST cases are always fun. A memorable case is one about whether ‘Mini Ciabette’ constitutes a cracker (not GST-free) or bread (GST-free). The UK had a similar case about whether the potato/flour content of Pringles made them ‘potato crisps’ or just a ‘savoury snack’.
There was also a recent AAT decision about whether the Chobani Flip yoghurt is subject to GST due to it having the yoghurt (GST-free) component and chocolate chips (not GST-free). Come to think of it, I think I just like all the food cases!
What attracted you to Aptum?
I didn’t want to do a rotation, which seems common for grad programs, because I already knew I was interested in litigation. I liked the fact that Aptum is a specialist firm, so I would get to specialise earlier than in a typical legal career. With Aptum, I knew I was guaranteed to do the work I enjoyed – commercial & tax litigation.
While researching the firm, I also found Aptum’s online posts and videos to be refreshing and sincere. If you’re in a similar boat and reading this because you’re thinking of applying to the 2025 Graduate Program, thank you for reading this far down the article and I highly recommend that you apply!
What is a good day at work for you?
I like working in the office, so a good day starts with no public transport issues and coffee with the team. I found that with other jobs, I often only worked in the office because I had to, but at Aptum, I do it of my own accord. It helps me switch off at home, but I also love being around my colleagues, as cheesy as it sounds. It’s nice.
Aside from that, I don’t really have a typical day – every day is different (sorry, this also sounds cheesy but it’s true). It really depends on which matters we’re prioritising for the week. It could be anything from drafting a letter to a counterparty, drafting an email to the client to update them or ask for instructions, or preparing for a mediation or client conference later in the week.
I love getting to do deep work and getting to really bury myself in the detail of clients’ documents to come up with something that can substantively affect their case. For example, if I’m going through documents and find evidence that shows that they’ve paid their tax debt, and all the numbers add up, I’m like, YESSS!
Is there anything you didn’t expect to learn at Aptum?
I expected to learn technical skills, but upon reflection, the development of my soft skills and business acumen really stands out to me.
I thought I was an effective organiser, but organisation is at another level here. So, learning to effectively use productivity and workflow tools isn’t something I was expecting. Aptum is also unique because of its specialist market position and structure. The leadership team provides transparency on and practical guidance to all team members to contribute to the firm’s business development.
I’ve also had the opportunity to present at Aptum’s weekly ‘learning and development’ (L&D) sessions. It made me really feel like an equal. I think it’s a good example of the non-hierarchical nature of the firm. I would imagine, at a typical firm, more senior team members are responsible for presenting at L&D because they’re the ones with the specialist knowledge and experience. But being given the chance to present by myself and with Steph, the other grad, has helped me gain confidence in my own knowledge.
Have you had moments where you doubted yourself? How were you able to work through them?
During my first week, I was asked to help draft submissions, which is a pretty substantial task that I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to do as a graduate. It was pretty challenging, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to complete the task. But there’s a ‘safe to fail’ environment here, so I just kept asking questions. I found it really rewarding in the end. As I do more and more substantial tasks for matters at various stages of the dispute process, I feel like I’ve really been able to connect the dots between what I learned in theory during uni and PLT, and what’s actually done in practice.
What is an achievement that you’re proud of?
Getting admitted!
Do you have a favourite courtroom or legal film?
(Confession: I changed my answer. I initially blurted out ‘A Few Good Men’ which is also a great movie, but I like this revised answer more)
Legally Blonde! A lot of law movies are pretty serious, whereas Legally Blonde is very light-hearted. It makes law fun. Actually, I watched an interview recently with Reese Witherspoon and she spoke about how happy she is that she inspired so many people to become a lawyer. Fans come up to her to this day and say, “I’m a lawyer now because of you.” I’m not quite in that category, but I do like her, and the movie.
What kind of lawyer do you not want to be? What kind of lawyer do you want to be?
I don’t want to be a lawyer that sees their clients as projects, rather than humans. I would rather take the time to understand clients and what they think is important rather than rush ahead and just do what I think will resolve their problem.
Favourite place to eat in Melbourne?
Oh gosh, so many. I have about 100 places bookmarked on Google maps. A recent favourite is Chiaki in Collingwood – excellent Japanese brunch place.
Do you have any long-term ambitions for your legal career?
I’d like to do my Masters and really deep dive into some more tax subjects. A few people at Aptum have their Masters and I hear it’s really practical knowledge for work.
For more information about Aptum’s Graduate Programs, learn more here.
