Daniel Jenkinson celebrates 20 years with DMAW Lawyers

DMAW Lawyers congratulates principal Daniel Jenkinson for achieving an amazing 20 years of service at DMAW Lawyers.

Daniel started with the firm on June 15, 2004 as a newly admitted lawyer in our transactions team and has been dedicated to achieving commercial outcomes for his clients ever since.

Administrative assistant and paralegal Cherie Inglis has assisted Daniel over the last 15 years and reflects fondly on their working relationship.

Cherie says "I have learned a great deal about professionalism, attention to detail, and effective communication while working for Daniel. I think very highly of him as a leader and mentor, and I value the supportive and collaborative environment he has fostered over the years.”

Daniel's skill, dedication and commercial acumen has seen him progress to his current role as lead principal in our transactions practice.

Daniel acts on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial matters for a broad range of business clients, including some of the largest businesses in South Australia. He works across a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, property and development, energy and resources and agribusiness.

Daniel has advised on some of the most significant transactions in the history of the firm including:

• a $350 million asset transaction in the oil and gas industry;
• numerous large superannuation fund mergers and direct investment transactions;
• a $90 million corporate acquisition in the mining sector;
• transactions valued up to $500 million in the financial services, construction, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, waste and mining industries;
• the sale of aged care facilities and retirement villages;
• numerous large-scale property projects, including greenfields residential and industrial developments.
  

To celebrate, we asked Daniel to answer a few questions, reflecting on his time with the firm. Check out his Q&A below.

I was one of the lucky few graduates in the hard fought early 2000s to apply at the right place and the right time, as an opportunity opened in the one niche area that I had some experience in. Lightning strikes occasionally!

I have stayed 20 years though because of the relationships I have built, the wonderful mentoring I have benefitted from and the calibre and breadth of interesting clients and work available to me. It has been a Goldilocks fit - small enough to know and care for everyone, big enough to manage large and complex matters.

Our practice areas and the way we work have evolved along with our clients and their needs. We have grown out of a more traditional structure with discrete teams working under senior partners into a more cohesive and nimbler group where we can, and do, work with many different specialists across the firm depending on the needs of a client and the matter of the day. It serves the client better and makes for a more dynamic and interesting work environment. The firm’s collaborative culture has been a consistent and important feature throughout though.

Being a part of the short-lived but glorious efforts of the DMAW Lawyers corporate triathlon teams. We did not win. I’m not sure we even placed. But it was a solid showing and a ‘fish (mostly) out of water’ challenge that we stepped up to meet, dignity be damned. A close runner up would be the relief of removing (and never again having to don) that Lycra triathlon suit again. Honourable mentions to the many milestone birthdays, weddings, and general hijinks of my work family that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of.

There have been many satisfying experiences over the last 20 years. A consistent theme seems to be that the most challenging situations (where I have at times felt out of my depth) produce the most satisfying outcomes. Deep involvement very early in my career in a couple of landmark superannuation cases come to mind as highlights, as do a handful of unusually complex transactions. The most rewarding thing day-to-day is feeling like I have earned the trust of some wonderful clients and having the privilege of helping them with their most important projects and challenges.

Relationships are everything - with those you act for, work alongside and report to. The best path to success for me has been putting in the time and effort needed to genuinely understand my clients - what they need and how they want to receive it.

Building client loyalty comes from making that effort and individualising your approach. In fact, that goes for your supervising practitioners too. Know your audience and deliver what they want. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, never underestimate the power of gallows humour to get you through.