Karena Nicholls is a partner in a law firm that opened its first Wollongong office on Monday.
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Ms Nicholls grew up in the Macarthur region but was drawn to the Illawarra and its lifestyle after completing her HSC, studying a Bachelor of Law/International Law at the University of Technology and landing an internship in a top tier firm in insurance law and personal injury law.
She worked in Sydney for several years before an opportunity came up in another law firm in Wollongong 14 years ago.
Ms Nicholls loved living in the Illawarra and enjoyed helping local families so much she started part-time teaching at the University of Wollongong and took up mentoring so she could pass on the tips she was given when she was starting out.
The advice she received starting out helped her stay motivated and achieve her goal of become the partner of a law firm.
"In 2019 I took up partnership at Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers with Adriana Care," she said.
"It was the best decision I have ever made. I followed my heart," she said.
"I knew I could and wanted to do amazing things and now I have a firm with over 39 staff with a culture of inclusion and support with a business partner who just gets me.
"Coutts has operated for 14 years and is a full service firm. Adriana and I have a strong focus on culture. We know what it can be like out there and we mentor and support our staff to be the best they can be.
"We have offices in Sydney, Narellan, Camden, Campbelltown, Parramatta, the Hunter Valley and Tahmoor."
The new office is initially open by appointment only at Suite 4, 166-170 Keira Street.
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