Tax can be fun. At least, that’s the impression you get when you speak with Freehills’ new Revenue Law Partner, Nick Heggart, based in Perth. For someone who has focused on tax law for almost 10 years, Nick admits his enthusiasm for his practice area may seem disconcerting to some.
‘Yes, I guess there is a bit of a perception that tax law is pretty boring!’ he laughs. ‘I know it’s a fairly common view, probably because a lot of people associate it with just crunching numbers.
‘In fact it’s a very diverse area, because you often need to bring several different areas of law together to solve a tax problem, whether that be equitable or trust law principles or some other area of the law. I find it challenging and rewarding to bring those skills and my broader knowledge of the law together to find innovative solutions for clients, rather than simply regurgitating the tax law.’
Nick joined Freehills in 2001 after completing his articles at a boutique firm specialising in tax law. He took nine months off between the two roles to travel and reflect on his career path.
‘After I finished school I went straight to university. I finished university in November 1997 and started working in December. I then worked solidly for three years, so I just needed a bit of time out to reflect on where I was. It helped clarify my thinking, and I decided that I wanted the challenge and the mental stimulation that this kind of work provides.’
Nick concedes that tax is a very technical area and that it requires a lot of discipline to keep up with the constant changes and refinements.
‘All areas of law require you to keep up to date with changes and new laws, but tax is particularly demanding—it changes daily. For that reason it may not be everybody’s “cup of tea”. To provide exceptional service you need to be very vigilant to keep up to date with the constant changes. The good news is it’s much easier in tax to distinguish yourself from other lawyers through your level of technical expertise.’
In this regard, while a large portion of his work focuses on income tax and stamp duty issues, Nick doesn’t specialise in any particular aspect of tax.
‘In fact the nature of the Perth market almost demands that I remain a generalist,’ he says. ‘It makes it a very broad field for me to keep up-to-date in, but I’ve always enjoyed the challenge. It’s also pretty powerful when you have the knowledge to structure something that covers all the tax angles and not just say income tax or stamp duty.’
Apart from focusing on maintaining their technical edge, Nick also advises up and coming lawyers to look for mentors wherever they can, in all aspects of work and life.
‘I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some excellent mentors over the years, and have learnt different things from each of them. The trick is to keep all your mentors interested in your development, so that they willingly impart their knowledge and experience to you.’
On his admission to Freehills’ partner ranks, Nick expects his daily routine to be fairly similar, but with the added pressure of a little more administration.
‘It’s certainly a great honour to become partner, but I don’t expect there to be any dramatic change in my responsibilities.’
When time permits Nick enjoys sailing and more bizarrely, snowboarding.
‘It’s not something that’s easy to practise in Perth,’ he laughs, ’but that’s a good excuse to take a break and get out of the country for a holiday every year. In recent years we’ve been to Switzerland and Canada. In fact, my wife Allison changed the date of our wedding so we could have our honeymoon in Switzerland!’
Nick's professional biography is available by clicking here.
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