How do you constantly improve the business and be of service to the community? That’s the question that drove Glenn Vassallo to build a law firm and a charitable foundation that demonstrate how social entrepreneurship can be used to the benefit of all. His success with the ventures led to an invitation to speak on the subject at New York University (NYU).
As the founder managing director of GRT Lawyers and the founder and chair of the GRT Foundation, Glenn has significant experience in formulating and executing complex corporate transactions (including IPOs, takeovers and other equity capital market transactions) with a particular focus on national and international stock and security exchanges.
Glenn is a member of the Law Council of Australia Company Law Committee and the Queensland Law Society Company Law Committee. Due to his experience on the boards of ASX listed businesses, he is regularly invited to discuss and formulate new laws regulating listed companies.
Glenn keeps himself at the leading edge of technology in business and spearheaded the development of an app for shareholder meetings to be held over a smartphone. This was back in 2011, long before apps were an everyday thing for most of us. He is also a high achiever on the sports field, having played Rugby for the Queensland Reds.
Here’s what we covered on our discussion, which I am sure you will enjoy:
- The type of legal firm that would enable a lawyer to really thrive didn’t exist before GRT Lawyers
- How certain deals can make you feel stale within the industry
- Building a social enterprise
- The motivation for quality legal work
- The unique model of GRT Lawyers
- The vision Glenn had for his business
- How the Chinese New Year helped Glenn make a decision for the business and the foundation
- Glenn Vasallo’s early life and the support he got from his parents
- Insight into the mining sector at a young age and the appreciation Glenn had for regional Queensland
- The reason why Glenn started playing rugby and the advice he got from his father
- How Glenn went from playing 3rd grade rugby union to the Queensland Reds
- How playing for the Queensland Reds taught Glenn some amazing lessons
- A healthy mind is the most important thing because what follows is a healthy body
- Educating the legal community on the importance of a healthy mind
- To best lead a legal organisation Glenn went on to pursue a degree in Law and Commerce after completing his arts degree
- Glenn’s struggle finding work after completing his uni degree
- Why it’s hard to retain high quality people in bigger law firms
- A high performance culture and how to build one in a legal environment
- The importance of a common value system
- Setting up GRT Lawyers from scratch and the meaning behind the name
- The key role of technology in the delivery of services
- How they scaled their business through technology
- A hybrid structure
- The difficulty of connecting with shareholders and Glenn’s solution
- As an organisation you have to have a constant thirst to improve what you do
- Developing GRT Lawyers to be the highest quality legal service
Quick Links:
Glenn Vassallo LinkedIn
GRT Lawyers Website
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