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Burch&Co is proud to represent a diverse range of clients, from startups to large ASX-listed companies. Each of our clients is equally important to us. In keeping with our human-centred approach, we treasure the relationships we have with the people who make up our client community.
Our Client Showcase series highlights where our clients are making a difference, whether through product innovation or driving positive community impact.
Burch&Co’s Outsourced General Counsel role at Monash IVF
The firm’s relationship with Monash IVF extends back to the early days of Burch&Co. Operating in the sensitive industry of reproductive care and innovation, Monash IVF offers a range of services to support people who want to have a family. This can sometimes be an emotional journey.. With over 50 years of experience providing reproductive care and support, Monash IVF is passionate about creating a societal shift in how people think and behave in relation to their fertility. They are trying to remove stigmas, empower people to make better decisions and to take action earlier so they can improve people’s chances of having a family.
Monash IVF attributes its leading position in the industry to their unwavering commitment to patient centred care, investment in scientific and technology advancements, and the continuous improvement in their success rates.
In 2020, Monash IVF made the decision to outsource its legal counsel, enlisting Burch&Co on a limited service agreement before evolving into a full service partnership. Monash IVF deployed a type of ‘try before you buy’ policy, with Burch&Co quickly able to prove the value proposition to the organisation. This resulted in a longer-term agreement, which was well-received internally.
As a publicly-listed company, the decision to work with a boutique firm instead of a traditional ‘big law firm’ was a challenging change for Monash IVF however, Burch&Co’s human-centred approach resonated with the company’s own ethos and the high-quality work, depth of care and access to the entire team has been prevalent from the outset.
Law firms and lawyers are typically not good at showing vulnerability or any degree of ignorance, so stepping back, showing an eagerness to learn and get under the hood of an organisation is seldom seen in the industry. When starting work with Monash IVF this is exactly what Burch&Co’s approach was, understanding nuances of the business, the multiple verticals of law it spans and the people behind it. It’s this approach that has allowed the firm to produce its best, most useful work. Work that they are extremely passionate about.
Monash IVF cited early the pain points that they were experiencing and how Burch&Co could support – with cost, as expected, being one. The firm’s been able to provide a first-class service without the price tag associated with the ‘top end of town’. The utility of service was another factor – Monash IVF was keen to feel they were receiving fully-tailored advice, given the niche area they operate in. Thirdly, there had previously been a reluctance from Monash IVF to seek legal advice, as their team found the experience unhelpful and intimidating. Burch&Co has been able to show the power of seeking legal advice and support from the start of a project in a collaborative and useful way.
The firm works closely with the Monash IVF executive and management teams with a highly-resourced team of lawyers serving as a replacement for a single in-house counsel. That team is managed by a central, dedicated senior lawyer who triages tasks and co- ordinates the service delivery. This way of working allows Monash IVF to have access to an entire team who have specialties across a range of relevant services, as opposed to an in-house person that will still need to outsource certain pieces of work. The type of work undertaken with Monash IVF is hugely varied and contains anything from property development and acquisition, to consumer facing compliance, employment advice as well as issues around egg and sperm donations and internal supply.
Real-time awareness of relevant changes to industry law and processes is critical for Monash IVF given the risk landscape it operates in and this is always at the forefront of Burch&Co’s daily activity. Establishing a working rhythm was done quickly to allow the firm to co-exist as part of Monash IVF and ensures that the flow of communication is rapid, focused and done in a cost effective manner.
Founder and Director of Burch&Co, Nich Burch, said:
“We enjoy our working relationship with Monash IVF so much. The diversity of work we’ve been able to produce has been hugely rewarding and exciting. For an organisation, such as Monash IVF to rely on our full expertise – we’ve always wanted to provide a value proposition in a genuine way and we feel the last three years together has shown this.
“We don’t want organisations to think of working or utilising their law firm as a ‘last possible option’, we want to be an extension of the team and work together to proactively provide solutions, tailored to the organisation. This is how we’ve operated with Monash IVF and that trust, transparency and accountability has allowed the relationship and results to thrive. We’re excited about what the future holds for our continuing work together. We are proud of our involvement with the team at Monash
IVF and love being a small part of all that they do. ”
Malik Jainudeen at Monash IVF, added “Burch&Co are not your standard law firm. We have found their approach and culture incredibly refreshing and contemporary. They adopt a relationship first approach, are pragmatic in their thinking and application of the law, and comprehensive and agile in their behaviour.”
