We recently caught up with Liana Mahoney to learn about what she has been doing since finishing school, but above all, congratulate her on recent appointment as not only a Partner at Tait’s Legal, but as it’s first female executive.

As she proudly embraces her new role, Liana reflects on how initially she didn’t realise the poignance of the appointment. “It is pretty crazy that they haven’t had a female in an executive role until now. Being a female, I am genuinely, really proud. But it will be great when it comes to the day where we don’t have to talk about gender.”

Prior to choosing to pursue law, Liana’s initial thoughts were to follow in her mother’s footsteps - the iconic Ms Andreou (who may be remembered by many as Ms Condon) - by becoming a teacher. To keep her options open Liana chose to take on a double degree, studying Arts and Law, which gave her the flexibility to transition into teaching. However, by her second year at university, the strengths she had found while at Emmanuel in English and debating, saw her embracing all areas of legal studies and the law, and the pathway became clear.

Liana acknowledges that being able to complete her initial years of study at Deakin in Warrnambool was a great advantage. There, she was able to not only excel academically but also gain practical experience, by balancing full-time work with local firm Dwyer Legal with her studies. She recalls thinking at the time, “I do love law, but what if I don’t actually enjoy doing the job? So then that gave me the first-hand experience there and I loved it. And it prepared me for what it actually entails, because it’s not like Suits.”

Her dedication paid off when she joined Taits in 2017, initially as a conveyancing clerk, and later that year as a fully qualified lawyer following her admittance to practice in the Supreme Court. In her new role as partner, Liana is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture. She values a supportive and safe environment, one that encourages learning and professional growth, especially for young lawyers. Her approach is shaped by her own experiences and the knowledge that the legal profession, while challenging, should be a space where individuals feel valued and able to thrive. So it seems that the early teacher in Liana, remains a strong part of her character.

Being a regional practice, Liana has to be ready to work in all areas of the law, with the bulk of cases being in the field of commercial law, property law and estates. She recommends to students considering pursuing a law career to be ready to read. She explains, “The amount I read in the day is actually insane. I remember going through VCE and reading the textbooks, and thinking that was a lot. It’s pretty much as if you’re reading those textbooks in one day.”

Outside of work, Liana has recently got married. Her husband, fellow classmate Isaac is also a lawyer. “He was school captain and I was vice captain. So he won that one. I’m still not entirely happy about that.” She jokes.

While Isaac has been a wonderfully positive influence and support to Liana, she still holds her mum up as one of her key influences. “She’s been a legal studies teacher for forever. I probably wouldn’t have even thought that I was capable or that I could do it, if it wasn’t for Mum.” She laughs as she adds, “Mum definitely said. ‘Well, I think that you would be good at it. You’re very argumentative.”

As we together with Liana hope for a future where gender isn’t a significant factor in professional achievements, we recognise the impact that Liana taking these steps as leader in her field does for inspiring the next generation of young women. Well done!