Matthew Karakoulakis's guest appearances

Matthew Karakoulakis

Beyond Billables

SBS NITV Radio

Doing Law Differently

Fionn Bowd

Marianne Marchesi

Polaris Lawyers

Karen Finch

Michael Morrissey

Clarissa Rayward

Mel Scott

Nick Mann

Anthony Curtin

Michael Bradley

Melissa Scott

Adam Long

Shaun Nannup

Jason Wing

James Cook

OwlTail

Today’s guest on Doing Law Differently is commercial and litigation lawyer Matthew Karakoulakis. He is the Principal Solicitor at AMK Law, an Indigenous-owned law firm with a strong social purpose. As it often goes on DLD, our conversation runs the full gamut of law – inside and out – from technological innovations to how Matthew applies his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu to the practice of law.  As Matthew explains, he comes from a working class, part-Aboriginal and part-Greek background and it’s very much through that experience that he’s found his purpose in law. He knows first-hand the complex problems that Indigenous people face to this day when it comes to access to justice, human rights and systemic issues and he’s working incredibly hard to close the gap.  “I want to be able to look back on my career and see that I’ve made an impact towards encouraging more indigenous commercial lawyers, better justice for the community and for indigenous businesses. That’s the vision and the purpose of the law firm.”  This purpose manifests itself in many ways: pro-bono work for indigenous businesses, low-cost online legal advice, workshops, mentoring, talks at universities about Black Lives Matter-related initiatives and ultimately being a role model to the communities he works with.   Like all forward-thinking 21st Century businesses, AMK has embraced technology to maximise efficiency but, more than that, to greatly increase access to justice for people who can’t afford traditional legal fees. Matthew says that one of the main differences between an Indigenous and a non-Indigenous business is the amount of capital they start with. The best example – which Matthew explains about halfway through the episode – is AMK’s low-cost, high-quality, online legal document templates that operates through a simple but thoroughly fleshed-out question and answer system.   “Throughout our client’s journey, how can we use technology to deliver excellent legal services in the most efficient manner possible and most cost-effectively so that we can serve our clients the way they really do deserve.”   If you know me at all, you know that I love systems, processes and checklists. I literally can’t get enough of them! But even more than that, I love a good analogy and that’s just what Matthew leaves us with in the form of a comparison between the Japanese concept of Kaizen (the art of continuous improvement) and owning a legal business. Listen to the last 10 minutes of the podcast for a rundown of how Japanese philosophy and martial arts have influenced Matthew’s sense of discipline, work ethic and leadership style.   What we cover in the episode:  The continued plight of Indigenous people in modern Australia and how Matthew’s law firm is having a positive impact on the people and communities AMK works with. Why we should harness all of our life experiences to be better lawyers and bring our authentic selves to the table. How technology (and which technologies) can be used to streamline efficiency and create a better, fairer situation for clients.  Other quotes “I think that we can always do better in whatever field of endeavor by being our authentic self.” “Boost Legal Templates is really aimed at bringing cost effective, extremely quality driven legal products into the marketplace by enabling people to access quality legal documents almost instantaneously.” “A lot of great organisations – law firms and other types of businesses as well – can have a greater impact and they get their biggest supporters when their social purpose is communicated very clearly.” “If you can have a job that is done at an excellent level and it takes a certain amount of effort, there’s no need to unnecessarily double that effort.”“We can bring all of our life experiences into our legal practice … to become and be better lawyers.” About Matthew and AMK Law Matthew is a commercial and litigation lawyer. He is the Principal Solicitor at AMK Law, a multi-award winning boutique law firm where his focus is on empowering businesses in all stages of the business life cycle. Matthew is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and uses martial arts principles to be a better lawyer.   AMK Law is 100% Indigenous owned and focuses on enabling great results for clients in commercial law and litigation. Their firm vision is to be “The most innovative, efficient and effective commercial and litigation law firm working collaboratively to make our clients’ lives better.”  Find AMK Law online  AMK Law Boost Legal Templates  Like this show?  Please leave me a rating and review on Apple Podcasts – even one sentence helps other people to find out about the show! Never miss an episode – subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or SpotifyIf you’re doing law differently and want to share your insights on the podcast, get in touch here.Download my latest e-book, 80 ways to modernise your law firm, full of short, sharp and practical tips to help you firm your foundations, sort your strategy and optimise your operations  Connect with me on LinkedIn The post A Brown Belt in Social Purpose: Matthew Karakoulakis of AMK Law  (ep 56) appeared first on Lucy Dickens.

Today’s guest on Doing Law Differently is commercial and litigation lawyer Matthew Karakoulakis. He is the Principal Solicitor at AMK Law, an Indigenous-owned law firm with a strong social purpose. As it often goes on DLD, our conversation runs the full gamut of law – inside and out – from technological innovations to how Matthew applies his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu to the practice of law.  As Matthew explains, he comes from a working class, part-Aboriginal and part-Greek background and it’s very much through that experience that he’s found his purpose in law. He knows first-hand the complex problems that Indigenous people face to this day when it comes to access to justice, human rights and systemic issues and he’s working incredibly hard to close the gap.  “I want to be able to look back on my career and see that I’ve made an impact towards encouraging more indigenous commercial lawyers, better justice for the community and for indigenous businesses. That’s the vision and the purpose of the law firm.”  This purpose manifests itself in many ways: pro-bono work for indigenous businesses, low-cost online legal advice, workshops, mentoring, talks at universities about Black Lives Matter-related initiatives and ultimately being a role model to the communities he works with.   Like all forward-thinking 21st Century businesses, AMK has embraced technology to maximise efficiency but, more than that, to greatly increase access to justice for people who can’t afford traditional legal fees. Matthew says that one of the main differences between an Indigenous and a non-Indigenous business is the amount of capital they start with. The best example – which Matthew explains about halfway through the episode – is AMK’s low-cost, high-quality, online legal document templates that operates through a simple but thoroughly fleshed-out question and answer system.   “Throughout our client’s journey, how can we use technology to deliver excellent legal services in the most efficient manner possible and most cost-effectively so that we can serve our clients the way they really do deserve.”   If you know me at all, you know that I love systems, processes and checklists. I literally can’t get enough of them! But even more than that, I love a good analogy and that’s just what Matthew leaves us with in the form of a comparison between the Japanese concept of Kaizen (the art of continuous improvement) and owning a legal business. Listen to the last 10 minutes of the podcast for a rundown of how Japanese philosophy and martial arts have influenced Matthew’s sense of discipline, work ethic and leadership style.   What we cover in the episode:  <ul><li>The continued plight of Indigenous people in modern Australia and how Matthew’s law firm is having a positive impact on the people and communities AMK works with. </li><li>Why we should harness all of our life experiences to be better lawyers and bring our authentic selves to the table. </li><li>How technology (and which technologies) can be used to streamline efficiency and create a better, fairer situation for clients. </li></ul> Other quotes <ul><li>“I think that we can always do better in whatever field of endeavor by being our authentic self.” </li><li>“Boost Legal Templates is really aimed at bringing cost effective, extremely quality driven legal products into the marketplace by enabling people to access quality legal documents almost instantaneously.” </li><li>“A lot of great organisations – law firms and other types of businesses as well – can have a greater impact and they get their biggest supporters when their social purpose is communicated very clearly.” </li><li>“If you can have a job that is done at an excellent level and it takes a certain amount of effort, there’s no need to unnecessarily double that effort.”</li><li>“We can bring all of our life experiences into our legal practice … to become and be better lawyers.”</li></ul> <h3>About Matthew and AMK Law</h3> Matthew is a commercial and litigation lawyer. He is the Principal Solicitor at AMK Law, a multi-award winning boutique law firm where his focus is on empowering businesses in all stages of the business life cycle. Matthew is also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and uses martial arts principles to be a better lawyer.   AMK Law is 100% Indigenous owned and focuses on enabling great results for clients in commercial law and litigation. Their firm vision is to be “The most innovative, efficient and effective commercial and litigation law firm working collaboratively to make our clients’ lives better.”  Find AMK Law online <ul><li><a href="http://www.amklaw.com.au/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">AMK Law</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.boostlegaltemplates.com.au/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Boost Legal Templates</a> </li></ul> <h3>Like this show? </h3> <ul><li>Please leave me a rating and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/doing-law-differently/id1472993329?ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> – even one sentence helps other people to find out about the show! </li><li>Never miss an episode – subscribe on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/doing-law-differently/id1472993329?ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubHVjeWRpY2tlbnMuY29tLmF1L2NhdGVnb3J5L2RvaW5nLWxhdy1kaWZmZXJlbnRseS9mZWVkLw%3D%3D" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6CkLElXhiU4YeImdh3TnIq" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li><li>If you’re doing law differently and want to share your insights on the podcast, <a href="https://www.lucydickens.com.au/doing-law-differently/guest-application/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch here.</a></li><li><a href="https://mailchi.mp/4d66829db99f/80tips" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Download my latest e-book</a>, 80 ways to modernise your law firm, full of short, sharp and practical tips to help you firm your foundations, sort your strategy and optimise your operations  </li><li>Connect with me on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-dickens/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li></ul> The post <a href="https://www.lucydickens.com.au/a-brown-belt-in-social-purpose-matthew-karakoulakis-of-amk-law-ep-56/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Brown Belt in Social Purpose: Matthew Karakoulakis of AMK Law (ep 56)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.lucydickens.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lucy Dickens</a>.

A Brown Belt in Social Purpose: Matthew Karakoulakis of AMK Law  (ep 56)

Conversation with Matthew Karakoulakis about Mabo Day, Eddie Koiki Mabo’s legacy and what it means for Reconciliation. We also explored Indigenous deaths in custody in connection with the recent death of African American man George Floyd in the US.

Conversation with Matthew Karakoulakis about Mabo Day, Eddie Koiki Mabo’s legacy and what it means for Reconciliation. We also explored Indigenous deaths in custody in connection with the recent death of African American man George Floyd in the US.

“Lawyers must become activists to help stop Black deaths in custody.” - Matthew Karakoulakis

This week on the show I had the absolute privilege of interviewing Matthew Karakoulakis, founder of AMK Law in Melbourne. As well as being the founder of AMK, a proud indigenous man who serves his community and an outstanding lawyer, Matthew and I are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brothers! We had a great chat about Matthew's journey in all facets of his life, his drive to help his community and how his journey in martial arts has made him a better lawyer. Matthew shared about the ups and downs very honestly and I am sure many people will get a lot out of this interview. Personally I love his drive and the practical ways he goes about empowering Aboriginal business owners and trying to be an example for others. His learnings from his Jiu Jitsu journey are very similar to mine and I really love the way he has reflected on the ups and downs of BJJ and how that has helped in his career. Before starting AMK Law, Matthew worked in major firms and organisations including Clayton Utz, HWL Ebsworth, and ASIC. As a result, he is very well-equipped to deal with matters of any size and complexity, working with a broad range of clients, from small and medium enterprises through to large Australian corporations, including Indigenous organisations and Government bodies.   https://amklaw.com.au/

This week on the show I had the absolute privilege of interviewing Matthew Karakoulakis, founder of AMK Law in Melbourne. As well as being the founder of AMK, a proud indigenous man who serves his community and an outstanding lawyer, Matthew and I are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brothers! We had a great chat about Matthew's journey in all facets of his life, his drive to help his community and how his journey in martial arts has made him a better lawyer. Matthew shared about the ups and downs very honestly and I am sure many people will get a lot out of this interview. Personally I love his drive and the practical ways he goes about empowering Aboriginal business owners and trying to be an example for others. His learnings from his Jiu Jitsu journey are very similar to mine and I really love the way he has reflected on the ups and downs of BJJ and how that has helped in his career. Before starting AMK Law, Matthew worked in major firms and organisations including Clayton Utz, HWL Ebsworth, and ASIC. As a result, he is very well-equipped to deal with matters of any size and complexity, working with a broad range of clients, from small and medium enterprises through to large Australian corporations, including Indigenous organisations and Government bodies. <a href="https://amklaw.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amklaw.com.au/</a>

Matthew Karakoulakis - Founder of AMK Law