Meet Melanie Taylor

At Scope Legal, we take a ‘live local – act global’ approach to all of our legal services and that’s exactly why we’re excited to welcome senior financial services lawyer, Melanie Taylor, to the team. Melanie, who has had an illustrious career in financial services law and corporate governance, brings over a decade worth of legal experience to Scope Legal, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.

Although Melanie hasn’t always lived on the Central Coast, she’s excited to be able to live and work in such a beautiful area and work directly with local clients. “I grew up in the UK before moving to Sydney when I was 17 to finish high school. I moved to the Central Coast because my husband and I wanted to raise our family near the beach and away from a large city,” she explains.

“I love the Central Coast because it’s got the best of both worlds – the advantages of a small community close enough to Sydney to access everything the city has to offer”. 

A wealth of industry experience 

Melanie’s career to date is something to be both admired and celebrated. She began by juggling part-time legal study with full-time work as a paralegal at one of Australia’s top-tier law firms. She then spent some time as a company secretary at MLC (NAB Wealth) before completing the required practical legal training through the College of Law and she was eventually admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in February 2009. 

The experience that Melanie gained in company secretariat before obtaining her degree, allowed her to step outside the typical boots of a lawyer, “because of my hands-on experience, I have a detailed understanding of governance and how a business operates,” she explains. “I know so much more than the legal jargon and technical aspects of being a lawyer, it was a great experience for me”. Upon obtaining her admission as a solicitor, Melanie was then employed as a legal counsel at MLC (NAB Wealth) in the Wealth Advice Division, where she stayed for over a decade. 

It was always going to be law 

But what was it that convinced Melanie to pursue a successful legal career? “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. As a child, I believed that I would be able to do my part to help people or to save the world in some small way, I was always driven by altruism,” she says. “I was also driven by the desire to be challenged intellectually”. 

Her industry knowledge, specifically in financial advice, superannuation and insurance, was gained working for one of the big four banks. “It was actually a very rewarding experience to be acting for NAB, moving the industry towards greater customer-focused outcomes,” she explains. And, whilst most of her career has been based in the corporate sector, moving to the Central Coast and working for a boutique firm has reaffirmed exactly why she wanted to get into law in the first place – helping SMEs, meeting clients face-to-face and being part of a community allows Melanie to use her expertise for good. “I can be much closer to the person I’m helping directly. I can build relationships and make a genuine difference to our clients and their businesses,” explains Melanie.

Melanie’s expertise in solving complex problems and offering first-class service is what makes her so successful – “As a lawyer with my type of experience, I can identify potential risks for business owners and help them to manage those risks, or help them to resolve regulatory issues.”  

We welcome a new perspective

Melanie credits her critical thinking, inquisitiveness and unique perspective in balancing the roles of gatekeeper and facilitator to deliver the right outcomes to businesses. “I’ve noticed that more and more women are choosing to go into the legal sector, so much so, I believe that more than 50 per cent of graduates are now women – I feel that we are well inclined to be lawyers as we’re empathetic and can really understand the needs of clients,” she explains. “Whilst the financial services sector was (and is) more male-dominated, it never really phased me, as I bring the same expertise but with a fresh perspective as a woman and a mother”. 

And how does Melanie kick back and relax? When she’s not busy helping clients with her expert legal services, you’ll find her busy with her two young children, walking her dog at the beach, or preparing the next family camping trip. 

Strengthen your compliance

At Scope Legal, we’re excited to welcome Melanie and her experience and knowledge in financial services law to the team. “There’s a gap in the market and our clients need this kind of advice. I operate in a niche – there really aren’t many lawyers out there with my expertise,” explains Melanie. So, next time you require the help of an experienced and knowledgeable senior financial services lawyer with a local boutique touch, get in touch with us at Scope Legal. Melanie looks forward to working with you.