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Meet our Corporate Member: Albatross Lawyers

Meet our member, Laurent J. Corgnet, CEO and Founder of Albatross Lawyers.

Laurent is the founder of Albatross Lawyers, a 100% digital boutique law firm specialising in migration and visas for people who wish to move to Australia. The French-Australian grew up between Paris and Aix-en-Provence and moved to Australia 20 years ago following a few visits to Australia a few years earlier whilst he was still in High school in France. In late 2014, he decided to create his own law firm, Albatross Lawyers. The idea behind Albatross Lawyers was his expertise: He wasn’t a native speaker, had spent a lot of time abroad, and did not have a network in Australia, but he had a lot of practical business & legal experiences. Migration law came to mind as a starting point and distinguishing factor. The entrepreneur joined the Queensland network of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in 2015 and provided his Migration services to French-Australian Community

Could you tell us more about the core activity of Albatross Lawyers?

Albatross Lawyers is a Boutique law firm specialising in migration and visas for people who wish to move to Australia. We help them migrate to any part of Australia.

I worked briefly for big law firms but didn’t like the company culture. Therefore, I decided to create my own law firm in 2014 and specialise in what I knew best, migration law, franchising and commercial law, having had previous significant hands-on experiences in these sectors. I relocated to Tasmania in late 2020 and have stopped my commercial and franchising law services as it is difficult to conduct these services in a 100% remote work setting.

Now, I mostly intervene in complex migration cases such as employer-sponsored visas, point-tested visas, skilled migrant visas, and partner visas, etc… Migration is an activity well-suited to a 100% digital law firm such as Albatross Lawyers with clients all over Australia or overseas.

Can you describe your personal background and the history of Albatross Lawyers?

I grew up between Paris and Aix-en-Provence in France and moved to Australia 20 years ago following a few visits to Australia a few years earlier whilst I was still in High school in France. During my original time Down Under, I discovered Bond University on the Gold Coast and decided to study for a double Bachelor’s of Law and Commerce majoring in International Business & Management, whilst my family started a café creperie that grew more than expected. It became a franchised chain with more than 30 stores in Australia and I helped them with some of the legal aspects, alongside our lawyers, whilst I was at law school. After the end of my studies, I worked in the Middle East (Bahrain) in legal & real estate advisory, then returned to Australia to start a business broking division for a major real estate agency for more than 2 years. In a major twist, life brought me to the USA for more than four years where I developed a franchised concept there.

In late 2014, after returning to Australia, I decided to create my own law firm, Albatross Lawyers. However, in order to create your own law firm, you must be a principal lawyer. Therefore, I followed special courses at the QLD law society, became a principal, and successfully created Albatross Lawyers. The idea behind Albatross Lawyers was my expertise: I wasn’t a native speaker, had spent a lot of time abroad, and did not have a network in Australia, but I had a lot of practical business & legal experiences. Migration law came to mind as a starting point and distinguishing factor since it was a way to secure clients as they arrived in the country and assist them in various ways as their lives flourished in Australia.

How did FACCI help you achieve your objective?

When I first engaged with FACCI in 2015, there were only a handful of Australian lawyers fluent in French. I was in a special position, being able to relate with French-speaking companies, migrants or expats, even nowadays, a good portion of my clientele is made of French speakers. FACCI was the first point of contact for the French community in Australia. I worked with FACCI to promote Albatross Lawyers’ services as an SME Member and was involved in a fair number of presentations on migration and franchising to help FACCI Members and met people with whom I was able to establish a bond. Then, I upgraded Albatross Lawyers to a Corporate Membership to boost my profile & exposure. Being a Corporate Member allowed me to gain leverage and interact more with other FACCI Corporate Members. Thanks to FACCI, I was able to display a corporate image, and use their offices to hold meetings, as I did not have an office in Brisbane, etc… It is a fantastic partnership.

What advice would you give to companies or entrepreneurs willing to move to Australia?

It is not easy to settle in Australia, but positive developments have been taking place post-COVID. The political messaging is changing, and we realise the importance of skilled migration. In September 2022, there was a job summit in which Prime Minister Albanese talked about the changes that will take place in Australia’s migration system in the coming years. More generally, do your research, keep up to date on the situation, and there will be opportunities to move to Australia. Patience and determination are crucial qualities; be realistic with your budget and seek help and support, whether it be from FACCI or other organisations.

Interview conducted by Emma Erisson on 6 October 2022.

For more information, please consult Albatross Lawyers’ website: Home - Albatross Lawyers

Or Albatross Lawyers’ LinkedIn page: Albatross Lawyers Pty Ltd: About | LinkedIn