Louise Brockway is a Yarra Valley lawyer based at YREC in Warburton. Her areas of speciality include Commercial Leasing, Sale/Purchase of Business, General Commercial Law, Victims of Crime and Wills/Power of Attorney.

She provides professional legal support to the community that is accessible, friendly and affordable. She has clients locally and from around the world, and she is a ready ear for those in the community looking for a little advice, providing low cost and pro bono services on a case-by-case basis. “The law is a helping profession,” she says.

As the only lawyer in Warburton, Louise is typically the first reference point for a variety of enquiries and she is able to help connect people with the specific legal support they might need.  “A caring person on the end of the phone, during what is often a courageous call to make, helps people step into an often daunting process. The law is there to help people, and I want to make sure people have their rights protected. A good outcome can be lifechanging.

Just being acknowledged by the legal system can make a difference to people’s welfare and recovery.” Louise has seen many changes at YREC, from her initial inspection in October 2015, when it was in need of some TLC, to today, where under Alison’s careful attention it has been reinvented as a vibrant, energetic and well tenanted site.

Initially Louise was able to rent an office on a casual basis and she has built her legal practice over time to the point where she has a permanent space. The site is ideal not only for location but for the sense of privacy it offers clients. “People could be visiting anyone here at the incubator, and the low-cost rent helps keep my costs affordable for people.”

At her office space in YREC there is a sense of industry and calm. “It provides me with a different headspace, that I may not get at home with young children around, and I can be focused. I love to work, and I also love that I can head out the door when I need a brain break and in five minutes be by the river. I regularly go the river or a local walking track for a walk to recharge. Where else do you get office space like that?”

Louise is a former board member at Cire Services Inc (March 2016 – 2021) and valued the opportunity it has provided her to contribute to the local community. Building new skills, being part of a different type of thinking and understanding the different goals and needs of people in the community are all helpful in the day-to-day encounters she has in her practice, and this underpins the community minded approach she takes to her work. “Warburton is an interesting place to be right now, and as a business I can see how important it is to be adaptable to the changing needs of the town. As regional communities change, businesses need to be able to change along with them. That’s how we all grow and prosper.”