Alumni Chronicles: Tom Flower, Clayton Utz

Priyanka Sharma in conversation with Tom Flower.

Last month, I had the privilege of speaking with Tom Flower, a second-year lawyer at Clayton Utz, whose diverse academic interests and proactive attitude toward career development reflect the very best of Deakin Law Alumni. With a background that bridges marketing, technology, and law, Tom’s journey is one of curiosity, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to personal growth. His experiences offer valuable insights for students hoping to find their place in the commercial legal space.

Tom began his university studies with an interest in business and marketing, unsure whether law was something he wanted to pursue long-term. However, exposure to Deakin's Business Law unit piqued Tom's interest and quickly grew into a passion for intellectual property law.

“I had a pretty strong sense that I liked commercial law,” he shared, noting that “studying Intellectual Property Law really brought together my marketing, commerce, and legal knowledge, which I found incredibly interesting and exciting. With a tech background as well, I realised I was drawn to corporate and commercial work, but IP stood out as a perfect fit for my interests.” 

This clarity of interest was further strengthened through clerkships and several paralegal roles that helped shape his understanding of both firm dynamics and client-side operations.

During his time at Deakin, Tom undertook several practical experiences that proved pivotal. He worked in a mid-tier firm, a listed tech company in a finance role and even as a paralegal at a pharmaceutical company, all experiences which closely aligned with intellectual property.

“It was a bit of a fact-finding mission… paralegal roles gave me great insight into how firms operate and what the day-to-day looks like as a junior lawyer and that was a really good insight into how a law firm works… and how the work kind of eventuates.” 

When completing a Work Integrated Learning unit offered to Deakin law students with Anika Legal, Tom described it as;

“a really good initiative… it just felt like I was doing actual legal work, which I was, which came in handy in practise as a junior lawyer.”

Reflecting on his time at university, Tom credits Deakin’s logical and instrumental industry-focused curriculum. When comparing the assessments to the real-world expectations of junior lawyers, Tom stated that;

“The assessments were very much practical and pragmatic” 

This realness, he believes, gave him a head start when it came to clerkships and ultimately settling into a graduate role. Among his favourite subjects were Defamation and Economic Torts, which offered unique perspectives and challenges.

Tom’s pathway to Clayton Utz began with a summer clerkship being an experience that felt like a perfect fit from the outset.

“As much as it is the firm figuring out if you’re the right fit, it’s also for the law student to figure out, ‘Is this the type of firm for me?’”

For Tom, the answer was a resounding yes. He was impressed by the trust and responsibility extended to clerks, as well as the firm's priority for developing strong junior lawyers.

“Clayton Utz really stood out to me, the support was genuine, the junior lawyers and graduates were approachable, and even as a clerk I was trusted with real responsibility. Being able to work directly with seniors and partners made it clear this was the right place for me.”

Since then, Tom has settled into the Intellectual Property and Technology team, where he’s worked on a range of high-profile and high-impact matters. One major area of focus has been advising Toyota on various IP issues, including brand protection against counterfeit goods and advising clients in relation to potential ACCC and greenwashing claims.

“I’ve done a lot of work on IP matters for Toyota, mainly dealing with counterfeit products, many of which have proceeded to litigious matters in the Federal Court”.

One of his most memorable career highlights to date was representing BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, in a trademark dispute.

“I worked closely with a Special Counsel in my team, and together we built the case, prepared the evidence, and ultimately succeeded against the opposition in the Australian Trade Mark Office. It was incredibly rewarding to be so hands-on in building the case and seeing it through.”

Tom is now currently completing a secondment at Sportsbet, a client of the Clayton Utz IP team, to develop his legal skills as a junior lawyer, create relationships, and gain commercial insight into how a typical company operates to better his ability to provide legal advice to clients.

As someone with a strong interest in the intersection of law and emerging technology, Tom is especially engaged in the evolving space around intellectual property and artificial intelligence.

“A lot of clients want to know how copyright and IP sit with AI… it's always a task trying to navigate legal advice around AI, but it'd be really interesting to see where Australia lands with AI legislation off the back of the new European legislation”.

He acknowledged the challenges of legal frameworks keeping up with rapid technological advances, particularly when it comes to ownership, authorship, and employee-created content in AI environments.

When asked what advice he’d give to current Deakin Law students, Tom is clear: it’s about taking initiative and being authentic.

“Back yourself. Firms are looking for people who are curious, adaptable, commercially aware and good at communicating.”

He encouraged students to take the time to connect with people in the industry and approach clerkship applications with intentionality.

“Show that you’re genuinely interested in the firm. Put the hard yards in, reach out to people, and it’ll show.”

On managing the demands of the legal profession, Tom keeps it straightforward:

“Learn to manage your time, which is easier said than done. Use your social calendar in tandem with your work calendar. Make sure you're creating boundaries, and taking time when you need to.”

He believes the time management skills developed at university, especially when balancing study and part-time work, are a strong foundation for professional life.

Tom’s story is a testament to the value of blending academic curiosity with real-world initiative. His path reminds us that success in the legal profession is not linear, but built through consistent effort, self-awareness, and a willingness to seize opportunities. For Deakin students aspiring to commercial law, Tom’s insights offer not only a roadmap but a reminder to stay true to your passions while remaining open to where they may lead.