London’s legal market is famously competitive, something Adelaide lawyer Eloise Crompton has come to admire.

“You don’t make partner here unless you’re truly exceptional. The level of command over English and the law is incredible,” she says. “There are so many people, and you have to be at the top of your game to survive.”

Australian lawyers are well regarded in London for their strong work ethic – something she takes pride in. But even in an international city like London, an Australian accent can also be an unexpected hurdle.

“There is no plan to return home. That’s the one downside for Australians working in London – you always get asked about it. I hear it at networking events all the time. I can at least say that my husband is English, which people seem to accept as an answer.”

Crompton began her career in public law with early roles at South Australia’s Crown Solicitor’s Office and Attorney-General’s Department as well as an associateship at the Supreme Court.

“That was critical training for me early on to see what it takes to operate at the top of the profession and to really value investing time to craft arguments based on an understanding of the law from first principles.”

Crompton joined Maddocks’ Melbourne office in 2019 to gain private commercial experience and after a few years, she and husband Alex Corcoran decided it was time to move to England.

Now in London, Crompton has found her niche at Howard Kennedy, a mid-tier firm where she balances high-quality work with a sustainable lifestyle. A cousin had also previously worked at the firm, adding a sense of family loyalty to the decision to work there.

A Saturday morning tradition

London’s Saturday morning tradition of parkrun took Compton by surprise.

“I never thought of myself as a runner, but I told myself, ‘Well, I did 5km last week, so I can do it again this week.’”

Born in London’s Bushy Park, parkrun is a free, timed five-kilometre event held in parks across the world every Saturday to foster fitness and community. Its contribution to English society has been so large that King Charles even surprised participants at a January event in Sandringham to express his support for the initiative.

Its most dedicated participants – Crompton being one – set unofficial goals including completing every London event, known as “Londone”, and running at events starting with each letter of the alphabet (Crompton is 64 per cent complete).

“We’re trying to visit all 63 London parkrun locations and complete the alphabet challenge. The only ‘Z’ location is abroad, so I’ll probably travel to the Netherlands to do it.”

Still, even the most dedicated parkrunners sometimes need a break. A look at Crompton’s Strava profile shows it has been a couple of months since her last effort, but she offers a reasonable excuse.

“It was never the plan to have my first child in England, but now, two years in, it’s the right time for our family. And I found a firm that is really supporting me to do that, which is pretty cool.”

A baby will not derail the senior associate’s plans to conquer the alphabet for long. Crompton and husband Corcoran have a plan.

“Alex has been on construction sites talking about suspension on different prams with all the other dads.

“He really got into pram research. The Baby Jogger seems to be the top contender.”