In the two minutes it takes the average reader to get through this story, Port Moresby-based lawyer Amira Ward will have completed her morning commute.

“The work-life balance is pretty extraordinary,” says Ward, a senior associate at commercial law firm Leahy Lewin Lowing Sullivan in Papua New Guinea.

But while the drive is short, the working hours can be long and the pace intense, particularly when a transaction is under way – an unsurprising rhythm given the firm was founded by former Gadens partners.

Ward has a broad corporate focus within PNG’s hybrid legal system: mergers and acquisitions, aviation, restructuring, commercial property and construction, energy and resources and banking and finance.

“There’s an underlying law here, which is our case law. And that incorporates the common law of England up until the 16th of September 1975. Customary law is brought into the underlying law, too. It’s quite unique.”

Ward arrived in PNG by way of Queensland, where she gained her degree, attained three years of post-admission experience (the minimum needed for a foreign lawyer to take the country’s qualifying exams) and met the driver for her move: fellow commercial lawyer and now husband Daniel Ward.

Daniel has long-standing family ties to PNG: his father, Timothy Ward, operated a trading company and copra plantation on remote Kiriwina Island before becoming a political leader.

Some lawyers take a fly-in, fly-out approach to advising in PNG but Ward and her family, after some shorter stints, chose to settle in Moresby in 2019, a city she says defies expectations.

“In some ways, Port Moresby is a thriving, cosmopolitan, international city.”

In other ways, the country, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence this year, is obviously developing. Ward says this is a positive for junior lawyers who can take on significant work early in their careers, but it does come with challenges.

“We have frequent power outages. Most residential and commercial buildings have generators, but if the generators run out of fuel, the outage can last a while.”

Because of this and other administrative issues, legal matters can move more slowly in PNG than in Australia.

“If you need to conduct an urgent search, or access a file or other information, if the system is down, which sometimes it is, we’re all just at its mercy.

“I think a core part of my effectiveness is in being able to go to places in person and have face-to-face conversations. You cannot underestimate the importance of relationship building.”

Relationships are central to Ward’s work – and to life in Port Moresby. Ward was recently appointed honorary lawyer for the Royal Papua Yacht Club, a role that reflects both her professional standing and her passion for the water. She spends weekends swimming, sailing or diving.

“The fish and coral are really spectacular: it’s never boring.”

Not everything is idyllic. Ward is allergic to mango trees, which grow in abundance in the tropical climate.

A more serious problem is the crime driven by tribal feuds and Raskol gangs. The Australian government’s Smartraveller website advises visitors to exercise a high degree of caution in PNG overall and to reconsider travel to the highlands.

“I wouldn’t say Port Moresby is a safe city. Some parts are quite safe, but you need to be vigilant.”

Despite this, Ward describes the locals as the friendliest people she has ever met.

“I couldn’t imagine anyone here really being lonely because everyone is just so friendly and is always up for a chat.

“I’m grateful to live here.”