As the seasons shift and winter settles over Melbourne, Reuben Manning, Managing Consultant and head of Xperate’s Australian operations, returns with fresh reflections on life and work Down Under. Since relocating from the UK, Reuben has navigated the many challenges and opportunities that come with driving business and raising a family in a new environment.
In this episode, he shares insights on everything from Melbourne’s evolving suburbs to the unique business culture in Australia’s legal tech market.
Join us as Reuben navigates another exciting chapter of his life down under.
How is life in Australia?
Winter has definitely arrived, with daytime highs around 13°C and chilly lows down to 5°C. Even though it’s cooler, Melbourne and the South East still offer plenty for the family to do, and we’re certainly making the most of it. What’s exciting to me is seeing all the plans for the suburbs unfolding. There’s a real focus on improving transport links and encouraging hubs to develop outside of central Melbourne, which I think will make a big difference for local communities in the years to come. All in all, things remain very positive for us as we get more settled.
What’s a typical workday like for you now in Australia?
We’ve been actively strengthening our relationships with partners, educating localised sales teams about our implementation and development services, and sharing our experience in delivering projects across businesses of all sizes, from small firms to those in the mid-to-large market. This has opened doors to new connections with consultancy firms, legal technology providers, and law firms, an expansion we’re eager to continue.
Resourcing is a key factor in our success, and we’re focused on investing in and bringing on board local consultants, trainers, and other experts to establish a strong Australian Xperate team.
We’ve also completed the development enhancements needed to localise our XSDM tool, enabling clients to maintain detailed historical records of ledger, time, and document data. Whether migrating to a new platform or retiring a legacy system while retaining read-only access, this solution ensures seamless data preservation. We already have several deals in place and are ready to begin implementations in this region.
How does the Australian legal market differ from the UK’s?
No two days are the same. My workdays are pretty varied - I’m constantly switching between lead generation, sales activities, pipeline management, business admin, employment matters, solution delivery, technical deployments, and data migration. Since the last episode, I’ve shifted my focus heavily to the APAC region. I’d say it’s now at least 95% of my time, which feels like a big positive step.
One of my key priorities is to keep consistent messaging and build trust with our clients here. That consistency really helps strengthen relationships and shows the value we bring.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about doing business in Australia that you didn’t expect?
The straight-talking style here really stands out, there’s a refreshing lack of “fluff” which suits me perfectly. People get straight to the point, which makes communication clear and efficient.
On the flip side, I’ve found the legal sector can be quite resistant to change, with a lot of hesitation around addressing productivity challenges. The market is competitive, and access to cooperative software can be quite closed off depending on your professional services partners. That sometimes clashes with Xperate’s broader approach of expanding integrations and empowering firms to get the most out of their software investments.
Are there any legal tech trends or challenges unique to the Australian market?
While not entirely unique, Australia is about to face stricter Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.
I’ve noticed firms here looking closely at what’s happened in the UK and other markets, trying to learn from those experiences as they prepare for the changes. It’s a critical area of focus right now.
If a UK colleague were thinking of relocating, what would be your top piece of advice?
If anyone from the UK asked me where to relocate, I wouldn’t hesitate - Melbourne is definitely at the top of my list. It’s a fantastic city with great lifestyle options, a welcoming community, and lots of opportunities.
How do time zones impact your collaboration with the UK team?
This is probably the hardest part of being in the smaller, Australia-based branch. Realistically, there’s very little overlap in working hours between the UK and Australia. That means we often need to come online late in the day to get good collaboration and manage people effectively.
Fortunately, our office in India plays a crucial role as a middle point between the two time zones. They handle project coordination and communication well, helping bridge that gap and smooth out workflows.
Have you been up to any new interesting activities outside of the office?
Recently, we took a trip to Phillip Island to watch the famous Penguin Parade. It was a magical experience seeing the little penguins return home at sunset. Melbourne tends to slow down a bit during winter, with fewer pop-up events, but my wife has been great at finding fun things to keep the kids entertained during the week.
It’s a good balance to working life and helps us enjoy what the city and region have to offer, even in the cooler months.
Xperate will also be exhibiting at ALPMA’s 2025 Summit Conference this September in Sydney. I’ll be attending with Simon Hill and Mark Garnish, and we hope to connect with many of you there!
Stay tuned for the next episode of Down Under Diaries, as Reuben continues to explore the opportunities, challenges, and everything in between that life in Australia has to offer.