James d’Apice on Building a Law Firm Without Playing the Part
Updated: 4 hours ago
What does it take to build a law firm that feels like your own? For James d’Apice, founder and principal lawyer of Australian commercial litigation firm Gravamen, the answer began with a second-hand setup, zero clients and a clear idea of what mattered most.
In this episode of Unbilled & Unfiltered, James joins Ben to talk about starting a law firm, building a personal brand as a lawyer, making room for creativity and putting business values into action. It’s a conversation about doing serious legal work without feeling obliged to perform a particular version of “the lawyer”. Starting a law firm from zero
When James founded Gravamen, he deliberately brought no clients from his previous firm. There was no impressive new office or grand launch plan. He describes starting with an ageing laptop and phone, working from home and fitting corporate litigation around school drop-offs and pick-ups.
That modest beginning was a choice. James wanted the quality and rigour of the legal work to be non-negotiable, while allowing the business around it to grow and improve over time.
He has shared parts of that journey publicly, including the firm’s financial reports. Rather than presenting Gravamen as polished from day one, he wanted people to see how a small law firm actually develops: the decisions, adjustments and occasional imperfect equipment included.
For anyone thinking about starting their own law firm, it’s an encouraging distinction. You can take the work seriously while still building the business one decision at a time.
Do lawyers need a professional persona?
Early in his career, James felt the pressure to sound, look and behave like what he thought a lawyer should be. In the episode, he describes the effort of keeping that professional mask in place, even when a more natural conversation might help him connect with a client or colleague.
His approach to legal marketing now reflects the way he wants to practise. Through videos, podcasts and social media, he gives potential clients a chance to understand who he is and how Gravamen works before they make contact.
That won’t appeal to everyone, and James is comfortable with that. A clearer sense of fit matters when a client and lawyer may work together on a complex dispute for years. As he puts it, he would rather someone respond to the real person than to “the character who I’ve invented, who I now have to perform.”
Building a lawyer’s personal brand with boundaries
Being recognisable online doesn’t mean sharing every part of your life. James talks openly about his legal work, his firm and his creative projects, while keeping much of his family life private.
It’s a useful point for lawyers considering video or social media content. There is no single formula for an “authentic” personal brand. One lawyer might share their daily routine; another might explain cases, discuss their practice or talk about the interests that genuinely excite them.
James’s advice is to follow what feels natural and give people the opportunity to find you through it. A sustainable public presence has to be one you’re willing to keep showing up for.
The creative life behind the commercial litigator
Before embracing legal practice, James imagined a future in music journalism, pubs or rap. He went on to become a lawyer, but those interests did not disappear.
Alongside his work in corporate and commercial disputes, James has made music, battle rapped and hosted podcasts about horror films and Kitchen Nightmares. He also created Coffee and a Case Note, his legal video and podcast series.
These projects give him something beyond the next legal email to think about and make. In the episode, James argues that a person with a wider life is better placed to sustain a career in law over the long term. Working constantly might produce a profitable year or two, but it would not give him the family life, fulfilment or lasting practice he wants.
What should a law firm stand for?
The conversation turns to Gravamen’s Values in Action initiative and the firm’s regular charitable donations. James explains why he wanted the business to contribute to causes connected with inequality, systemic racism and the environment.
Ben also asks a harder question: how does a commercial disputes lawyer reconcile those values with work for clients whose activities may not align with them?
James doesn’t claim to have solved that tension. He describes the limits of the firm’s approach and the need to keep examining the impact it has. That willingness to sit with an imperfect answer makes this one of the most candid parts of the episode.
What comes next for Gravamen?
James isn’t chasing growth for its own sake. Although the team has grown, he talks about keeping the firm small, strengthening its culture, improving the quality of its work and increasing its community contributions where it can.
He wants to remain present for his family, too. It’s a measured ambition: to build an excellent law firm that supports the people in it and has a positive effect beyond its own balance sheet.
Watch or listen to the full episode of Unbilled & Unfiltered with James d’Apice for the conversation on law firm ownership, legal content creation, creativity and what it means to build a practice on your own terms.
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