RPC trainee balances law with indie music career

100k+ steams on Spotify

An RPC trainee is striking a unique balance between insurance law and indie music, juggling billable hours by day and band sessions by night as he navigates both the legal and music industries.

Austin O’Neill started indie band ‘Mega Happy’ with fellow member Patrick Foster while the duo were studying at university, and hasn’t let his legal career get in the way of his musical pursuits.

The pair have released a number of singles, beginning with ‘Stubborn’ in 2018. Since then they have released a string of singles and an EP in 2021.

The latest number, ‘The Raphael Sessions‘, was released just last year and was recorded with Gordon Raphael, producer of The Strokes, winner of the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album 2021.

Mega Happy’s songs have been played far and wide, including on BBC Radio 6, and have clocked up well over 100k Spotify streams. The popular music platform notes that the band have regular listeners as far afield as Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Mexico.

This is all while the uni of Leeds grad has been working towards, and now completing, his training contract with international firm RPC, which he started in September last year.

Sadly O’Neill hasn’t yet found a way to combine his passions for reinsurance and recording, saying that: “I can’t see the CPR pulling on the heartstrings quite like a tale of lost youth and love, but who knows? Maybe this is how I’ll find my niche!”

RPC’s training principal, Laura Stocks, added her support for the band’s work saying that, “At RPC, we celebrate individuality and encourage our people to bring their whole selves to work. Austin’s story exemplifies this ethos perfectly — his creativity and passion for music reflect the kind of diverse talents and perspectives that make RPC such a unique place to grow and thrive.”

The trainee is indeed in good company at RPC, with another of the firm’s personnel, senior digital marketing executive Maya Whatton, scooping two awards at the British Independent Film Festival 2023 for her song, Better Luck Next Time.

O’Neill can also add himself to the growing list of lawyers with successful outside passions. The hallowed halls already include the likes of Wayne Barnes, a City partner who refereed the last Rugby World Cup final, Mark Sansom, former Freshfields managing parter and racing driver, and Ian Mill KC, a top Blackstone Chambers silk who has made more money from his side hustle of selling wine than most people will earn in a lifetime.