Parsons studied at the University of Sydney, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. Founded in 1850, the University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university, and his arts and law studies placed him within its long-established academic tradition.
Parsons is a partner of Allen Allen & Hemsley, a Sydney law firm whose origins lie in a practice established in 1822 by George Allen. Alfred Hemsley, an English-born lawyer, joined the practice in 1894, after which it became known as Allen, Allen and Hemsley. The firm is a predecessor of Allens, which is headquartered in Sydney and has offices in several Australian cities and across Asia.
Parsons was admitted to the bar in New South Wales in 1987, and his current professional role is that of partner at Allen Allen & Hemsley.
