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Law Firms in Perth Over the Past Year, While the Sector Is Also Adapting to the Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions

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Law Firms in Perth Over the Past Year, While the Sector Is Also Adapting to the Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions Legal Review SPECIAL REPORT Legal review FEATURE LEADERS: Chief operating officer Michael Harper (left), founder Martin Bennett, and managing principal Nathan Ebbs are directors of fast-growing Bennett + Co. Photo: Gabriel Oliveira Major shift in law firm rankings There has been a significant re-ranking of law firms in Perth over the past year, while the sector is also adapting to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. state, up from 11th last year, according to WA’s Largest Law Firms the BNiQ database. The biggest contributor to this growth FIRM PARTNERS LEGAL STAFF was its acquisition last August of boutique Herbert Smith Freehills 22 131 corporate law firm Bellanhouse Lawyers. HWL Ebsworth Perth partner Mitch HWL Ebsworth Lawyers 24 93 Artus said the firm had achieved organic MinterEllison 16 92 growth in most practice areas, including construction, general insurance, litiga- Clayton Utz 14 90 tion, finance and property. Jackson McDonald 26 87 Mark Beyer Mr Artus, who is also national chair - [email protected] King & Wood Mallesons 14 78 man, has led the firm during a period @AMarkBeyer when it has become the largest legal part- Lavan 26 75 10-PAGE FEATURE nership in Australia. Ashurst 15 67 ATIONAL firm HWL Ebsworth “It’s been an exciting time,” Mr Artus Lawyers and local practice Ben- told Business News. Allens 11 66 N nett + Co were the big movers “The growth hasn’t happened by acci- Corrs Chambers Westgarth 13 66 in Business News’s latest ranking of law dent; we’ve been quite strategic and we’re firms in Western Australia. not done yet.” Source: They were among several firms to defy HWL Ebsworth positions itself as a legal .com.au flat business conditions and achieve sub- market disrupter, though pinning down See page 28 for more details stantial growth over the past 12 months. its point of difference is not easy. Other firms to expand included “It’s a whole bunch of things,” Mr Artus “We run our business financially like a It was also stepping up its graduate pro- Squire Patton Boggs, Hall & Wilcox, and said. lot of our clients do; we invest astutely and gram. HWL has taken on 11 graduates in MinterEllison. “We work closely together in our prac- everybody is pulling their weight.” Perth this year, up from seven last year, With 24 partners and 93 legal profes- tice groups nationally. We have a lot of Mr Artus said the firm would continue and Mr Artus expects about 15 next year. sionals in Perth, HWL Ebsworth has like-minded people [and] we are disci- looking for lateral hires that suited its Meanwhile, Bennett + Co has grown to become the second largest law firm in the plined in our management. culture. be Perth’s 14th largest law firm, with the 20 | June 1, 2020 June 1, 2020 | 21 PB | June 1, 2020 June 1, 2020 | PB FEATURE Managing principal Nathan Ebbs said Legal review this broader capability would not change the firm’s focus. “We will always be a litigation-based firm, always,” he said. Market share FEATURE Bennett + Co has recently completed exhaustive research to document its suc- cess in civil litigation. Since 2011, when Mr Bennett left Lavan to re-establish his own practice, his firm has been involved in 312 reported Supreme Court of WA decisions (see pie chart, page 23). The analysis does not distinguish wins and losses. That was 16 per cent of the total civil cases, well ahead of competitors such as Lavan (8 per cent), Jackson McDonald (7 per cent), and Solomon Brothers (7 per cent). In Court of Appeal decisions over the same period, Bennett + Co represented parties in 57 cases, or 12 per cent of the total. That put it on par with Lavan and just ahead of Jackson McDonald. This analysis is based on number of SQUEAKY WHEEL: Mitch Artus says HWL Ebsworth considers itself a LEADERS: Chief operating officer Michael Harper (left), founder Martin Bennett, and managing principal Nathan Ebbs are directors of fast-growing Bennett + Co. Photo: Gabriel Oliveira cases and highlights the profile of Perth- disrupter in the legal sector. Photo: Attila Csaszar based law firms, which occupy the top six spots on the list. number of legal staff increasing over the If the analysis was based on value, the MinterEllison, which has consolidated performance in recent months, like most past year from 34 to 51. big national and international firms such its position as one of WA’s largest law of its peers. Martin Bennett, widely regarded as one as Clayton Utz and Herbert Smith Free- firms over the past year, has had a patchy Continued on page 22 Major shift in law firm rankings of Perth’s leading counsel, heads the firm. hills may rank much higher. Aged in his mid 60s, Mr Bennett doesn’t Herbert Smith Freehills continues to be like talk of retirement. ranked the largest law firm in WA, with There has been a significant re-ranking of law firms in Perth over the past year, “I don’t envisage winding back,” he said. 22 partners and 131 legal professionals, Nonetheless, he is focused on building according to BNiQ. while the sector is also adapting to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. capability so the firm is not reliant on Managing partner Tony Joyner sees the him. long-term positives for WA outweighing TRUSTED SINCE 1919® “We’re trying to deal with it, not as a issues caused by COVID-19. state, up from 11th last year, according to WA’s Largest Law Firms brand attributable to me but as a process “While the virus slowed things down, the BNiQ database. we teach, of how to approach major litiga- and there’s more global angst to come, in HHG Legal Group is a full-service, Western Australian law firm that The biggest contributor to this growth FIRM PARTNERS LEGAL STAFF tion,” Mr Bennett said. due course things will speed up again, so has been proudly serving families, businesses and individuals for was its acquisition last August of boutique He drew the analogy of running a the direction is the same,” Mr Joyner said. Herbert Smith Freehills 22 131 over 100 years. corporate law firm Bellanhouse Lawyers. Michelin-star restaurant. “We continue to back WA growth, not- HWL Ebsworth Perth partner Mitch HWL Ebsworth Lawyers 24 93 “The chef doesn’t cook everything, withstanding some sluggishness over the We are committed to delivering quality legal representation and Artus said the firm had achieved organic MinterEllison 16 92 doesn’t lay the tables, doesn’t wash the last few years.” advice, combined with seamless collaboration between our Perth, growth in most practice areas, including dishes,” Mr Bennett said. He said a key driver would be investment Albany, Mandurah and Joondalup teams. This ensures our clients Clayton Utz 14 90 construction, general insurance, litiga- “Everybody has a role to create the end in infrastructure and resources projects. receive the right expertise, regardless of which office they visit. tion, finance and property. Jackson McDonald 26 87 product. “We’re also seeing more and more dis - Mark Beyer Mr Artus, who is also national chair - “You need to teach that methodology so ruption, especially digital disruption, [email protected] King & Wood Mallesons 14 78 man, has led the firm during a period it is applied across the board.” particularly in sectors like mining and OUR BUSINESS & PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICE AREAS @AMarkBeyer when it has become the largest legal part- Lavan 26 75 Mr Bennett, who is a tall man with a energy,” Mr Joyner said. • CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL • WORKPLACE RELATIONS 10-PAGE FEATURE nership in Australia. booming voice, said staff development “They are investing in a digital future, Ashurst 15 67 • FAMILY & DE FACTO • BUSINESS SUCCESSION ATIONAL firm HWL Ebsworth “It’s been an exciting time,” Mr Artus included teaching advocacy in a gen - and we are too.” • PROPERTY & LEASING • BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION Lawyers and local practice Ben- told Business News. Allens 11 66 der-specific manner HSF recently established a digital law • DISPUTE RESOLUTION & LITIGATION • LOCAL GOVERNMENT nett + Co were the big movers “The growth hasn’t happened by acci- Corrs Chambers Westgarth 13 66 “If you can’t dominate physically, you group, a global team of specialist lawyers N WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING CRIMINAL & TRAFFIC in Business News’s latest ranking of law dent; we’ve been quite strategic and we’re dominate through precision and prepara- designed to advise clients on legal issues • • firms in Western Australia. not done yet.” Source: tion, it’s the detail that will enable you to arising out of digitisation, including smart They were among several firms to defy HWL Ebsworth positions itself as a legal .com.au succeed,” he said. legal contracts. flat business conditions and achieve sub- market disrupter, though pinning down See page 28 for more details Bennett + Co has been boosted by a “We know that digital is a top priority hhg.com.au stantial growth over the past 12 months. its point of difference is not easy. number of experienced lateral hires, of 90 per cent of chief executives, and a Other firms to expand included “It’s a whole bunch of things,” Mr Artus “We run our business financially like a It was also stepping up its graduate pro- including David Stewart, Thaw Thaw driver for the digital law group going Squire Patton Boggs, Hall & Wilcox, and said. lot of our clients do; we invest astutely and gram. HWL has taken on 11 graduates in Htin, and Colette Davies. forward is to develop the digital law solu- MinterEllison.
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