21 UNSW Law Journal Volume 40(1)
11
THE LARGE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRM: A NEW FORCE IN THE REGULATIVE BARGAIN
JUSTINE ROGERS, DIMITY KINGSFORD SMITH AND JOHN CHELLEW
I INTRODUCTION
This article charts the rise of a new force in the regulative bargain:1 the large organisation or ‘professional service firm’. The ‘regulative bargain’ refers to the bargain, both theoretical and real, 2 between the professions and the state, on behalf of society. Increasingly, these parties actively negotiate the exchange of professional benefits and responsibilities, and how, where and for what purpose these will be allocated and enforced. This bargain is shaped too by the political climate and culture, and the access to the networks within which this agreement takes place. 3 The classic bargain is the grant of self-regulation and other