HWL Ebsworth

HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Headquarters Melbourne, Australia
No. of offices 9
No. of lawyers 850+
No. of employees 1100 +
Major practice areas Full service commercial law firm
Revenue Increase AU$200 million (2013/14)
Date founded 1890s
Company type Partnership
Website www.hwlebsworth.com.au

HWL Ebsworth is a commercial law firm that operates throughout Australia. After numerous mergers and a dramatic expansion over the past decade the firm has come to be considered one of Australia's leading national law firms.[1]

HWL Ebsworth was recently ranked as the largest legal partnership in Australia by the Australian Financial Review (29 June 2018).

With 245 partners, and over 1100 staff in total across offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Norwest (North West Sydney), Perth and Sydney, HWL Ebsworth offers clients strength and expertise in the areas of Banking & Financial Services, Building & Construction, Corporate & Commercial, Insurance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Planning & Environment, Government, Real Estate & Projects, Transport and Workplace Relations & Safety.

HWL Ebsworth operates a different business model to other leading national law practices, and this allows them to offer top tier practitioners at rates which are significantly lower than those of their competitors.

History

HWL Ebsworth traces its foundation back to the 1890s. Throughout the second half of the 20th Century the firm was known as Ebsworth and Ebsworth prior to merging with Home Wilkinson Lowry in 2008.[2]

Over the past decade HWL Ebsworth has expanded dramatically with the firm's growth exceeding most other law firms in the Australian market.[3]

In 2011 HWL Ebsworth opened its new office in Canberra, one of the largest law offices located in the Australian Capital Territory.[4] In 2013 the firm expanded into Western Australia by merging with Downings Legal. Downings Legal was one of Western Australia's oldest law firms. In 2014 HWL Ebsworth merged with leading Adelaide commercial law firm Kelly & Co. Kelly & Co had one of Australia's top ranked litigation practices that now forms part of HWL Ebsworth.[5]

530 Collins Street Tower, HWL Ebsworth's Head Office in Melbourne.
Australia Square, HWL Ebsworth's Sydney office.
Westpac House, HWL Ebsworth's Adelaide office.
480 Queen Street, HWL Ebsworth's Brisbane office.

In December 2014 it was revealed that HWL Ebsworth would take over two additional Australian law firms.[6] In January 2015 South Australian firm Lawson Smith Lawyers merged into the HWL Ebsworth Adelaide Office adding 6 new partners to the firm. In February 2015 the leading full service Northern Territory law firm Cridlands MB became HWL Ebsworth's two new Northern Territory offices, located in Darwin and Alice Springs. Cridlands MB was the largest law firm in the Northern Territory prior to merging with HWL Ebsworth.

In August 2016, HWL Ebsworth opens its 10th office after it acquired the Tasmanian office of Australian law firm Hunt & Hunt. The new Hobart office completed HWL Ebsworth's national footprint, making it the only commercial law firm to have offices in every State and Territory across Australia.

In February 2018, HWL Ebsworth acquired mid-tier firm TressCox Lawyers, founded in 1897, bringing the partner count to approximately 230 plus another 900 legal and support staff.[7]

It is anticipated by the firm's management and commentators that HWL Ebsworth will continue to pursue its aggressive growth strategy over the short to medium term.[8]

Practice areas

HWL Ebsworth is a full service commercial law firm and the firm accordingly participates in all major commercial law practice areas. A substantial amount of the firm's work includes Insurance, Banking and Financial Services, Construction, Capital Markets, Corporate and Commercial, Energy and Resources, Government, Insolvency, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Transport.

In the past the firm was renowned as Australia's leading insurance law firm,[1] while also being a market leader in maritime law.[9] The firm has continued to be ranked top tier in these areas,[10] while also developing leading Native Title[11] and general commercial and corporate law practices.[12]

Offices

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 "Legal 500 Australian Rankings". Legal 500. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "HWL merges with Ebsworth and Ebsworth". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Merritt, Chris. "Size not the goal of growing HWL Ebsworth". The Australian newspaper online. The Australian. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "HWL Ebsowrth launches Canberra digs with DLA Piper". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Legal 500 Australian Dispute Resolution Rankings". Legal 500. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "HWL to open in Darwin and Alice Springs". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "HWL Ebsworth takes out TressCox Lawyers in latest law merger". Financial Review. 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  8. ↑ "HWL Ebsworth eyes more aggressive growth". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Legal 500 Australian Transport Rankings". Legal 500. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Chambers and Partners HWL Ebsworth". Chambers and Partners. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Chambers and Partners Native Title Rankings". Chambers and Partners. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Legal 500 Legal Market Overview". Legal 500. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "Appointments to the Federal Judiciary". Attorney General of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum AO". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "About Mr Alan Rose AO". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "ALRC Past Presidents". ALRC. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
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