DLA Phillips Fox

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DLA Phillips Fox
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
No. of Offices	8
No. of Attorneys	173 partners
No. of Employees	1,400
Major Practice Areas	General practice
Key People	Tony Crawford (CEO)
Date Founded	1864
Founder	P.D. Phillips
Company Type	General Partnership
Website	www.dlaphillipsfox.com

DLA Phillips Fox is a trans-Tasman law firm, with eight offices in Australia and New Zealand. The firm is particularly well known domestically and internationally for its insurance expertise, and its advice to and representation of insurance companies.

[edit] About DLA Phillips Fox

DLA Phillips Fox is a fully integrated trans-Tasman law firm. It has over 800 fee earners and 1,400 staff in eight offices in New Zealand and Australia. It is, by number of attorneys, the 37th largest firm in the world and the fourth largest in Australasia.

DLA Phillips Fox offices are located in Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Wellington.

DLA Phillips Fox is a member of DLA Piper Group, an alliance of independent legal practices with exclusive agreements with DLA Piper. As part of the alliance, DLA Phillips Fox refers and receives legal work on an exclusive basis across the DLA Piper network.

[edit] Services offered

DLA Phillips Fox offers corporate and commercial legal expertise across more than 40 legal service areas within:

• Banking and finance

• Corporate, commercial and dispute resolution

• Government law

• Insurance and risk management

• Intellectual property

• Planning and environment

• Real estate

• Superannuation and funds management

• Tax

• Technology

• Workplace relations and employment

[edit] History

DLA Phillips Fox traces its history back more than 140 years to when the firm was known as PD Phillips and operated only in the state of Victoria, Australia. Since then, the firm has grown to become one of the largest in Australasia.

1864 PD Phillips established a practice in Melbourne.

1884 Phillips Nicholson established in New Zealand.

1885 Smithers Warren Davenport Mant established in Sydney.

1888 Ross & McCarthy established in Adelaide.

1920s Seymour Nulty established in Brisbane.

1983 Lavan Solomon established in Perth.

1985 Phillips Fox & Masel, (previously known as PD Phillips), Smithers Warren Davenport Mant and Lavan Solomon form an association and agree to practise as a federation under the name Phillips Fox.

1990 Canberra office opens.

1991 Seymour Nulty in Brisbane joins Phillips Fox.

1992 Phillips Nicholson in New Zealand joins Phillips Fox, creating the first trans-Tasman law firm. Ross & McCarthy in Adelaide joins Phillips Fox.

1993 Hanoi office opens and the firm is the first in the world to be granted a licence to practise in Vietnam.

Darvall McCutcheon merges with Phillips Fox in Melbourne. Darvall McCutcheon was itself the result of a merger in 1982 of Darvall & Hambleton and W B & O McCutcheon which had their origins in 1864 and 1888 respectively.

1997 Ho Chi Minh City office opens in Vietnam.

1999 Phillips Fox moves from being a federated group of offices to a fully integrated, corporately managed legal firm.

2006 On November 20, Phillips Fox enters into an exclusive alliance with DLA Piper, one of the largest legal services organisations in the world, and becomes a member of the global DLA Piper Group under the name DLA Phillips Fox.

[edit] Awards and recognition

• Ranked a top tier insurance firm in Australia and in New Zealand by Chambers Global 2008 ^[1]

• Regional Winner: Top Companies for Leaders 2007 in Asia-Pacific ^[2]

• Winner: ‘Best support services’ to the general insurance industry in New Zealand, the Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand’s General Insurance Industry Awards 2007 ^[3]

• Finalist: Law firm/practitioner of the year 2007 Australia and New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards

• Finalist: Insurance Specialist Law Firm of the Year category, 2008 Australasian Law Awards (Australasian Legal Business) ^[4]

• Awarded LAW 9001:2000 certification in October 2007, the first trans-Tasman law firm to receive LAW 9000 certification, which provides assurance that it is internationally recognised for clearly defined processes, integrated communication and quality of client service

• Seven lawyers name as 'Best Lawyers' by Best Lawyers Australia, 2008

• Five partners named ‘Leading Individuals’ by Asia-Pacific Legal 500 (2007/8) ^[5]

• Two lawyers ranked as ‘Asia’s Leading Lawyers’ by Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2007

• Four insurance practice partners recognised in the International Who’s Who of Shipping & Maritime Lawyers 2007

[edit] Notable alumni

Susan Crennan, Justice of the High Court of Australia (since 2005) ^[6]

Diana Bryant, Chief Justice of the Family Court (since July 2004)^[7]

John Faulks, Deputy Chief justice of the Family Court (since July 2004)^[8]

John Pascoe, Chief federal magistrate (appointed 2004)^[9]

Chris Maxwell, President of the Court of Appeal in Victoria (appointed July 2005) ^[10]

Sir Edward Woodward, former Federal Court judge

Pamela Tate, Solicitor General, Victoria (appointed July 2003 ^[11]

Graeme Samuel, ACCC Chairman (appointed in July 2003)

Bob Baxt, former ACCC Chariman

Lee Masell Chairman of the National Companies & Securities Commission (NCSC)

John Mant principal private secretary to Gough Whitlam

Ken Smithers, served as the first NSW state ombudsman (April 1975 – June 1981)

Bill Orme, the first privacy commissioner

[edit] References

1. ^ Chambers and Partners : Chambers Global Guide Rankings
2. ^ Hewitt Associates - Knowledge Center - Articles & Reports - All Articles & Reports - Top Companies for Leaders 2007 Study (United States)
3. ^ http://www.ibanz.co.nz/Events/IndustryAwards/tabid/239/Default.aspx
4. ^ http://www.albawards.com/aus_08/
5. ^ http://www.legal500.com - Default Recommended Firms
6. ^ Renaissance woman | The Australian
7. ^ http://www.fmc.gov.au/pubs/docs/newcj.pdf
8. ^ http://www.fmc.gov.au/pubs/docs/newcj.pdf
9. ^ Preparing and Presenting a Property case in the Federal Magistrates Court (Text Only)
10. ^ http://www.vicbar.com.au/pdf/Maxwell%20Judge%20&%20President%20Ct%20App%2005072005.pdf
11. ^ http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/955cbeae7df9460dca256c8c00152d2b/10bc234bb79bb89aca256d5d007ad481!OpenDocument)

[edit] External links

• Official site
• Lawyers Weekly article on the DLA alliance
• Article about a recent global survey into capital markets released by DLA Phillips Fox
• [http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/articles/DLA-Phillips-Fox-appoints-first-female-chairperson_z141168.htm Lawyers Weekly

article on new chairperson]

• The Australian article about a young female making partner at DLA Phillips Fox