TWELVE years after co-founding boutique corporate law firm Blakiston & Crabb, Rick Crabb is retiring from the partnership.
TWELVE years after co-founding boutique corporate law firm Blakiston & Crabb, Rick Crabb is retiring from the partnership.
Mr Crabb will formally retire on June 30 but will continue with the firm on a consultancy basis.
He is planning a four-month trip to Europe later this year and, following his return, will be based at his Prevelly beach house.
However, with Mr Crabb continuing as chairman or director of eight listed companies, the move to Prevelly is not the traditional ‘sea change’.
The 47-year-old Mr Crabb said he wanted time to “get bored” so that he could assess long-term opportunities, which could possibly include establishing a listed investment company targeting the resources sector.
He was also looking forward to spending more time with the companies he chairs, “on the ground” at mining and exploration sites and on investor roadshows.
He is currently chairman of property developer Port Bouvard, software company ST Synergy, and explorers Paladin Resources, Ashburton Minerals, Alcaston Mining and Deep Yellow.
In addition, he is a director of Thundelarra Exploration and Aldershot Resources.
“There has always been a deal-making, entrepreneurial side to my work,” Mr Crabb said. “I thought: ‘Let’s embrace that side more, take a few more risks’.”
Since Blakiston & Crabb was founded in 1992, the firm has grown to become one of the leading Perth-based corporate law practices.
It has a strong focus on servicing junior mining and exploration companies, and has managed numerous public floats over the years.
Mr Blakiston said he was proud of the firm’s national reputation.
“We have achieved the leading boutique practice in Perth, the example that others look to and try to emulate,” he told WA Business News.
The firm presently has six partners and 10 other lawyers and Mr Crabb is confident his change will not affect clients.
He said one of the firm’s strengths was its wide spread of clients.
“It’s a good feeling to know that you are in a position to be able to sack clients.”
As well as local clients, Blakiston & Crabb also works for a number of international companies, including Japanese trading house Mitsui and Finnish mining giant Outokumpu.
Mr Crabb and his business partner, Michael Blakiston, first met at law school.
They subsequently spent a lot of time working together on the float of Gascoyne Gold Mines and its mining joint venture with Orion Gold.
Sons of Gwalia subsequently acquired both companies at substantial profits.
Mr Crabb left Robinson Cox (now Clayton Utz) to establish the partnership while Mr Blakiston was originally with Stone James (now Mallesons Stephen Jaques).
Mr Blakiston said the firm had already structured its work to accommodate Mr Crabb’s planned retirement.
He added that Blakiston & Crabb was now a widely recognised brand and therefore the company name would not be changing.