COMMERCIAL law partners Godfrey Taylor and Andrew Linfoot this week advanced the growth prospects of their firm with the addition of former Deacons native title specialist Marcus Holmes.
Mr Holmes has become an equal equity partner in the newly named Taylor Linfoot & Holmes Commercial Lawyers.
Senior practitioner Godfrey Taylor said the firm was seeking to establish itself as a commercial law firm specialising in particular fields and planned to take on board other partners and senior associates “sooner rather than later”.
Mr Taylor said the firm was responding to a strong mid-level demand for niche commercial lawyers.
However, it is expected that Taylor Linfoot & Holmes will most likely remain a small to medium-sized firm, to reap the best benefits from having a good skills mix, flexible working environment, simpler decision-making processes, and easier records management, coupled with an efficient cost structure.
Mr Taylor is an experienced commercial lawyer, manager and litigator, while Mr Linfoot was initially an accountant by trade and now specialises in franchise and intellectual property law.
The addition of Mr Holmes is partly designed to bring Native Title and heritage work with Aboriginal groups, local governments, industry associations, mining groups, telcos and property developers into the firm. Mr Holmes set up the Native Title team in Deacons’ Perth office and is an experienced negotiator.
The synergies should work well with Mr Taylor also having strong links to the mining sector and Mr Linfoot experienced in prospectus preparation.
The expertise and experience of the three partners will bring together plenty of links and alliances with other professionals including anthropologists, environmentalists, financial advisors, accountants and financiers.
Mr Taylor said there were plenty of firms competing in the same market as Taylor Linfoot & Holmes, particularly smaller firms formed in the past five years.
“There is a fairly steady breaking away of senior people into smaller firms,” he said.
Mr Taylor and Mr Linfoot moved from Taylor Smart in February, to form Taylor & Linfoot.
Of his move, Mr Holmes said: “It has been a very amicable departure from Deacons, and will remain so.”
