Litigation specialist Michael Hotchkin is to step down from the partnership he established with John Hanly 30 years ago.
Litigation specialist Michael Hotchkin is to step down from the partnership he established with John Hanly 30 years ago.
Mr Hotchkin plans to start a new business in February next year offering strategic advice that leans on his experience as a tenacious lawyer representing some of Western Australia’s biggest businesses.
Len Buckeridge was one of his earliest clients, with Mr Hotchkin representing the construction magnate’s company, BGC Australia, in litigation matters for decades.
Mr Hotchkin said he no longer wanted the stress of running a business – Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers has 10 partners among 22 legal professionals and around 35 staff – or acting as counsel in litigation trials.
However, he said he would remain close to the firm he started after leaving Corrs Chambers Westgarth in 1993, and expected to have a synergistic relationship with the firm, including sharing office space.
“I won’t engage in litigation by acting as counsel, but I will continue to provide the kind of legal and strategic advice I have often been asked to provide,” Mr Hotchkin said in a letter to clients.
He said the work he expected to do as Michael Hotchkin Consulting included strategic and pre-litigation legal advice, advice on finding litigation expertise, peer reviewing legal work, arbitrating or mediating disputes, board roles and consulting of general business matters including risk management.
“My reason for retiring from litigation and the partnership is to have a less stressful life than Is possible when I have to run a firm, deal directly with clients on a daily basis, and comply with the strict requirements of litigation, including especially preparing for hearing in court which involve detailed written and oral submissions and cross-examination of witnesses,” Mr Hotchkin wrote.
“I am only about to turn 62, but it seemed to me that the balance of my life is better spent avoiding those stresses, as far as possible.”
Mr Hanly retired from the partnership some years ago and established John Hanly Legal in 2020.
