Law firm Phillips Fox plans to fully integrate its Perth office into the national practice following the departure of about two thirds of its Perth staff.
At least 12 partners from Phillips Fox’s Perth office, which currently operates on a franchise basis, plan to establish a new law firm with Bennett & Co.
The defecting partners include managing partner Greg Gaunt as well as Dean Hely.
The new firm, which will open for business in March next year, will have about 17 partners and 170 staff.
The partners will include the five principals from Bennett & Co, including Martin Bennett, who will be counsel at the new firm.
The merged firm brings together the banking and insurance strengths of Phillips Fox with the commercial focus of Bennett & Co.
It is expected that six current Phillips Fox partners, operating mainly in the insurance field, have decided to stay with the national practice.
A handful of partners – Phillips Fox currently has 21 partners – are still deciding on their future.
The changes at Phillips Fox mean that, of the nine big national law firms in Perth, Minter Ellison is now the only firm that is not financially integrated.
Minter is operationally integrated across Australia and New Zealand but its Perth (and Adelaide) offices remain financially independent.
