East coast law firm McCabe Curwood will now have a presence in Western Australia, after acquiring Perth-based insurance firm SRB Legal.
East coast law firm McCabe Curwood will now have a presence in Western Australia, after acquiring Perth-based insurance firm SRB Legal.
McCabe Curwood now has five offices nationally including Sydney, Chatswood, Melbourne and Brisbane.
McCabe Curwood managing principal Andrew Lacey said the merger would allow the firm to be in a strong position to better service its large insurance clients.
“Our across-country presence also appeals to a large sector of our commercial clients; it is a deliberate plan to be able to offer more on the ground commercial expertise in other states,” Mr Lacey said.
The Perth branch will be led by Alex Freeman who has been a partner at SRB Legal for 21 years.
Mr Freeman said SRB Legal was pleased to be joining with McCabe Curwood and creating a national footprint.
“By combining our respective practice areas, we can offer a valuable legal resource to our clients,” Mr Freeman said.
“Importantly, there is a significant alignment of our respective firms’ cultures and aspirations for the future, which will flourish under the leadership style of McCabe Curwood.
“It is an exciting time in our firm’s history, and we are thrilled about being a part of a national, Australian owned and operated law firm.”
According to Data & Insights (formely BNiQ), SRB Legal is the 27th largest law firm in WA with 29 legal professionals.
In 2018, SRB Legal merged with Hodge & Smith, a workplace relations firm which specialised in employment law advice and human resources.
The move is the latest in a string of east-coast firms securing a presence in WA to increase their footprint across the country.
Last year Thomson Geer entered the Perth market after acquiring LSV Borrello and in 2017, Sparke Helmore Lawyers bought Perth firm Jarman McKenna.
In 2015, Hall & Wilcox opened a new office in Perth after appointing two new partners Joel Sheldrick and Anton Vucack and 15 lawyers and support staff.
In the same year, Mills Oakley opened a Perth office, hiring staff from CCS Insurance Law and Minter Ellison.
