No. of offices 5 Founded 1852 Number of offices 5 | No. of employees 1750+ Ceased operations October 1, 2012 | |
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Headquarters MLC CentreSydney, New South Wales No. of lawyers 800+ lawyers and 190+ partners Major practice areas corporate and commercial Key people Gavin Bell, CEO/Managing Partner Revenue 565 million AUD (2011–2012) | ||
Freehills was a commercial law firm that operated in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia it was considered one of the 'Big Six' law firms.
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Freehills merged with the UK-headquartered law firm Herbert Smith on 1 October 2012, forming a new firm named Herbert Smith Freehills with a single global equity partnership.
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Offices
Freehills had offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane in Australia.
Freehills had an office in Singapore.
In Indonesia, Freehills had an association with local firm Soemadipradja & Taher and in Vietnam had an association with Frasers Law Company in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Freehills was a member of the international alliance Ius Laboris but left upon its merger with Herbert Smith.
In 2009, Freehills entered into an alliance with TransAsia Lawyers in China. Freehills associated offices were in Beijing and Shanghai.
Pro bono services
Freehills had a pro bono program which, under the leadership of the late Keith Steele, saw the establishment of the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre in Kings Cross.
The firm seconded solicitors to a number of community legal centres and services including the Public Interest Law Clearing House in Victoria, the Kingsford Legal Centre.
History
The firm traced its history back to the practices of Clarke & Moule in Melbourne (1853), Stephen Henry Parker in Perth (1868), Bernard Austin Freehill in Sydney (1871) and John Nicholson (Perth) 1896.
The Sydney firm became Freehill Hollingdale & Page in 1947 and began to grow under the direction of partner Brian Page, who took the firm into corporate and commercial practice within Australia and internationally.
In 1978 Freehill Hollingdale & Page became the first major Australian law firm to appoint a female partner.
In 1979 Muir Williams Nicholson & Co, Perth signed an agreement with Freehill Hollingdale & Page, Sydney, to create Australia’s first national law partnership.
In 2000, the state-based offices of Freehill Hollingdale & Page officially changed their name to Freehills and became a single national legal partnership.
In 2012, the firm has over 800 lawyers and over 190 partners.
Freehills announced in 2012 that it would merge with international law firm Herbert Smith on 1 October 2012, forming a new firm named Herbert Smith Freehills with a single global equity partnership.