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Indigenous law firm to service government and commercial interests
A joint venture between a global firm and a boutique firm will see the formation of a new, majority Indigenous-owned commercial law firm.
Grace Ormsby
Norton Rose Fulbright and Mailman Law have launched Jaramer Legal, which will provide “culturally sensitive and high-quality legal services to government and corporate organisations, including in the procurement and execution of Australian projects and other business ventures,” according to an NRF statement.
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The firm will be “intrinsically linked to improved economic outcomes for Indigenous peoples under the federal government’s ‘Closing the Gap Policy’ and similar initiatives.”
Its focus will encompass working with Indigenous businesses and communities in development of their lands to drive positive economic outcomes.
By engaging Indigenous lawyers, Jaramer Legal is aiming to prioritise job opportunities and invest in professional development of Indigenous commercial lawyers and is uniquely placed to assist the government and private companies with responses to Indigenous Procurement Policies (IPP) across all federal, state and territory governments.
Principals of Jaramer Legal Bevan Mailman and Brian Bero will be joined on the board by Kristal Kinsela and three senior Norton Rose Fulbright partners Peter Cash, Michael Greene and Rebecca Hoare.
Norton Rose Fulbright will have a minority interest in Jaramer Legal, and says it will provide support to the firm in form of capital, premises and lawyers on secondment.
Commenting on the formation of Jaramer Legal, Bevan Mailman expressed his enthusiasm for working with his old Norton Rose Fulbright colleagues “on such an important initiative, which will bring real benefits to the Indigenous communities in Australia.”
“Jaramer Legal will fill an important gap in the market for delivering multi-faceted advice to organisations involved in Indigenous procurement and exciting new projects in Australia,” he noted.
“As the firm grows, it will also bring much-needed employment and career development opportunities for Indigenous lawyers.”
Brian Bero said “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not well represented as lawyers in the commercial law space.”
He thinks that “the time is right to establish such a unique JV to provide greater representation and empower ourselves as Indigenous Australians to have greater influence in the legal and political landscapes as well as taking a meaningful part in the development of wealth for our nation.”
Norton Rose Fulbright’s managing partner in Australia, Wayne Spanner called Jaramer Legal “an exciting new development for our firm, its clients, and for Indigenous businesses and communities in Australia.”
“We believe this unique joint venture will provide an excellent platform to deliver on our commitment to helping to build strong and sustainable Australian businesses and improving economic outcomes for Indigenous peoples, as well as employment opportunities for Indigenous commercial lawyers,” he continued.
“We couldn’t be happier that Bevan, Brian and Kristal are collaborating with us to build this important new firm.”
Mr Spanner also thanked his colleagues Peter Cash, Michael Greene and Rebecca Hoare for their work in establishing Jaramer Legal.
