Law firms Barry & Nilsson and Stubbs Barbeler have cemented plans to combine their property practices, forming one firm which will keep the Barry & Nilsson name. 

Don Leembruggen, Barry & Nilsson managing partner, told The New Lawyer the two practices are not dissmilar in size and together will make up a team of about 12 lawyers. 

While Barry & Nilsson has traditionally worked in retail shop leasing, and retail shopping centres, Stubbs Barbeler has covered the commercial property side, Leembruggen said. 

He said the greater size of the will make make it more attractive to commercial property clients, a sector Barry & Nilsson has not traditionally attracted. 

He said the joint teams will provide a new force "to take advantage of the economic recovery". 

The new firm would be a competitive one in the Brisbane property market, said Leembruggen. 

"Both firms are recognised for providing levels of personal service, accessibility and productivity that larger firms find difficult to match."

Freeda Stevenson, formerly of Stubbs, will join as partner at Barry & Nilsson. 

The Brisbane legal property market has seen some disruption in the past month, most recently with the move of Mills Oakley's Brisbane property practice to McDonalds Phillips Lawyers. 

The departing Mills Oakley team included Amanda Heard, senior associate, whose experience is in commercial, corporate and property law. Also joining the team are Anthony Cocolas and Caitlin Tuck as lawyers, and Monique Marrinon as senior paralegal.

Barry & Nilsson’s key retail client is the Yu Feng Group, which owns 19 shopping centres in south-east Queensland.

Stubbs Barbeler acted on the Queens Plaza and David Jones retail development in Brisbane's City Mall, as well as the MacArthur Chambers retail and commercial centre in Queen Street. It advised on the 1 Macquarie Street at Newstead development, and Elements mixed use residential and commercial development at Coolum Beach, the Sebel Noosa Resort at Noosa and Admiralty Towers I and II high rise developments.