Having joined its Canberra office with the staff of Gary Robb & Associates, the firm now has a practice of 25 operating under the one name, with the aim of providing a new scale of legal service for local residents, businesses and unions.

Managing director of Slater & Gordon, Andrew Grech, said that the appeal of the merger was that Gary Robb & Associates is “such an impressive firm, with such a similar and shared history”.

“It’s been operating very successfully, servicing the trade union movement and the general population in Canberra for nearly 20 years, and providing a very high level of service. Certainly the clients we’ve had mutual dealings with held that firm, and in particular the two principals, Gary Robb and Gerard Rees, in very high regard,” he said.

While the national firm has had a presence in Canberra since February 2003, Gary Robb & Associates has been operating in the nation’s capital for around two decades, primarily practising personal injury and commercial law, property transactions, industrial and employment law, and probate and wills.

For Grech, the merger bodes well for future growth.

“I think the merged firms will have something like four times the client numbers that we had in Canberra previously, and we’re expecting that with the additional depth of expertise we’ve gained, to be able to combine our resources and really grow our client base in Canberra very substantially over the next few years,” he said.

Gary Robb & Associates’ principal partners, Robb and Rees, welcomed the merger and the benefits it will bring to the firm’s existing clients and staff.

“Our core values of good client relationships and quality legal advice will remain unaffected by this change,” Robb said. “We will continue to provide practical, affordable advice for our clients.”

“But the merger with a high-profile firm like Slater & Gordon will bring additional expertise and resources to Canberra clients through our membership of a successful national network.

Grech said the merger will enhance the firm’s existing operations in all mainland states.

Asked whether the firm has plans for further mergers around the country, Grech said that they “are always talking to like-minded firms that feel there is some advantage in joining a firm like ours — there are always discussions like that going on”.