The Melbourne CEO of the firm, Arnold started out as chief executive of Abbott Stillman & Wilson, which merged with Dibbs Barker Gosling in July last year. “I was heavily involved in driving the merger and have seen that settle down over the last six months,” Arnold said.

“It has been really successful because of all the planning that went into it, and was the right thing for the firm to do.” The impetus for his decision to move came when at the completion of the firm’s strategic plan up until 2010, he was asked to sign on for another three years.

“I believe five years is about the right time and had it not been for the merger, I would have moved on last year. It is time for the firm to get someone in at the start of a new plan and work on it with them.”

While he is in negotiations for a new position outside the law, nothing is certain at this stage.

Scott Sloan, the firm’s national chairman, said he was sorry to see Arnold go, but agreed that it was a good time for someone new to come into the Melbourne office and play out the next phase of the firm’s development. “At that level of management, it is all about the challenge and where you are in the cycle of things,” he said.

Sloan said the Melbourne office would decide how to replace Arnold. He finishes with the firm today.