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Law firm merger to target Sunshine Coast

The heads behind a newly minted law firm merger have Australia’s Sunshine Coast front of mind for their 2023 strategy.

user iconEmma Musgrave 24 January 2023 SME Law
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As of this month, local law firms Garland Waddington Solicitors and Pacific Law have merged, taking on the latter’s namesake. The merged firm is operating out of Maroochydore’s central business district.

The merger between the two firms comes at an opportune time, according to director David Netherton, who said the team is looking forward to capitalising on the opportunities the Sunshine Coast market is presenting at the moment.

“While we service clients Australia-wide, Pacific Law was created here on the Sunshine Coast. We are really excited to see the incredible demand for good development sites and commercial properties locally. Yes, there are concerns from the cost of construction, interest rates and global economies, but when you look at the bigger picture, the future seems bright for the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Netherton said.

“We want our clients to have a great team of professionals around them to help them to succeed. We believe the merger helps us ensure we have the capacity to service all our clients’ needs and allows us to provide clients with practical advice that is useful in the real world based on previous experience.”

Principal Ken Waddington said the move to fall under one banner makes sense, creating one of the largest law firms on the coast with a combined experience of more than 150 years. The firm itself specialises in property, business and succession advice.

“I’m sure that bringing together these two highly regarded firms under one banner will see our clients benefit from the combined resources and horsepower. We know that we and the Pacific Law team share the same values and are focused on providing helpful and practical advice to clients,” Mr Waddington said.

“I love the law and giving clients high-quality commercial advice. I plan to keep practising for years to come and am extremely excited to continue Garland Waddington’s strong involvement in the community and charitable commitments, as well as creating a supportive environment to foster the next generation of outstanding lawyers and legal staff.”

News of this law firm merger follows that of the merger between Bayston Group and FCW Lawyers in December last year.

FCW managing principal Andrew Douglas said the merged entity would be eyeing Sydney and Melbourne growth opportunities.

“FCW Lawyers is focused on strong growth across our Sydney and Melbourne offices,” he said at the time.

“We both proactively discuss opportunities and are now in the position that we get approached by firms who have seen our success and are keen to join our collegiate, entrepreneurial team.”

Emma Musgrave

Emma Musgrave

Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.

Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences. 

Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.

She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University. 

Email Emma on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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