HWL partner takes team to boutique
A now-former partner of HWL Ebsworth has joined a specialist boutique as a name partner and will be responsible for growing the firm’s strata and property presence in Victoria.
Tim Graham, who was a partner at BigLaw firm HWL Ebsworth for nearly 11 years, has moved to Bugden Allen Lawyers, a Victorian boutique firm that specialises in strata and community title law and property development work.
Also, as part of the move, Mr Graham has brought his team from HWL across with him. The firm’s newest property and strata lawyers include special counsel, Leila Idris, associate Robert Savage, solicitor Coral Shamir and executive assistant Jade Holding, all of whom will be based at the firm’s new office in Melbourne’s CBD.
Speaking about his decision to move from the BigLaw firm to a boutique, Mr Graham said the decision was “evolutionary”.
“Gary Bugden and Michael Allen are true leaders in the field of structured titles, so I’m excited about the opportunity to represent the brand’s expansion in Victoria. Bugden Allen’s sole focus on strata and property development law means it has absolute clarity in its vision and strategy,” he said.
“The firm is investing in some smart technology and coupled with this they have a young dynamic management team. It felt like the right place for me and my team.”
Joining Bugden Allen, Mr Graham continued, means that his team can “continue to assist our clients in Victoria and beyond with specialist strata title advice in a modern structure and collaborative culture”.
Reflecting on the five appointments from HWL, Bugden Allen chief executive David Bugden said that the firm’s property development and strata legal teams have seen “exponential growth in this constantly evolving form of residential living in Australia”.
“Our clients are increasingly expanding nationally, so by growing our presence in Victoria means we can respond to our clients’ immediate and future needs,” he explained.
“Tim’s appointment is a fantastic endorsement of our firm’s ability to attract top talent. We are lucky to now have the three leading strata lawyers representing our firm in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Tim and his team have forged a reputation as the leading strata legal team in Victoria who provide expert and practical advice to property developers, Owners Corporations, insurance companies and apartment owners.
“We look forward to working with Tim and his team as we expand our presence in Victoria and offer our industry specific technology and unmatched legal expertise to Tim’s clients, new and old.”
Bugden Allen Graham Lawyers is just two years old. It has grown its team from seven to 22 staff across its offices in Sydney, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and now Melbourne.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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