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Merger creates major South-East Queensland commercial law firm
A Brisbane commercial law firm and a Sunshine Coast firm have merged, in a move to create a major South-East Queensland firm with expanded capabilities.
Lauren Croft
Brisbane firm Shand Taylor is merging with Sunshine Coast firm Munro Thompson – and from 1 October, the firms will trade under the name Shand Taylor Lawyers.
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The merger will increase Shand Taylor’s involvement in the Sunshine Coast property and commercial sector and add dispute resolution, employment, construction and planning and infrastructure law to Munro Thompson’s property, business law and wills and estates expertise, creating a larger firm with additional practice areas.
Shand Taylor managing director Rod O’Sullivan said the merger is an exciting step for his firm, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on 1 July.
“2023 has been a great year for us. We’ve just marked 25 years of excellent legal practice and can now work with one of the best legal teams on the Sunshine Coast at Munro Thompson,” he said.
Munro Thompson managing director Terry Bethke said joining his practice with an established firm like Shand Taylor presents wonderful opportunities to his team and clients.
“I have been working on the Sunshine Coast for many years, and I have been an owner of this firm since 1988,” he said.
“There has never been a more exciting time to practice law in this town, and joining forces with a highly regarded firm like Shand Taylor means my clients get the benefit of Shand Taylor’s expertise in areas like dispute resolution, construction and planning law, estate litigation and employment law.”
The merger will see current Munro Thompson director Annie Kelly become a director of Shand Taylor Lawyers, while Mr Bethke will take on a consultant role.
“I plan to retire next year and wanted to ensure my clients were going to be looked after by great lawyers who are highly regarded and provide great legal service,” Mr Bethke added.
“I knew from past dealings with the property team at Shand Taylor that the values [that] underpin their success are values we uphold at Munro Thompson.”
Mr O’Sullivan added that the long professional relationship between the two firms made the decision to join forces an easy one.
“Shand Taylor has a strong property development practice, and many of our clients operate on the Sunshine Coast. Our property team has worked with Terry and Annie for many years, and we have always respected the way they look after their clients,” he said.
“Like us, they focus on being accessible, providing good legal advice and not over-servicing files with a team of lawyers when one lawyer can easily do the job. That’s the Shand Taylor way.”
