Established: 1953
Size (personnel): Approximately 260
Office Locations: Melbourne & Sydney
Practice Areas: Banking & Finance, Competition, Corporate & Commercial, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Native Title & Public Interest Law, Property & Development, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Taxation, Technology & Intellectual Property, Workplace Advisory.
About ABL
Arnold Bloch Leibler (ABL) is a premium Australian commercial law firm renowned for advising clients on their most significant legal matters: high-stakes transactions, litigation and commercial issues. Our standing within the legal profession has been built over more than 70 years.
We offer legal advice and support to a diverse range of clients, however we are best known for advising entrepreneurial businesses (ASX-listed, family owned and international) and for our work with private clients. We also work with international corporations with interests in Australia and enjoy long-standing relationships with a select group of other professional advisors − including accountants, private equity firms, insolvency practitioners, private bankers and overseas-based specialist law firms.
Notable Achievements
Arnold Bloch Leibler has achieved significant recognition across various prestigious legal directories, including the Chambers Asia Pacific Guide and the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide, for our diverse expertise in practice areas including banking & finance, capital markets, competition, construction, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, intellectual property, native title, real estate, restructuring & insolvency, tax, and white-collar crime. Many of our lawyers have been recommended in these guides in the 'Hall of Fame', 'Leading Lawyers', and 'Next Generation' lists.
Noteworthy individual honours include tax partner Clint Harding receiving the 'Community Champion Award' at The Tax Institute’s Community Achievement Awards 2023, and partner Leon Zwier being named 'Lawyer of the Year' for Insolvency and Reorganisation Law by Best Lawyers® International.
Additionally, ABL's dedication to public interest work, particularly regarding Indigenous rights, is exemplary. In 2023, our firm provided approximately 11,490 hours of pro-bono legal services, with a substantial focus on First Nations matters, valued at over $2.5 million. This significant contribution has led ABL to be recognised as the highest-performing large law firm in Australia for pro-bono work by the Australian Pro Bono Centre.
ABL’s committed advocacy underpins our role as a leader in the Australian legal landscape, combining professional excellence with a deep commitment to community and social justice issues.
Noteworthy Cases Highlighting ABL's Involvement
NETFLIX:
Advised global streaming giant, Netflix Inc, on the acquisition of Australian visual-effects and animation studio, Animal Logic.
MECCA:
Acted for the cosmetics and beauty giant, MECCA, in relation to its flagship Melbourne store, which will become one of the largest beauty retail spaces in the southern hemisphere.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX CORPORATION:
Acting for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation in a Supreme Court of Victoria proceeding related to the cancellation of the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
FRANK BODY:
Advised clean skincare brand, Frank Body, on a capital raising and sale of a stake in the business to Shanghai-based private equity firm, EverYi Capital.
HONDA:
Acting for Honda Australia in an ACCC proceeding and a Supreme Court of Victoria proceeding regarding its transition to a new dealership operating model.
The Path Ahead for ABL
While our storied history is long, we are a modern firm. We see the law as an instrument of change, as a way forward. Our partners and lawyers are often at the centre of law reform and regularly advise on landmark matters.
From a client perspective, our aim is not to service our clients for all of their legal needs − rather, we position ourselves as the lawyers to go to when everything is on the line, where strategic imperatives are invoked, and when commercial thinking that’s out of the box is required. The people we hire are the best and brightest, who want the most challenging, complex work in the market.
Mission in Action: How ABL Embodies Its Core Values
At ABL, we believe great minds think differently. We are committed to investing in the meaningful professional development of each of our people. Our single practice group experience will provide the breadth and depth of exposure you need to think outside the square and excel in the law.
What Sets ABL Apart
At ABL, we relish our exposure to a wide range of interesting and challenging matters that enable our lawyers to draw on their expertise and intellectual potential. We encourage them to bring their whole selves to work each day, recognising that diversity of thought, background and life experience all contribute to our distinctive culture and the solutions we deliver for each of our clients.
Our internal structure is also a little different to our competitors. Our lawyers are trained to be ‘generalist specialists’ – able to straddle a range of different legal matters, as opposed to only being super specialised in a narrow field. Working in a broad-based practice group this way, you’ll work across the full range of matters that the group deals with.
This allows our lawyers to maintain a client-centric focus which is at the core of what we do. The downside is hard work and the ability to think differently. You have to cover more ground and be attuned to a larger range of issues. The feedback from our lawyers is that, while it’s more challenging, the satisfaction that comes from achieving excellent outcomes for our clients is unique. In fact, they say it’s pretty incredible.
Career Opportunities at ABL
CLERKSHIP PROGRAM
In Victoria, ABL offers three clerkship intakes each year to coincide with the university holidays (November/ December, January/February and June/July). At ABL, your clerkship experience is an insight into the unique experience you’d have as a graduate. You will quickly become immersed in our culture, and from day one, work on active matters and be given real responsibilities. You will have direct contact with partners and clients in meetings, calls and court hearings.
GRADUATE PROGRAM
At ABL, we believe success comes from investing in personal and professional growth. That’s why we’ve stepped outside the square to provide a unique in-house graduate training program. Rather than attending an external course, as a graduate, you will learn on the ground, from our best and brightest partners and senior associates – leaders in their respective fields who provide supervised training and continuous mentoring.
You will be assigned to a practice group and a supervising partner who will invest in your development and get you involved in a wide variety of matters throughout your graduate year. You will benefit from real work experience and direct client contact that sets you apart from your peers in the profession.
Students who have completed a seasonal clerkship at ABL can apply for a graduate position through the priority offer system, which happens in late July/early August. Following this process, we will advertise additional market law graduate positions in early August.
