FIRM SPOTLIGHT: ARNOLD BLOCH LEIBLER
- Priyanka Sharma
- Jul 21
- 6 min read
Established: 1953.
Size (personnel): 250-300.
Office Locations: Melbourne and Sydney.
Practice Areas: Banking & finance, competition, corporate & commercial, dispute resolution & litigation, native title & public interest law, property & development, reconstruction & insolvency, taxation, technology & intellectual property and workplace advisory.
About Arnold Bloch Leibler
While Arnold Bloch Leibler’s 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.
Our difference is often best demonstrated by the way we work and our approach to problem solving. We pride ourselves on providing strategic guidance and solving complex issues related to our clients’ commercial interests, legal position and reputation. We do not try to be everything to everyone - rather, we strive for excellence in our chosen areas of expertise.
We are renowned as the commercial law firm that clients turn to for advice and support on their most complex legal matters, high stakes transactions, disputes and commercial decisions.
Our client base is diverse. We are best known for our work with highly entrepreneurial businesses (ASX listed, and family owned) and high-wealth private clients, and our unparalleled public interest law practice.
We also advise international enterprises and individuals from the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East with interests in Australia and enjoy long-standing relationships with leading hedge funds, private equity firms, insolvency practitioners, accountants, private bankers and law firms across the globe.
The firm is at the cutting edge of law and its implications for businesses, individuals and Australian society as a whole. From our decades of leadership in native title and public interest matters, to advising on complex and high-profile commercial transactions and disputes, ABL drives innovation.
We organise our practice groups to allow our lawyers to be broad generalists and our groups are split between transactions and disputes.
Noteworthy Cases Involving Arnold Bloch Leibler
A significant recent matter for ABL was successfully advising Zip, a leading ASX-listed buy now, pay later provider, on its $217 million equity raising to refinance corporate debt and optimise its capital structure. Zip is a long-standing client of the firm, and ABL has played a key role in its growth journey since listing on the ASX.
The equity raising comprised a fully underwritten placement to institutional, sophisticated and professional investors, alongside a non-underwritten share purchase plan for eligible shareholders. This strategic initiative enabled Zip to repay a substantial corporate debt facility, strengthen its balance sheet, reduce interest costs, enhance liquidity and flexibility, and better position the business for future growth in its core markets.
ABL acted as Zip’s legal advisor across all aspects of the transaction from drafting and negotiating the underwriting agreement and offer documents, to conducting due diligence, advising the board on strategy, and liaising with the ASX, underwriter, and joint lead managers. The matter involved navigating complex legal issues, managing multiple stakeholders, and working to tight timelines.
ABL was pleased to support Zip in achieving a successful outcome and continues to partner with its team as the company pursues its vision of becoming a global leader in digital payments.
Noteworthy Accomplishments of Arnold Bloch Leibler
Arnold Bloch Leibler (ABL) and our talented legal professionals are consistently recognised for their excellence. We're regularly acknowledged for our market-leading expertise, our leadership across the legal profession, and our unparalleled pro bono contribution to causes that matter to us and our clients.
ABL is ranked in prominent legal directories including Chambers Asia Pacific, Chambers High Net Worth, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500. Individually, our lawyers are also frequently recommended by Doyle's Guide. We actively participate in prestigious industry awards, regularly making submissions for Lawyers Weekly's 'Partner of the Year' and '30 Under 30' awards, celebrating the achievements of our team.
What Sets Arnold Bloch Leibler Apart?
For over 30 years, Arnold Bloch Leibler has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities, organisations and individuals, often pro bono, on matters and issues that go to the heart of their resolve to achieve Indigenous led self-determination. It is not simply what we do - it is part of our identity as a firm, valued and respected by lawyers and staff at all levels, by clients, competitors and policy makers.
In this important area of our practice, under the leadership of our Senior Partner, Mark Leibler AC, we work to assist Indigenous clients to realise opportunities and overcome challenges and obstacles. The energy and commitment Mark has devoted to reconciliation and Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians over many years has placed him at the centre of national debate, and earned him respect and trust across the reconciliation and self-determination movement.
Alongside Mark, our dedicated Public Interest Partner, Peter Seidel, who has worked closely with Aboriginal communities for almost three decades, has helped shape a culture of commitment that is collectively owned across the firm.
We have always recognised that for us to help to achieve reconciliation in this country, our best work is done by utilising our legal expertise to support Indigenous peoples in their endeavours. Not to imagine we are in any way qualified to lead the way, but to walk side by side and to bear witness, in solidarity. At Arnold Bloch Leibler, our approach and longstanding deep commitment to diversity and inclusion has been, and always will be a significant aspect of the firm’s culture. Our aim is to be a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging and where individuality is respected, valued and harnessed.
We are committed to providing our people with equality of opportunity in realising their professional and personal aspirations while providing our clients with the very best outcomes. Our clients come to us recognising the value of innovative thinking. The level and quality of creativity we offer is a distinct by-product of our approach to diversity and inclusion.
Opportunities for Law Students and Graduates at Arnold Bloch Leibler
At ABL, our internal structure is different from our competitors. Our lawyers are trained to be ‘generalist specialists’ and are able to straddle a range of different legal problems, as opposed to simply specialising in a narrow field.
This approach requires the ability to think differently – you need to cover more ground and be attuned to a broader range of issues, regularly working with different teams and practitioners across the firm. The feedback from our lawyers is that, whilst more challenging, the satisfaction that comes from achieving outstanding outcomes on our clients’ most complex matters is rewarding. They say this approach propels their career development beyond what they imagined possible.
Our specialised approach sets us apart and is something our clerks and graduates truly value to equip them for their legal careers. Our clerkship program has been tailored to reflect our graduate program, providing you the opportunity to experience first-hand life as a lawyer and our unique culture. From day one, you will work alongside our teams on active matters and be given real responsibilities to see how we support our clients. We find the best way to make the most of your clerkship and your graduate traineeship is to get you involved in matters in a meaningful way – and the most effective way to do this is to place you in one team, with a dedicated supervisor and buddy to get you involved in hands-on work from day one.
You’ll be treated as part of the team and have the opportunity to make a real contribution and experience unique opportunities to learn about our clients’ work, why they choose Arnold Bloch Leibler and what they look for when they come to us for legal advice. Of course, there will also be scope to try out taking on some work for matters outside of your allocated practice group, to ensure you explore all of the opportunities that exist at Arnold Bloch Leibler. While you will be placed in one team, our teams work together fluidly, and we work closely with our colleagues in our Sydney office.
Our clerkship and graduate programs are both contemporary and integrated. It has been designed to ensure that you will gain an exceptional foundation with hands-on experience and practical skills tailored to launch your legal career. Our in-house training program will see you work with each practice area with the learning plan curated to complement and strengthen the foundations of our generalist specialist approach.
Our 2025/26 clerkship intake applications close on Sunday 10 August at 11.59 pm. To read more about our clerkship, please visit https://www.abl.com.au/careers/seasonal-clerks/.
We participate in the Law Institute of Victoria's guidelines. To commence as a law graduate in 2027, we only consider candidates in their penultimate year of study at the time of applying for a clerkship. Please ensure you share your expected completion date when applying.
