Established: 1905
Size (personnel): 250 employees nationally
Office Locations: Dandenong, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney
Practice Areas: Commercial Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Property and Construction, Family Law, Wills and Estates, Employment, Safety and Migration (ESM) and Pacific Legal Network
About Macpherson Kelley
When Jeffrey Macpherson started practicing in 1905, our journey began in the manufacturing heart of Melbourne’s southeast. He would meet with clients at the bar of the Royal Hotel in Dandenong, being the sole lawyer of the firm until Charles Kelley joined as his junior partner.
Today we are a full-service commercial law firm with a national outlook and offices in Brisbane, Dandenong, Melbourne and Sydney.
In February 2018, Macpherson Kelley became an incorporated legal practice and since 2015 has operated as a fully integrated national firm under the guidance of a Board of Directors.
Noteworthy Cases highlighting Macpherson Kelley's Involvement
Most recently, Macpherson Kelley acted as legal advisers in a series of acquisitions in the Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Compliance industry. Our firm also advised on the sale of 100% of the share equity in a company to an Australian publicly-listed entity.
In the Intellectual Property (IP) space, Macpherson Kelley managed and advised on the worldwide IP portfolio for a major retailer, including the expansion and protection of their IP overseas and securing appropriate IP rights in commercial agreements used in the daily operations of their business.
Notable Achievements
We are committed to supporting charities and other caregiving organisations through the Macpherson Kelley Foundation, which has proudly donated over $450,000 to various charities since its formation. We have also implemented a corporate volunteering policy, which offers employees a full day of paid volunteer leave per annum.
AWARDS
Our various practice groups and talented lawyers have been recognised across multiple directories and awards including Legal 500, World Trademark Review, IP Stars, Lawyers Weekly, Doyle's Guide, and more.
As a firm, we won Client Culture’s 'Great Place to Work' 2023 and Australasian Lawyer Employer of Choice 2023. We have also been a finalist in the Australian Workplace Giving awards associated with our MK foundation, and WIRV for "Gender Diversity Firm of the Year".
The Future at Macpherson Kelley
One of Macpherson Kelley's core values is 'better each day,' which is exactly how we shape our firm for the future. We work hard to ensure that as we grow financially and continue to be a business that focuses on diversity and sustainability for both staff and clients. We do this through key initiatives such as the MK Foundation, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and ESG Industry group.
As a firm, we are also working on our next steps across all areas of ESG — environmental impact policies, diversity and inclusion, and governance.
In the upcoming years, our focuses will include enhancing the client experience, optimising work and service through modern tools and platforms, and pursuing strategic lateral and organic growth.
Mission in Action: How Macpherson Kelley embodies their mission statement
We’re straight talkers, we’re prepared to take calculated risks and we’re commercial - but first and foremost, we understand the basics are important.
PURPOSE
To help our clients and our people succeed in business and life
MISSION
To give commercial legal guidance to medium-large organisations. Client and employee experience is at the core of what we do. We help to strengthen the communities and industries we operate in
VISION
Leading, progressive law firm, owned by our people. Our clients and our people are our greatest advocates.
There are also several values that underpin our firm and how we operate, day-to-day:
Talk straight
Tell it as it is, respectfully.
Have the difficult conversations.
Take the blame, share the credit.
Honest and ethical, always.
Play as a team
Work hard, have fun together, celebrate success.
Collaborate, encourage, support others.
Laughter and a positive attitude go a long way.
Do what you say you’ll do, without prompting.
Better each day
Never stop improving.
Embrace change.
What Clients Say About Macpherson Kelley
Clients respect and value Macpherson Kelley’s responsiveness and ability to communicate clearly and provide practical and useful advice.
“Excellent service, highly professional, commercially focused, and, most importantly, fun and interesting people to work with!”
“From the first point of contact, they listened, heard our story, and responded with understanding and compassion”.
What Sets Macpherson Kelley Apart?
Macpherson Kelley launched market-leading updates to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and reconciliation action plan. We created the MK Foundation in 2016 which is the vehicle through which the firm, its staff (through the workplace giving program) and clients (through sub-funds) can drive social and community impact programs and provide support.
Some of the other ESG and DEI updates include:
We support our employees and their family responsibilities with up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave. We strongly believe in diversity, equity and inclusion, and promoting an inclusive workplace for all.
Superannuation for paid and unpaid parental leave.
Fertility leave options for people undergoing fertility treatment and those who are partners of individuals undergoing treatment; and a public holiday swap program.
Formalising its commitment to DEI, the firm also has a dedicated DEI committee that drives internal and external initiatives in four key areas: gender, culture and religion, LGBTIQA+ and people with disabilities.
The implemented DEI training for all staff members, in conjunction with the firm's prioritisation of DEI initiatives, will directly affect the high standard of service to clients.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP):
Macpherson Kelley joins a network of more than 2,500 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have made a formal commitment to reconciliation through the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program.
The RAP program’s strength is its framework of relationships, respect, and opportunities, allowing an organisation to strategically set its reconciliation commitments in line with its own business objectives, for the most effective outcomes.
These outcomes contribute towards the five dimensions of reconciliation: race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity; unity; and historical acceptance.
The Culture at Macpherson Kelley
We encourage all our employees to pursue a healthy balanced life through our Flex+ and Wellness+ programs. We’re not clock watchers and we’d rather measure our employees on their output and firm contribution.
There is no dress code at Macpherson Kelley. Our staff wear whatever for the day ahead – casual around the office or something more formal for client meetings.
We work hard but know how to have fun along the way. We support each other and want to see our employees succeed. An array of internal and external social events and monthly office morning teas provide opportunities to update everyone on how the firm is performing and celebrate our successes.
Career Opportunities at Macpherson Kelley
We want our graduates to become strong, commercially minded lawyers. That means working closely with clients to understand the challenges they face, identifying opportunities for them and adding value to their businesses.
Our year-long graduate program sees each graduate rotate every three months through a range of law practice areas. We want to provide the opportunity to see what they enjoy and where they would like to focus their career long-term. We want our graduates to make the most of their graduate year and embrace every experience!
We don’t expect our graduates to know it all. The professional development of our graduates is a key priority for us. They will be able to take part in our Macpherson Kelley Business School, as well as business bootcamps which feature practical scenarios and real-world case studies. They’ll also receive mentoring and regular feedback from our senior lawyers.
Our 2025 Law Graduate Program is currently open and can be accessed here.
コメント