Allens Arthur Robinson
Encyclopedia
Allens Arthur Robinson is a commercial law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

 that operates in the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...

 region. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, and throughout the Asia-Pacific region generally, it is considered to be one of the top commercial law firms.

Offices

Allens is one of the largest law firms in the Asia Pacific region, with almost 200 partners and more than 1500 personnel. Allens also comprises a separate patent attorney firm, Allens Arthur Robinson Patent & Trade Marks Attorneys, which is closely integrated with the law firm's intellectual property group.

History

Allens Arthur Robinson was formed on July 1, 2001 by the merger of the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

-headquartered Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks (ARH) and the Sydney-headquartered Allen Allen & Hemsley (AAH), which created one of the largest law firms in the Asia Pacific. The two firms had been associated for 15 years prior to the merger through the Allens Arthur Robinson Group alliance.

The Sydney firm that became Allen Allen & Hemsley had been in existence since 1822, making Allens Australia's longest continuous legal partnership.

By the early 1920s Allens had gained a reputation as Australia's establishment firm, largely because of its high profile and wealthy clients. During the 1970s the firm acted for the Australian Bankers' Association in relation to the Whitlam Labour Government loans scandle
Loans Affair
The Loans Affair, also called the Khemlani Affair, is the name given to the political scandal involving the Whitlam Government of Australia in 1975, in which it was accused of attempting to borrow money illegally from Middle Eastern countries by bypassing standard procedure as dictated by the...

. Allens has strong client relationships stretching back over decades and, in the case of Westpac, over 160 years (the second longest lawyer-client relationship in history after the relationship between Clifford Chance and Barclays Bank).

Former senior partner Sir Norman Cowper
Norman Lethbridge Cowper
Sir Norman Lethbridge Cowper was an Australian lawyer best known as the Senior Partner of the legal firm of Allen Allen & Hemsley which is now Allens Arthur Robinson. Under Cowper's leadership, Allen Allen & Hemsley became one of Australia's leading law firms working for many of Australia's...

, who commenced with AAH as a solicitor in 1923 and worked at the firm for over 50 years, has been credited with turning AAH into one of Australia's leading law firms.

In the early 1990s the firm was rocked by revelations that Adrian Powles, a former partner in the London office, had secretly accessed a client's trust account to fund a gambling addiction. Sydney journalist Valerie Lawson published a book in 1995 entitled The Allens Affair that details the Powles case and touches on much of the early history of the firm.

Arthur Robinson & Co. began trading in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 on May 11, 1914, just prior to the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. In 1984, Arthur Robinson & Co. merged with Hedderwick Fookes & Alston to form Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks.

Australian Art Collection

Allens is known to have a large collection of Australian art (predominantly paintings).

The Allens collection dates from the late 1970s when the firm moved into offices of the then new MLC Centre, Sydney. The collection has now over a thousand works hanging in all of its offices, including several works by David Bromley and McLean Edwards. An iconic piece that is a favourite with Allens staff is a life-sized white horse made of cloth that hangs in the foyer of Allens' Sydney office. A core purpose of the collection is to support young, unknown Australian artists – Allens doesn't buy work from artists who already have a high profile. The incidental result has been a substantial increase over time in the value of the collection.

The works also reflect the passion of former partner Hugh Jamieson – the driving force of the collection. In an introduction to an exhibition of works in 1993 he wrote: "In the closing years of the twentieth century, Australians, if they are to survive, are faced with the need to find innovative solutions to their problems. This is also true in the practice of law. For those of us who work with the collection in front of us every day, the artists encourage us to confront the new, not only through the colour and vitality of their works, but also by the messages they convey. By supporting working artists, the firm is encouraging the development of Australian cultural expression. By providing a platform for this expression, the firm makes a statement about the sort of Australia it believes in."

Notable alumni

  • AAH alumnus James Wolfensohn
    James Wolfensohn
    Sir James David Wolfensohn AO KBE FKC was the ninth president of the World Bank Group.-Early life:James Wolfensohn was born in Sydney, Australia, on 1 December 1933...

     served as President of the World Bank
    World Bank
    The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

     from 1995–2005.
  • William Gummow
    William Gummow
    William Montague Charles Gummow AC is a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Biography:...

     AC, AAH partner 1969-1976, has been a judge of the High Court of Australia since 1995. At the time of his appointment to the High Court he had been a judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 1986.
  • Sir Norman Lethbridge Cowper
    Norman Lethbridge Cowper
    Sir Norman Lethbridge Cowper was an Australian lawyer best known as the Senior Partner of the legal firm of Allen Allen & Hemsley which is now Allens Arthur Robinson. Under Cowper's leadership, Allen Allen & Hemsley became one of Australia's leading law firms working for many of Australia's...

     (1896–1987) was a partner of AAH from 1924 to 1970 and served for many years as Senior Partner.
  • Sir William McMahon
    William McMahon
    Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...

     (1908–1988) practised as a lawyer at Allen, Allen & Hemsley between 1933 and 1939 and later served as Australia's 20th Prime Minister.
  • John Lehane (1941–2001), AAH partner 1971-1995, left the firm's banking and finance practice to become a Federal Court Judge.
  • Former Allens partner Ian Renard
    Ian Renard
    Ian Renard FAICD was the 19th Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, from February 2005 to January 2009. He holds a Master of Laws from the university and is an alumnus of Ormond College. Renard is a former partner of major Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. He is also chairman of the...

     was the Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
  • Andrew O'Keefe
    Andrew O'Keefe
    Andrew Patrick O'Keefe is an Australian entertainer, best known for being the host of the hit game-show Deal or No Deal. He is also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise....

     former Allens lawyer is now a TV presenter on Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise.
  • Alan Loxton
    Alan Loxton
    Alan Hamilton Loxton was the Senior Partner at Allen, Allen and Hemsley, Australia's oldest law firm, President of the Law Society of New South Wales and a company director.-Early life:...

     AM
    Order of Australia
    The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

    , a former AAH Senior Partner, served as President of the Law Society of NSW, as did former AAH Senior Partners Sir Norman Cowper Kt CBE (above) and William Robin Dill Stevenson OBE.
  • Reginald Barrett
    Reginald Ian Barrett
    Reginald Ian Barrett is an Australian judge. He has been a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales since 2001. He had been a corporate and securities lawyer and a partner in Mallesons Stephen Jaques, general counsel for Westpac Banking Corporation and 20 year partner with Allen Allen &...

    , AAH partner 1971-1991, was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2001.
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