Freehills
Encyclopedia
Freehills is a commercial law firm
that operates in the Asia-Pacific
region. In Australia
it is considered one of the 'Big Six' law firms.
, Melbourne
, Perth
and Brisbane
in Australia. It also trades as Freehills Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys operating out of co-located offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Freehills has an office in Singapore
where it took advantage of new rules in 2000 to obtain a licence to formalise its relationship with a local firm. Freehills has maintained its office after the alliance was terminated in 2002.
In Indonesia, Freehills has a Jakarta
presence through a long-standing relationship with local firm Soemadipradja & Taher.
In Vietnam, Freehills are represented by Frasers Law Company in Hanoi
and Ho Chi Minh City
. The principal, Mark Fraser joined Freehills in 2002 from the Ho Chi Minh office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
. Freehills involvement in the Vietnam market began in 1989.
In 2009, Freehills entered into an alliance with TransAsia Lawyers in China who also represent other foreign firms. Freehills associated offices are in Beijing
and Shanghai
.
program which, under the leadership of the late Keith Steele
, has seen the establishment of the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre in Kings Cross and the Public Interest Law Clearing House
in Victoria
and seconds a solicitor for six months twice a year to the Kingsford Legal Centre
.
In 2000, the state-based offices of Freehill Hollingdale & Page officially changed their name to Freehills and became a single national legal partnership under the guidance of Keith Steele
.
Today the firm has over 1000 lawyers and over 200 partners.
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...
it is considered one of the 'Big Six' law firms.
Offices
Freehills has offices in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 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...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in Australia. It also trades as Freehills Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys operating out of co-located offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Freehills has an office in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where it took advantage of new rules in 2000 to obtain a licence to formalise its relationship with a local firm. Freehills has maintained its office after the alliance was terminated in 2002.
In Indonesia, Freehills has a Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
presence through a long-standing relationship with local firm Soemadipradja & Taher.
In Vietnam, Freehills are represented by Frasers Law Company in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
and Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. The principal, Mark Fraser joined Freehills in 2002 from the Ho Chi Minh office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading English law firms. It is the second-largest law firm in the world measured by revenues. In 2010-11 it achieved total revenues of £1.14 billion and profits...
. Freehills involvement in the Vietnam market began in 1989.
In 2009, Freehills entered into an alliance with TransAsia Lawyers in China who also represent other foreign firms. Freehills associated offices are in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
Pro bono services
Freehills have a pro bonoPro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
program which, under the leadership of the late Keith Steele
Keith Steele
Howard Keith Chillingworth Steele was a New Zealand cricketer, notable legal practitioner and author. In cricket, Steele was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace...
, has seen the establishment of the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre in Kings Cross and the Public Interest Law Clearing House
Public Interest Law Clearing House
The Public Interest Law Clearing House is a not-for-profit legal referral service, operated from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. PILCH coordinates pro bono legal assistance for Victorian not-for-profit organisations and individuals...
in Victoria
Victoria
- Given name :* Victoria , word origin and list of people* Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Empress of India * Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden * Victoria of Baden , the queen-consort of Sweden as wife of King Gustaf V...
and seconds a solicitor for six months twice a year to the Kingsford Legal Centre
Kingsford Legal Centre
Kingsford Legal Centre is an Australian not-for-profit legal centre which opened in July 1981. It is both part of the network of Community Legal Centres and provides clinical legal education as part of the University of New South Wales Faculty of Law....
.
History
The firm has grown consistently from its early beginnings in 1852.In 2000, the state-based offices of Freehill Hollingdale & Page officially changed their name to Freehills and became a single national legal partnership under the guidance of Keith Steele
Keith Steele
Howard Keith Chillingworth Steele was a New Zealand cricketer, notable legal practitioner and author. In cricket, Steele was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace...
.
Today the firm has over 1000 lawyers and over 200 partners.
Awards
Some of the firm’s recent achievements include:- FinanceAsiaFinanceAsiaFinanceAsia is a Hong Kong-based publication reporting on Asia’s financial and capital markets through a daily website and monthly magazine. At the end of 2005, FinanceAsia was acquired by Haymarket Group, the largest privately owned publishing company in the UK, created in part by Lord Heseltine,...
, Best Financial law firm. 2009 - EOWAEqual Opportunity for Women in the Workplace AgencyThe Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency is an Australian government agency. It is statutory authority located within the portfolio of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Families Housing Community Servcies and Indigenous Affairs .EOWA’s role is to administer the Equal...
, Employer of Choice for Women citation, 2007–2009