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This article, Thomson Geer, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary. Reviewer tools: Inform author

This article, Thomson Geer, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary. Reviewer tools: Inform author

Thomson Geer

Headquarters	1 O'Connell Street Sydney, Australia
No. of offices	4
Major practice areas	Full service commercial law
Key people	Adrian Tembel (CEO)
Revenue	$135 million
Date founded	1885
Company type	Partnership
Website	www.tglaw.com.au

Thomson Geer is an independent Australian commercial law firm founded in 1885. Its predecessor firms included Thomsons Lawyers and Herbert Geer. The firm operates a full commercial law service as a fully integrated national firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. It is one of the top ten firms in the country by revenue, and the seventh largest firm in Australia by headcount.

History

Thomson Geer was formed on 31 March 2014 as a merger of two mid-tier Australian practices, Thomson Lawyers and Herbert Geer. The result was a firm with annual revenue in excess of $120 million, and the seventh largest firm in Australia by headcount.

Thomsons Lawyers

Thomsons Lawyers was an incarnation of a number of prominent boutique firms throughout Australia that merged. The firm's origins date back to 1885 when Hiram Wentworth Varley and Griffith Mostyn Evan began practice under the name of 'Varley & Evan'. In 1913 they were joined by Harry Thomson KC, and the name changed to 'Varley Evan & Thomson', the first of a succession of 'Thomson' firms, such as Thomsons Solicitors & Barristers, Thomson Simmons & Co and later, Thomson Playford.

In 2006, Thomson Playford established a Sydney practice by merging with Cowley Hearne a North Sydney-based boutique founded in the 1960s. In 2008, Thomson Playford merged with Sydney CBD based boutique, Cutler, Hughes & Harris, becoming Thomson Playford Cutlers. Later that year, the firm controversially poached the entire Melbourne practice of national mid-tier firm, Dibbs Abbott Stillman. This prompted Dibbs Abbott Stillman to rename itself to Dibbs Barker. In 2010, the firm rebranded to Thomsons Lawyers.

In 2011, Thomsons Lawyers expanded to Brisbane, with 10 partners and 51 professional and support staff defecting from DLA Phillips Fox to establish the Brisbane practice.

Prior to the 2014 merger with Herbert Geer, Thomsons experienced significant growth since 2009, with revenue and average profit per partner, tripling.

Herbert Geer

Herbert Geer was a Melbourne based law firm founded in 1939 when Keith Geer commenced his sole practice in Bank Place, off Collins Street, Melbourne. Temporarily suspending practice during the Second World War, he was joined by Geoffrey Herbert in 1946. In 1950 the partnership expanded further with the addition of Eric Rundell and in 1960 it assumed the name, Herbert Geer & Rundle. In 1962, the Melbourne office relocated to 113 William Street, taking with it a total of ten partners and staff. Between 1962 and 1970, three small practices were absorbed into Herbert Geer & Rundle; Farmer & Ramsay, William & Matthews and the office of Cyril Brooks.

The firm achieved publicity in the early 1970s by handling the defendant’s litigation for all workers' compensation claims arising from the Westgate bridge collapse. Further office relocations occurred with moves to Owen Dixon Chambers and BHP House before arriving at the State Bank Building in 1983 when the firm had 12 partners and 110 staff. In April 1999, Herbert Geer & Rundle opened a Sydney office and expanded to Brisbane in early 2001.

In 2008 the firm rebranded as Herbert Geer. At the same time it joined with Brisbane firm Nicol Robinson Halletts Lawyers, as well as the boutique construction firm RDK in Sydney.

Prior to the merger with Thomson Lawyers, Herbert Geer’s partnership had fallen by 28% from 53 partners to 38 in the preceding 3 years, due to lateral defections.

Significant Legal Work

In 2015, Thomson Geer defended iiNet and other ISPs such as Telstra and Optus in Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited, a case brought in the Federal Court of Australia by Dallas Buyers Club for breach of copyright laws. The case set legal precedence in Australia, whereby copyright holders can gain access to the details of internet users who illegally obtain their copyright material. This will lead to individuals in breach of copyright be liable to damages by copyright holders. Thomson Geer successfully argued that any damages must only be compensatory and not exemplary, like in the United States.

In 2013, Thomsons successfully acted for the Plaintiffs in the Maiden Civil Case in Australia under the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth) (PPSA). The case established that the nemo dat rule has been displaced in Australia where the PPSA applies, and businesses that lease personal property must declare their interests under the Personal Property Securities Register, to maintain a priority.

In 2011, Thomsons advised the Mitchell Group on the $1.2 billion Fitzroy Coal Terminal Project, which created coal chain supply infrastructure capable to transporting 22 million tonnes of coal per annum to and from Central Queensland. The project created significant concerns about potential damage to the Great Barrier Reef, and in 2014 the project was indefinitely put on hold

In 2010, Herbert Geer successfully argued that State Parliaments cannot prevent State Supreme Courts from issuing prerogative relief for jurisdictional error, in the landmark High Court case of Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales. The case set a significant precedent in administrative and constitutional law that s 71 of the Constitution of Australia protects the integrity of State Supreme Courts.

Offices

Thomson Geer has 4 offices across Australia. The firm is headquartered in Sydney, on 1 O'Connell Street. The Melbourne office is located at Rialto Towers on 525 Collins Street, the Brisbane office is in Waterfront Place and the Adelaide office is on 19 Gouger Street.

Main practice areas

• Banking & Finance
• Competition & Regulation
• Construction & Projects
• Corporate & Advisory
• Environment & Planning
• Insurance
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Property
• Restructuring & Insolvency
• Superannuation & Wealth Management
• Tax
• Technology

References

1. "Here to win: Thomson Geer". Australasianlawyer.com.au. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
2. "Exclusive: Herbert Geer and HWL Ebsworth had merger talks". Lawyersweekly.com.au. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
3. ^ "Thomson Geer: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com.
4. ^ "Thomson Playford Cutlers, Watermark re-brand". legalbusinessonline.com.
5. "Thomsons and Herbert Geer merger focuses on mid-level". Financial Review.
6. ^ "The Legal 500". legal500.com.
7. http://www.thelawyer.com/news/regions/asia-pacific-news/australian-mid-market-firms-merge-to-form-thomson-geer/3016314.article
8. "Thomson Geer - Australia - Asialaw Profiles - Law firm recommendations". asialawprofiles.com.
9. "Australian firms Thomsons Lawyers and Herbert Geer combine to form Tho". iflr1000.com.
10. Aidan Devine. "Here to win: Thomson Geer". Australasian Lawyer.
11. ^ http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AdelLawRw/1989/7.pdf
12. Staff Reporter. "Thomson Playford's growth leaves Adelaide behind". lawyersweekly.com.au.
13. Staff Reporter. "Cowley Hearne loses Cowley but keeps Hearne". lawyersweekly.com.au.
14. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/law-firm-announces-another-merger/story-e6fredel-1111118709388
15. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/new-chief-seeks-thomson-playford-cutlers-synergies/story-e6frg97x-1225699708002
16. ^ Staff Reporter. "DibbsBarker unveiled as new firm identity". lawyersweekly.com.au.
17. "Thomsons debuts in Brisbane with rival talent". Financial Review.
18. "Thomsons poaches 10 from DLA Phillips Fox". Financial Review.
19. http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/lawyers-make-tracks-to-join-thompsons/story-e6freqmx-1226050116968
20. ^ Aidan Devine. "Here to win: Thomson Geer". Australasian Lawyer.
21. "Mid-market merger: Thomsons Lawyers, Herbert Geer eye tie-up". BRW. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 19 (help)
22. ^ "Thomsons Lawyers, Herbert Geer eye merger". Financial Review.
23. Staff Reporter. "Rebranding all the rage". lawyersweekly.com.au.
24. Staff Reporter. "Herbert Geer & Rundle and Nicol Robinson Halletts join forces". lawyersweekly.com.au.
25. FCA 317
26. "Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited [2015] FCA 317 (7 April 2015)". austlii.edu.au.
27. "Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited [2015] FCA 317". Judgments.fedcourt.gov.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
28. Lia Timson (22 September 2015). "Telstra, Optus not worth chasing in Dallas Buyers Club piracy crackdown: lawyers". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
29. "Dallas Buyers Club: Federal Court backs ISPs in row over illegal downloads - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
30. Harry Tucker (14 August 2015). "Dallas Buyers Club pirates identities kept private, for now". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
31. "Federal Court rules on Dallas Buyers club downloaders". Australasianlawyer.com.au. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
32. Paul Bibby and Hannah Francis (22 September 2015). "Dallas Buyers Club dealt major blow in Federal Court iiNet piracy case". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
33. "Dallas Buyers Club: Court rules in favour of film's illegal downloaders". Financial Review.
34. "Dallas Buyers Club: Federal Court backs ISPs in row over illegal downloads". ABC News.
35. "When a security interest beats legal title - Only under the PPSA » Corrs Chambers Westgarth". corrs.com.au.
36. "In the matter of Maiden Civil (P&E) Pty Ltd; Richard Albarran and Blair Alexander Pleash as receivers and managers of Maiden Civil (P&E) Pty Ltd & Ors v Queensland Excavation Services Pty Ltd & Ors - NSW Caselaw". nsw.gov.au. {{cite web}}: horizontal tab character in |title= at position 200 (help)
37. "Herbert Smith Freehills - Key PPSA decision: NSWSC confirms vesting of unperfected lessor's interest following insolvency of lessee". herbertsmithfreehills.com.
38. "Personal Property Securities: the importance of registration - Clayton Utz". Clayton Utz.
39. Staff Reporter. "Thomsons Lawyers and Mallesons advise on billion dollar Fitzroy Project". lawyersweekly.com.au.
40. "Fitzroy Terminal - Home". ftproject.com.au.
41. "Decision to move proposed coal terminal cold comfort to Keppel Fitzroy Delta Alliance". ABC News.
42. (2010) 239 CLR 531
43. "Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission; Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Childs) [2010] HCA 1 (3 February 2010)". austlii.edu.au.
44. http://sydney.edu.au/law/slr/slr_35/slr35_4/Roos.pdf
45. "Government Insights - Clayton Utz". Clayton Utz.
46. "Contact Us". Tglaw.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2015.

External links

• http://www.tglaw.com.au

Category:Law firms established in 1885 Category:Law firms of Australia

• Pending AfC submissions
• Pending AfC submissions in article space
• AfC submissions by date/27 September 2015
• AfC submissions by date/26 September 2015