If 2007 was anything to go by, Brisbane-based commercial law firm, Hopgood Ganim are looking down the barrel of another bumper year in 2008, expecting significant growth in key practice areas and a rise in staff numbers to add to the already 200 strong practice.

Runs on the board
The firm's high growth corporate advisory team have been behind a number of well publicised capital markets transactions in 2007 including a record number of ASX listings in the last six months of the year.  Not surprisingly, given the State's booming resources sector, Hopgood Ganim has seen a concentration of their work coming from resources and energy clients both on the capital markets and M&A sides.  Managing Partner, Bruce Humphrys commented on the unprecedented "busyness" levels experienced across the firm.

"Our corporate team had a relentless flow of work during 2007 and from our point of view it has been a year of great success for our clients and interesting and challenging transactions to deliver outcomes on.  We've also taken the chance to reinforce to the market that we are technically very strong in corporate and M&A work and determined to keep this going in 2008 whilst ensuring we're giving our clients what they need and more, each and every time."

"Our technical expertise is prevalent in all parts of our commercial and family law practices but it's the work we do that's in the public arena that we can talk more about.  Our commercial dispute resolution team haven't stopped on both local and international disputes and with our larger practice groups thriving we've been able to ensure that our specialist niche teams such as workplace relations and IT/IP are also very busy and making their own headlines," says Humphrys.

Maintaining the happy formula
At the same time as Hopgood Ganim rides the wave of a buoyant economic cycle, Humphrys and his 19 partners are conscious of not losing sight of their reputation as offering a life outside of the law and the very policies and practices  they've developed which have helped them succeed year on year as an employer of choice.

"We realise that at the moment the legal sector is not conducive to the work-life balance we aspire to, however we will never stop trying to find ways to improve the benefits we provide to our people, the flexible options we offer, or the general working conditions in and around the office to ensure that we continue to be recognised as the best law firm in Queensland to work for," Mr Humphrys said.

It was this commitment to finding new flexible options and benefits for staff that helped Hopgood Ganim pick up the Queensland Law Society Employer of Choice award again in 2007.

The firm has also managed to keep ahead of the tight labour market in Queensland by looking outside their state for talent and using their enviable working policies to attract staff from southern states, Western Australia and the United Kingdom.

A growing family
Hopgood Ganim will continue its growth path throughout 2008 and in January the firm took the opportunity to lease additional office space and is now operating over three floors at its Waterfront Place address.  According to Mr Humphrys, this additional space will be put to very good use in coming years as the firm continues to attract new people and clients at a local, national and international level.  "As I've said many times before, we don't think of ourselves as a Queensland law firm.  We will continue to sustain our presence in the national market.  We just happen to be based in Brisbane," he says.
 

Hopgood Ganim practices across a range of sectors and technical specialties including:
* Banking and finance
* Building and construction
* Business services
* Commercial dispute resolution
* Commercial property and transactions
* Corporate advisory
* Estate planning and administration
* Family law
* Insurance
* IT/IP
* Insolvency
* Licensing and gaming
* Migration
* Planning and environment
* Resources, energy and infrastructure
* Workplace relations