The story of a progressive global law firm

As part of our 200 year celebrations in 2002 we commissioned a book, by historian Stuart Kells, to tell the history of our firm.

Kells said: "Researching and writing Ashurst: The Story of a Progressive Global law Firm was a pleasure and a privilege. Seeing now the completed book—the output of a collaborative effort that extended to all corners of the world—is a great reward. I am grateful to the whole Ashurst team and in particular to Karen Davies, Paul Jenkins, Diane Gates and Ben Tidswell for their unwavering leadership, encouragement and collaboration on this important history. With stamina and foresight, they stayed true to the original goals and conception of the book as an honest, rich and multifaceted record of a crucial slice of the global history of law, society and commerce."

What does the book cover?

Kells describes the content as follows: "This book begins with two chapters that present chronologically the early history of Ashurst in England. Chapters 3 and 4 do the same, respectively, for Blake & Riggall in Melbourne and Dawson Waldron in Sydney. Chapters 5 and 6 explore some long-forgotten episodes from the early Australian history, including a surprising connection between the story of Ashurst and the world of modern art.

Part II contains four chapters that capture Ashurst’s early steps towards becoming a global law firm. The chapters focus, in turn, on the firm’s core Corporate group; the growing importance of banking and finance law; the arrival of private equity transactions as an important sphere of advice; and the emergence of energy- and infrastructure-related work as a specialised practice area.

Part III explores the modern development of Dawson Waldron and Blake & Riggall; their merger to create Blake Dawson Waldron; and the challenges associated with getting the most from that merger.

Part IV begins by examining some key trends in the legal profession that drove and shaped the history of Ashurst. The trends include the proliferation of major law firm mergers and the international expansion of British, American and Australian law firms. Chapters 22 and 23 describe the merger of Ashurst and Blake Dawson, and the part concludes by picturing the historical connections between the British and Australian firms and their people.

Parts V and VI present a series of thematic chapters on subjects such as women in the law (‘Inroads’ and ‘An Inclusive Culture’), merit and inclusion (‘An Absolute Meritocracy’), life in the office (‘What do I do?’), dress (‘A Truly Modern Solicitor’), food and celebrations (‘A Marvellous Banquet with Haggis’), premises and place (‘Attics and Basements’), names and branding (‘Sneeze’), the impact of technology in the law (‘Technology’), the history and importance of Ashurst’s pro bono work (‘Pro Bono’), and leadership styles and the particular nature of leading a law firm (‘Leadership’). Part VII concludes by picturing Ashurst now and in the future.

Change is a key theme of the book. Ashurst partners from across the globe agreed that the changes in the firm and the legal profession over the last forty years or so were more dramatic than the changes of the preceding 160 years. The research for the book included extensive interviews with current and former Ashurst people around the world. The interviewees shared intriguing stories and powerful insights about culture, strategy, inclusion, merit, and trends shaping legal practice. Their voices speak into and through the book."

We hope you enjoy reading our stories and the story of Ashurst.

To read the full prologue to the book download a copy below.

Read more about our author, Stuart Kells