Since opening its Brisbane office in 2000, Moray & Agnew has been methodically extending its national reach - Canberra in 2003, Melbourne in 2004, Newcastle in 2006, Perth in 2011, Cairns in 2022. Now, a Hobart opening is the latest step in that sequence, and in one sense the most straightforward: the firm had already been handling work in the Tasmanian market for a number of years before committing to a fixed office, making the formalisation of that presence a continuation of existing activity rather than an entry into new territory.
Several clients the firm already acts for have a growing presence in Tasmania and had been seeking on-the-ground assistance there. National managing partner Ian Denham said the decision followed directly from where the firm's work was already headed.
"Tasmania represents a natural extension of our existing work and relationships, and we are confident it will strengthen both our client offering and our national footprint," Denham said.
The Tasmanian practice will draw on personnel and processes already in place across the firm's other offices, with the aim of maintaining a consistent standard of service nationally. The Hobart opening brings Moray & Agnew's total office count to eight, with more than 800 people employed across the network, including more than 120 partners.
Insurance remains Moray & Agnew's primary practice area, covering commercial lines such as financial lines, professional indemnity, public and product liability, and life insurance, as well as statutory lines including workers compensation and compulsory third party. The firm traces its origins to a Sydney insurance practice established in 1948, and has since expanded into commercial dispute resolution, construction, corporate law, government work, property, and employment law. Bill Papastergiadis OAM serves as chairman of the national executive.
The Hobart opening coincides with the firm's latest appearance in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers' Best Law Firms - Australia, where it received 43 rankings across 15 areas of law, including a National Tier 1 position in Insurance Law and National Tier 2 positions in Litigation and Real Property Law. Insurance Law Tier 1 rankings at the regional level were recorded in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, and Perth.
