It was 20 years ago that Civic Legal came to life as a law firm.
It started from a conversation I had with the then-CEO of WALGA at a networking event. A major law firm was ending its sponsorship arrangements with WALGA, so it was looking for a new law firm to introduce to its members.
The idea of doing work for public authorities at the local level of democracy had an appeal, and the Civic Legal brand was created a few weeks later.
The early years of Civic Legal were marked by regular rejections in RFQ and RFT processes, as our firm’s profile back then was in commercial work, not local government. The trickle of work that came in was mostly in the form of peppercorn leases for sports clubs and small shires looking for even smaller advices.
The most memorable brief in that first year was a request for advice from a metro local government. It was to advise on compliance with the regulations relating to a tender for legal services! The only reason Civic Legal was asked was because we had no conflict of interest. And we had no conflict of interest because we had not participated in the tender… which in turn was because we didn’t have enough experience to do so!
Over the subsequent 20 years, Civic Legal has built up a huge body of experience of local government work. Additionally, we expanded to act for the two largest WA-based insurers in the State, as well as a significant government trading enterprise.
Along the way, Civic Legal also made its mark in litigation through the decade-long Supreme Court proceedings arising out of the Parkerville bushfire in 2014. It was the only WA-owned and operated law firm amongst the six engaged in the trial. The others were national or international firms.
Changes to the Local Government Act 1995 (WA) and its regulations have influenced the kinds of issues that have come across our desks:
Another change has been transitioning local governments away from coverage under the Fair Work Commission to the WA Industrial Relations Commission. We would like to think that a speech given by Civic Legal to a public forum held by WALGA in 2017 advocating such change added a considered voice in effecting this sensible change.
Over time, our briefs began to get bigger. One was for a shire that had been drawn into a series of Supreme Court proceedings involving claims for damages arising from asbestos-related diseases. Another was to help a shire fend off a boundary change proposal.
We have:
No legal area seems to have been off-limits for Civic Legal in advancing the interests of local governments.
The Civic Legal footprint and capability continue to expand. Including in litigation.
Last month, Civic Legal persuaded an adjudicator to reduce a road construction company’s claim against a small regional shire from $1.2 million to an award of just $137,000. We will go to trials in the Warden’s Court (yes, local governments do appear there too), the Supreme Court (on a judicial review application) and the Court of Disputed Returns early in 2026. Plus we are acting for a hotel in a substantial strata dispute and a property company in a copyright infringement case in the Federal Court.
Away from the public eye, Civic Legal is also active. As legal adviser on one of the larger road infrastructure construction projects at the edge of metropolitan Perth, we will engage in a series of compulsory and voluntary acquisitions of land to make that project happen through 2026 and 2027.
Road infrastructure continues to otherwise be a focus, as the Civic Legal team regularly negotiates road contribution agreements with mining companies. We have seen both the reasonable as well as the unreasonable in such matters. And in one instance, saved a regional local government millions of dollars.
Workplace investigations are another arena where Civic Legal is particularly active. Also another area where we work behind the scenes due to the confidential nature of such investigations.
This is an area where it pays for local governments to tread carefully. Take the last five engagements that Civic Legal was engaged in.
All five required Civic Legal to review the reports of investigators who had done previous work on the briefed matter. All five of the previous or associated investigations were found to be flawed. Those were brought to the attention of the local government, and rectification work done by us afterwards.
The past 20 years has been about building a platform for talented, capable lawyers keen to do work for the public good. A large part of that has been via services to local governments and the State Government.
As it faces the future, Civic Legal will continue with that philosophy. We hope that in the local government sphere, we continue to win friends who appreciate the uniqueness of the Civic Legal contribution as much as we appreciate their work for the public good.
Managing Principal
Mob: 0421 302 541
