Cridlands MB Birthday Celebration
The largest commercial law firm in the Northern Territory is celebrating 50 years since its origins as a one-man business in 1959.
Cridlands MB will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its inception at a special function at the Darwin Convention Centre this Friday, February 6, 2009 with more than 150 guests including its founding father – George Cridland.
Mr Cridland moved to Darwin from Queensland as a 24-year-old law student to work as Associate to Justice Martin Kriewaldt in 1955. He completed his law degree and started his own firm in February 1959, which he called GW Cridland Barrister and Solicitor.
As Darwin and its 10 000-strong population grew, Mr Cridland was soon overrun with work, taking on several partners in the 1960s and 1970s and specialising in commercial law in the wake of the town’s devastation by Cyclone Tracy.
The law firm grew to become one of the biggest in Darwin before merging with Poveys in 1989 and swelling the ranks of the new Cridlands to 11 partners and 25 lawyers.
The 2008 merger with local law firm Morgan Buckley to become Cridlands MB has created the biggest commercial law firm in the Northern Territory with 62 staff, including 27 lawyers, two law graduates and 33 support staff.
Originally Alice Springs-based Morgan Buckley was started by Graeme Buckley in 1985. Mr Buckley teamed up with local lawyer Tony Morgan and opened offices in Darwin in 1989 before merging with long standing Alice Springs firm Martin and Partners in 2004.
Cridlands MB is now one of the biggest law firms in Darwin.
George Roussos, a partner who has worked for Cridlands MB for more than 20 years, says the firm is proud of its longevity and service to Territorians over the past 50 years.
“We have been here a long time, we understand the environment, we know the people and that is a valuable attribute to have,” Mr Roussos said. “You can’t develop that overnight. You have to be around a long time to develop that store of knowledge and relationships.”
“It is invaluable to be able to get legal advice, in the context of our familiarity with the community, and our understanding of the unique development of the Northern Territory.”
Cridlands MB specialises in many areas of law including, commercial, corporate and property, litigation and dispute resolution, statutory compensation and insurance, employment, energy and resources and intellectual property.
Prominent people who have worked at Cridlands MB over the past 50 years include the Northern, Territory’s Administrator Tom Pauling QC, the Master of the Northern Territory Supreme Court Terry Coulehan, Justice of the New South Wales Industrial Commission and Workers Compensation Commission Harry Bauer, prominent QC Graham Hiley, former Chief Minister Shane Stone, former Darwin Lord Mayor Cecil Black and Peter Barr QC of William Forster Chambers.
George Cridland, now 77 and working as a consultant for Cridlands MB, is proud but modest about the success of the firm.
“I hadn’t ever in my wildest dreams thought it would come to this,” Mr Cridland says. “It has been satisfying to see the firm grow and this recent merger has already given the firm added strength and direction.”
