Slater + Gordon moves with the times

SLATER + Gordon has thrown off the shackles of its underperforming Queensland personal injury business.

Karen Simpson, new Queensland general manager of Slater + Gordon, says it is expected to grow 5pc a year. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

SLATER + Gordon has thrown off the shackles of its underperforming Queensland personal injury business by integrating well-known local firm Trilby Miss into its national practice.

And it comes as the nationally listed firm this week launched a new logo, featuring a new colour, new font and a plus sign replacing the “and” to reflect a positive ­experience for clients.

From this week, Trilby Misso will not exist in Queensland for the first time in 55 years, and will instead be trading under the Slater + Gordon banner.

The nationally listed firm has brought forward its plan to consolidate the dual management of Slater + Gordon and Trilby Misso after plaintiff law firms in Queensland suffered a major blow with reforms to the state’s workers compensation laws. As a result, the plaintiff legal market in Queensland is expected to shrink, according to Hayden Stephens, who is head of Slater’s Australian personal injury ­practice.

He said that bringing Trilby Misso under the Slater + Gordon umbrella would enable the integrated firm to establish a stronger presence in the consolidating market.

“We have had a long history of dealing with reform, particularly in Victoria, and in NSW,” he said. “We’ve learnt from that experience that if you have size and scale, you are better able to adapt to those reforms.

“The consequence of reform is that it leads to a consolidation of the market and we want to be one integrated entity to take ­advantage of that process of ­consolidation.”

The main offices of Slater + Gordon have moved into the ­Trilby Misso building in Brisbane and Mr Stephens said there had been “some” loss of staff due to duplication between the firms in management services.

He said the former head of ­Trilby Misso, Michael Broughton, had left the firm and Slater + Gordon’s Karen Simpson had taken over as Queensland’s general manager.

Ms Simpson said the firm would focus on personal injury and was expected to grow by 5 per cent a year.

She said Slater + Gordon was now across 18 sites with more than 250 staff in Queensland since the incorporation of Trilby Misso.

“While Trilby Misso has been a known brand particularly in southeast Queensland, I think the Trilby Misso clients will embrace the change,” she said.

“We are looking to boost our personal injury services and are now able to deliver a quality service across the state. My main focus is to continue to expand our geographical footprint and to grow market share,” Ms Simpson said. Mr Stephens said the firm planned to integrate many of its new acquisitions under the Slater + Gordon banner, including the new British businesses.

“The destination we have in mind for the British firms is very clear,” he said. “We want to promote and build the Slater + Gordon brand.”

He said the firm had undertaken research over the past 12 months into its branding which not only led to its new logo — which was last updated a decade ago — but also revealed crucial factors about how clients see Slater + Gordon as a firm.

“The research delivered for us confirmation with several important findings,” he said.

“Firstly, that the decision to employ a lawyer is an emotional decision for clients. Secondly, we found there were low levels of understanding within the community about legal services more broadly but specifically about the process that sits behind those legal services.”

He said the notions of navigation and having a sense of a “personal champion by your side” were important for clients.

“We wanted to incorporate those principles into our brand refresh,” he said.

“The new brand reflects the notion that having an association with our firm will help you navigate legal services to reach a ­better outcome.”

Slater + Gordon recently unveiled a 47.2 per cent increase in profit, 21.2 per cent growth in ­annual dividends and the acquisition of two more law firms.

Net profit hit $61.1 million after revenue jumped 40.4 per cent to $418.5m, which includes $182.5m from Slater’s recently purchased network of law firms in Britain.