Kerry Shine had no idea where his Toowoomba law firm would end up 45 years on

From a staff of one in 1976, KG Shine & Co grew into Shine Lawyers which today has 55 offices in Australia and New Zealand.

Celebrating 45 years of Shine Lawyers are (from left) Duncan McMeekin QC, Kerry Shine and Ravin Raj. Picture: Nev Madsen.

From very humble beginnings in Toowoomba with a staff of one, Shine Lawyers has grown into one of Australia’s leading law firms with a staff of about 900.

Kerry Shine was a 26-year-old solicitor working for a law firm in Brisbane when the opportunity arose to start an office in Toowoomba in 1976.

“I decided to start as KG Shine and Co which everyone laughed at because it was only me,” Mr Shine recalled with a smile.

“Soon Eddie Dean came into the partnership and then Alan Mogg.

“I had no idea where it would all go.

“When I left in 1998 we had 90 staff, now Shine Lawyers has 900.”

Enjoying the Shine Lawyers 45 year celebratory lunch are (from left) Stephen Roche, Tracey Ryan and Grant Zeller who collectively have 95 years with the Toowoomba born firm. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Mr Shine left the firm to pursue a career in politics which proved very successful as Member for Toowoomba North from 2001 to 2012 which included a stint as Queensland Attorney-General from 2006 to 2009.

He is a councillor with Toowoomba Regional Council having been elected at the last council election in March 2020.

From that one office in Toowoomba in 1976, Shine Lawyers has grown to 55 offices throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Jim Shine and Karen Laws catch up for a chat at the Shine Lawyers 45 year celebratory lunch at The Oaks Toowoomba Hotel. Picture: Nev Madsen.

The firm celebrated 45 years in business with a lunch at The Oaks Toowoomba Hotel on Friday.

Among the guest speakers was Simon Morrison, Shine Lawyers CEO and managing director, who, like fellow long serving Shine Lawyers member and former CEO Stephen Roche, started as an articled clerk with Mr Shine in Toowoomba in the 1980s and has been with the firm since.

Duncan McMeekin QC (left) and Shine Lawyers CEO and managing director Simon Morrison celebrate 45 years of the Toowoomba-born firm. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“I was an articled clerk for Kerry while studying a law degree,” Mr Morrison said.

“You would study for the law degree at night and work as an articled clerk during the day.

“In those days, we used to refer to the boss as ‘Master’”, so Kerry was my master.”

“It’s changed a lot over the years but the practice is still the same.”

From doing single complaints in the early years to handling complicated litigations involving thousands of clients and millions of dollars, Shine Lawyers might be a national and international law firm, but its roots remain firmly in Toowoomba.

“It’s a good Toowoomba story,” Mr Shine said.