On Thursday 16 March, Moulis Legal gathered at Cecconi’s restaurant in Melbourne with valued clients, friends and colleagues to celebrate the opening of our new Melbourne office.

Daniel Moulis, Principal Partner, took the opportunity to reflect on the many achievements and milestones for the firm since it opened 12 years ago, and to highlight the unique culture which is at the heart of our service delivery.

We are a boutique law firm. I used to have difficulty saying that, as personally I’m not a boutique kind of guy. We are strongly personal in our service delivery. We fight way above our weight. Our clients are the people inside high and mid-level companies not only in Australia but in the world. We appeal to these companies because of our expertise, our energy, and our passion for what we do. The awards are there, and we are proud to have them – top 20 Australian law firm, Band 1 Chambers and Partners, one of the world’s best trade law firms – but they are not on the wall. We don’t work for the awards. We work because we are driven by the ambition of our clients, a sincere desire to help our clients, and because we truly love this magnificent thing called 'the law'.

So why Melbourne?

Melbourne is a truly Australian place, in the best sense of the word. A home for the 'Skippies', a home for the Europeans that emigrated here, a home for the newer waves of immigrants. It’s a great mix. It is a place of industry, heritage, culture and thinking. We relate to these things. We are a truly Australian firm. We celebrate our own diversity. We wear that on our sleeve, as national sponsor of the Property Council of Australia’s diversity award. My lawyers and I have a great network of clients and contacts in this city. Our offering – “commercial plus international” legal services – delivered with effect and clarity, is getting a lot of traction. We are setting up here in the same way as we have done in Brisbane – with individuals who are our own people, looking to enjoy a truly collegial and egalitarian workplace, which focuses on values and outcomes. And not budgets. Each of you know us in a particular industry or practice area – trade, cross-border commerce, foreign investment, commercial property, competition law, commercial dispute resolution, IP rights, contracts and procurement. For a small firm it seems to be a wide canvas. But it is all linked by an intense focus on the cut and thrust of business, and how law can defend, attack, and protect.

We appreciate our colleagues and all of our clients. Thank you for sharing your ideas and ambitions with us, and in trusting us to help you succeed.