In March 2026, ADLV Law turns 25.
The law itself has seen modest reform over the last quarter-century. However, the practice of law has changed radically. 25 years ago, our biggest cost – even more than staff – was subscriptions to paper information services from CCH and Butterworths publishing houses. Faxes were more prevalent that email, the iPhone did not exist, and not everyone had a computer on their desk. ‘Marketing’ consisted of Andrew posting 2-page flyers to accountants, financial planners and corporates, on a semi-weekly basis, and then driving over to share a coffee (sometimes beer) to talk through a tricky issue.
It would be nice to think the pace of change would ease up a bit, but it looks like the pedal has been pushed further to the floor. Turnaround timeframes continue to be compressed, the demands of Government authorities become more aggressive by the day, and it feels like we now receive more correspondence from ChatGPT than other lawyers.
But some things don’t change.
We remain the human interface between our legal system and the everyday lives of our clients and referrers. Sometimes this is a difficult role. We find ourselves trying to justify the quirks of a complex and unpredictable maze. Tax authorities imposing massive and seemingly arbitrary penalties, long wait times for simple administrative processes, and aggressive opposing counsel.
Despite these headwinds, each day still brings with it the satisfaction and privilege of being invited to share the very high-highs, and very challenging lows, of our clients’ lives.
When the firm started, we did not have any articulated ‘Values’. We just wanted to find the right answer and help our clients get transactions done. Over time, as our team and client base have grown, we’ve had to get better at putting into words what we think makes us different.
First is persistence. Early in the firm’s history we had a client who was abandoned by another law firm when he ran out of money. He was being aggressively screwed over by his business partners who had more resources than he did. We took on the case, and we fought for a reasonable settlement. He brought his wife and two young children into the office to say thank you. That is still one of the most satisfying moments of Andrew’s career. Successful business owners don’t give up so neither do we. We see things through to the end, no matter what the cost.
Second is decisiveness. The legal profession is known for sitting on the fence. For us, “it depends” is not good enough. You come to us to understand the law and your options. But you also come to us for our experience and our opinion. We aren’t afraid to express one.
Finally, we value ferocity. This is perhaps our most controversial value. It is also our most important. The only time you come to see a lawyer is when the outcome matters. Sometimes getting that outcome is going to involve friction. It is going to involve holding the line against strong opposition. Whether it be a well-funded department of the Federal Government, or an intransient former business partner, success isn’t always going to be easy, or quiet. We’ll fight your corner, always. When push comes to shove, we’ll be there, fiercely by your side.
These Values form the basis on which we pursue our Vision. We want to be part of a community that lives at human scale. This means having businesses that are owned and operated by the people and families who live within our community. We want to buy products and consume services from local enterprises, not faceless global corporations. We want our children to find opportunities for meaningful employment and personal growth, without having to sell out or ship off. We believe in free enterprise and a healthy level of self-responsibility but tempered by a sense of real community and shared outcomes.
While the headlines talk about AI threatening our jobs and ‘life purpose’, we remain quietly confident that you and your businesses will find a way to continued relevance and prosperity, and that we’ll continue to have a role in your success. We remain on ‘Team Humanity’.
If you are reading this, it means you have probably played a role in our 25-year journey and directly contributed to our team’s success. A heartfelt thank you for trusting us to guide you through some of life’s most stressful, complex, exciting and fraught times.
For those of you who have referred clients to us, we thank you for attaching a part of your own credibility and goodwill to our name. We do not underestimate the risk of you making the referral.
Lastly, a thank you to our friends and family, who have supported us supporting you.
We look forward to another 25 years standing fiercely by your side as you take the next steps in your journey.
– Andrew, Drew, Louise & the ADLV Law team
