History    

1935
William Slater and Hugh Gordon founded Slater & Gordon as a law firm focussed on servicing the needs of unions and their members, in particular in the area of workers compensation.

1970s
Opened its first branch offices in Morwell in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton.

1984
Opened a major branch office in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray.

1984
Conducted the first successful asbestos related cancer claim in Australia.

1985
Opened an office in Perth to service the needs of the victims of the blue asbestos mine in Wittenoom.

1986
Opened its first Sydney office principally to conduct the Dalkon Shield IUD litigation.

1988
Won the Wittenoom asbestos case.

1989
Conducted the first group settlement in Australia for 200 Wittenoom asbestos victims.

1990
Conducted one of the first successful HIV AIDS common law claim in the world.

1994
Introduced the No Win-No Fee™ initiative in Australia, giving the Company a competitive edge and firmly establishing Slater & Gordon as a consumer brand.

1997
Conducted the Kraft peanut butter contamination case, one of the first Federal Court class action settlements.

1999
Won the historic Crimmins case in the High Court, clearing the way for hundreds of waterside workers and their families to be compensated for asbestos disease.

2001
Became an Incorporated Legal Practice and was set on the strategic path to expand geographically and in areas of law.

2002
Achieved the first mass breast implant settlement against Dow Corning worldwide.

2004
Represented the ACTU and asbestos victim support groups in the James Hardie Inquiry, resulting in the establishment of a $1.5 billion settlement in 2006.

2005
Completed the acquisition of Geoffrey Edwards & Co (Sydney and Newcastle).

2006
Completed the acquisition of Maurice May & Co (Sydney and Wollongong), Reid & Reid (Newcastle), Gary Robb & Associates (ACT) and Paul J Keady & Associates (Broken Hill).

2007
The new look website was launched in April 2007.

In May 2007 Slater & Gordon Limited became the first Australian law firm to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange to finance mergers and acquisitions.

In July 2007 Slater & Gordon Limited completed the acquisition of D’Arcys Solicitors, specialists in Military Compensation.

September 2007 marked the second acquisition for Slater & Gordon Limited since being listed and its largest to date with the acquisition of McClellands Lawyers.

2008
Asbestos victim Tim Lacone donated $200,000 of the record $2.75 million settlement to the Asbestos Research Fund. Slater & Gordon donated a further $300,000 making it a total of $500,000 to be used for research for asbestos related diseases.