Hamilton Locke announces the appointment of partner, Douglas Bates and the promotion of Fran Becker to partner. The announcement brings Hamilton Locke’s partnership to 45 total partners across Australia.
Both Douglas and Fran form part of Hamilton Locke Private, providing legal services to private clients, families, and family businesses, based in Brisbane but also having a regional focus. Hamilton Locke Private offers a range of tailored legal solutions including wills, estate planning and litigation, succession planning, tax, and real estate.
Douglas has over 35 years’ experience across legal, agribusiness and financial services. His career includes executive chairman of FIIG Securities, 18 years as a Barrister at the Queensland Bar, solicitor with Simmons & Simmons in London and Clayton Utz in Brisbane.
Fran’s promotion to partner will see the firm’s Private Client offering extended further, as she continues to be a trusted advisor to many privately owned businesses, families and high net worth individuals. She has over 10 years’ legal experience in the private clients and agribusiness space advising on succession and business transition and estate planning, holding prior roles at Shand Taylor Lawyers and McCullough Robertson Lawyers.
Hamilton Locke Managing Partner, Nick Humphrey, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Douglas to the firm to further expand our private client offering, as well as recognise the hard work and dedication demonstrated by Fran in her promotion to partner”.
Hamilton Locke was established in 2018 with 15 employees, and has grown exponentially, with a current headcount of 155. Hamilton Locke recently announced the acquisition of compliance law firm, The Fold Legal, now forming one of the largest funds and financial services teams in Australia.
