Parke Lawyers can trace its roots back to the 1870’s with the firm of RH Ballard & Co. Today, the practice is an amalgamation of several well-known legal firms:
Hanlons Barristers & Solicitors which merged with Parke Lawyers in October 2017 and continues to operate from Level 1, 480 Collins Street, Melbourne. Both partners of Hanlons Barristers & Solicitors joined the team at Parke Lawyers – Ken Hanlon as a Consultant and Brian Reckas as Special Counsel.
Armstrong Lawyers which merged with Parke Lawyers in December 2014 and now operates from Level 1, 480 Collins Street, Melbourne.
Holt & Macdonald of Ringwood – served the eastern suburbs of Melbourne for over half a century. In October 2012 the practice merged with Parke Lawyers and now operates from 281 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood. One of the founders of Holt & Macdonald, Robert Wilfred Holt (known as Bob Holt) was educated at the University of Melbourne, before admission as a legal practitioner in 1940. In 1945 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Portland. Defeated in 1947, he was re-elected in 1950. Mr Holt served as the Minister for Lands and Social Settlement from 1952 to 1953. In 1955 he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the member for Darebin, before retiring in 1958.
Blakie + Britt – established in Hawthorn, Victoria in the 1970s and operated until its acquisition by Parke Lawyers in May 2012. The practice was then relocated from Blakie House in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn to Suite 5, 1153 Burke Road, Kew.
RH Ballard & Co of Mitcham – merged with Holt & Macdonald.
Holt & Clemenson of Melbourne – merged with Holt & Macdonald.
Smith Ryan & Co of Ringwood – merged with Holt & Macdonald.
AM Hennessy & Co – established by Annette Hennessy in the western Queensland town or Goondiwindi in the 1990s and developed a strong reputation in the fields of criminal law, family law and property law. In 1999, upon her appointment as a Magistrate in Queensland, Ms Hennessy retired from legal practice and AM Hennessy & Co merged with Parke Lawyers.