Purpose aligned law firm Moores appoints new CEO to build on its strong values-based legacy
Melbourne, Australia: Values-driven law firm, Moores, today announced former Manager of the Legal Unit at the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission, Tessa van Duyn, has been appointed as CEO and Practice Leader, after joining the team as Practice Leader in July 2019.
Ms van Duyn is a leading human rights and public law expert with over 15 years’ experience. She brings to Moores a proven record in creating positive social change through strategic litigation, establishing effective partnerships across different sectors and influencing public policy.
Previously, Ms van Duyn held an impressive 11-year tenure at the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission, which saw her lead some of the most significant human rights cases in Australia. Tessa’s advocacy led to significant public policy reforms in the community housing, justice and education sectors, where human rights have become central to decision-making and service delivery. Prior to this, Ms van Duyn held the role of Senior Lawyer and Pro Bono Coordinator at Clayton Utz.
Moores was the first major law firm in Australia to abandon time based billing, which enabled the company to introduce a revolutionary, new business model that priced value, not time. In the last two years, the company has grown more than 14 per cent, and was recently recognised by Macquarie as a “high performer” in the $10-$50m category.
As a forward-looking law firm with a team of 80 staff, Moores is proudly flexible, inclusive and diverse. The company has no gender pay gap, 50 per cent of practice leaders are women (this stands in contrast to the broader legal industry, where law firms are struggling to gain equality-some are aspiring to have 35 per cent in the next five years), and three quarters of staff and two thirds of practice leaders utilise part-time or flexible working arrangements.
Moores has a Private Client practice with one of the largest specialist estate planning teams in the country, as well as an Organisational Client practice with deep expertise focused on not-for-profits and purpose aligned organisations.
Speaking of her appointment to the role of CEO and Practice Leader, Ms van Duyn said she was looking forward to continuing to build on the strong legacy left by outgoing Managing Principal, David Wells.
Tessa van Duyn, CEO and Practice Leader at Moores, said: “In Moores, I have found the perfect fit with my values, my experience and my purpose. I am delighted to be entrusted by the team to lead Moores into the next version of itself.
“Throughout my career, I have always been driven by a desire to create a positive and meaningful impact in the community, so the values alignment with Moores shone bright. We clearly walk the talk on some fundamental areas. We actually innovate – we were the first law firm to ditch timesheets in favour of value pricing. Our staff love working here – in 2018, Moores ranked in the top 5 per cent of Australian organisations surveyed by InSync in relation to employee engagement. And, we are a purpose-driven organisation – we focus on working with ethical clients to deliver great outcomes that benefit the community.”
Ms van Duyn added: “David Wells and the ambitious leadership team’s visionary outlook has served Moores brilliantly over the years, and I’m privileged to have inherited something founded and grounded in such strong values, to continue to advance the company into an even healthier workplace. I am looking forward to being part of Moores’ journey and helping the firm evolve.”
Andrew Sudholz, Board member and Practice Leader at Moores, said: “We are thrilled to have Tessa take over the leadership of the firm. With its values-driven approach and its purpose of doing good, there is a natural alignment between Moores and Tessa’s commitment to social justice, equality and subject matter expertise. As we grow we want to remain the best version of ourselves, with our finger on the pulse, and we believe Tessa is the best person to guide us on this moving forward.”
Having been with the company now for over 30 years, Andrew has seen first-hand just how vital the value pricing model has been to Moores’ ongoing success.
“The culture of time-billing is competitive, stressful, fails to award efficiency, inhibits communication and certainty for clients, and discourages collaboration amongst employees. It was a bold move to remove billable targets firmwide, however it has paid off, and I’m proud of the firm we are today,” Mr Sudholz added.
Ms van Duyn continued: “Our human capital is Moores’ key to success. We will always be people-before-profits-driven, because we know that if we have the right people, the profits will follow. We focus on community and connection and the health and wellbeing of our people is a core focus as it enables our strong relational approach. As such, meeting employees’ needs in the context of what they value personally will remain paramount to the success of the company.”
To find out more about Moores, visit: https://moores.com.au/ or do not hesitate to contact us.