Our history Hunt & Hunt was established as an insurance and conveyancing law firm in 1929 by two brothers:  Hector (Bob) and Edward (Ted) Hunt.  At that time, Australia was entering the Great Depression, making it possibly the worst period in this country's history to be establishing a new business.  The era was defined by uncertainty -people were losing jobs and defaulting on their mortgages; companies were going into liquidation.  In fact, it is on the record that in the early days, the brothers made a show of being busy by surrounding themselves with manila folders that were tied up with red tape to look like legal files.  In reality, the folders were stuffed with copies of the Sydney Morning Herald.  Early on, it was fortunate that Ted's insurance business kept the firm afloat while the property market was depressed.  In the years leading up to the Second World War, Hunt & Hunt began to grow - taking on new staff and eventually expanding its Bligh Street premises. The war years saw a change in the pace of work at Hunt & Hunt.  During this period, the insurance and workers compensation practices were booming, largely owing to an association with the National Employers Mutual General Insurance Company of London.  After the war, the conveyancing practice rapidly grew as Italian and Greek migrants established roots in and around Sydney. Ted's two sons, Ian and David, joined the firm in the late 1940s and early 1950s respectively.  By this time, Ted had developed an interest in politics.  He was elected an alderman for what was to become the Council of Parramatta, and was elected mayor of that Council in 1956.  By the 1960s, the firm had grown to over one hundred staff, necessitating the Hunt brothers open up the partnership to 'outsiders'.  It flourished from that point on, though David Hunt recalls difficult times during the 1970s when, following the introduction of equal pay, the firm's payroll increased spectacularly at the same time inflation was skyrocketing.  Bank interest rates reached a phenomenal 23% and female salaries went up three times in one year. Despite the difficulties, the firm survived and continued to expand.  Its first branch office was opened in Eastwood in 1973 to service the northern and western suburbs of Sydney.  Ian Miller, who started with our firm as an article clerk in 1974, was appointed resident partner of Eastwood in 1976, and to this day continues as Managing Partner.  In December 2009 the Eastwood office moved to new premises at North Ryde. By the 1980s, the practice of law had become almost secondary to the business of law as firms struggled to differentiate themselves in a more savvy market.  To compete effectively, Hunt & Hunt made a serious investment in its business and management by appointing Edward (Ned) Boyce as Managing Partner, and then sending him to Harvard Business School to undergo an intensive 14-week professional management course. The investment paid off as the firm continued to grow.  Over the years it has expanded interstate by establishing new offices, such as in Newcastle on the central coast of New South Wales, acquiring smaller practices, such as in Melbourne and Adelaide, and entering into strategic alliances. Today, our firm has a strong national footprint with offices in most Australian States and Territories, as well as in Shanghai. International network In 1981, Hunt & Hunt took its first tentative steps towards globalisation by becoming a member of Interlaw, an international association of independent commercial law firms that work together to provide quality, cost effective, value-added legal and business solutions.  Garry Boyce served on the Board of Interlaw for approximately ten years and was its Chairman from 1991-1993.  Jim Harrowell is the immediate past Chairman of Interlaw.