LHD Lawyers acquires Taylor & Scott in NSW expansion

LHD Lawyers has acquired Sydney-based Taylor & Scott Lawyers, adding a long-established New South Wales practice to its national group and signalling further consolidation in plaintiff-side legal services.

The deal completed on 2 March and took effect on 3 March. Taylor & Scott Lawyers will continue to operate under its existing name and brand.

LHD plans to invest in the acquired practice, including staffing, technology, operational infrastructure and client care systems. Clients are expected to see continuity of service, with existing and future matters continuing without interruption.

Union practice

Taylor & Scott Lawyers has operated in New South Wales for more than 120 years. It has a history in workers' compensation and personal injury, with longstanding work for trade union members across the state.

The practice continues to represent members of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, the National Tertiary Education Union and the Communication Workers Union. This work focuses on workplace injury, illness and employment disputes, areas that remain a steady source of legal demand.

Alongside personal injury and workers' compensation, Taylor & Scott also practises in industrial and employment law, wills and estates, property and conveyancing, criminal law and immigration. LHD said the acquisition expands the services available within its New South Wales operations.

The transaction preserves Taylor & Scott as a stand-alone brand rather than folding it immediately into a single national identity. That approach may reduce disruption for existing clients and referral networks, including union relationships that often rely on continuity and trust.

Operational changes

LHD intends to strengthen team structures at Taylor & Scott and expand specialist resources. It also flagged technology upgrades focused on file handling, transparency and client communication.

In personal injury and workers' compensation practices, these upgrades typically centre on case management systems, document automation and workflow tools that standardise matters from intake to settlement. Firms also increasingly use client portals and messaging systems as expectations grow around progress visibility.

LHD framed the investment programme as a way to maintain Taylor & Scott's identity while modernising back-office operations. The purchase price and financial terms were not disclosed.

People and continuity

The acquisition brings personnel changes at the Sydney practice. Long-standing managing partner Ray McClenahan will retire following completion, while partner Ivan Simic will remain.

About 20 staff will join the LHD group. Day-to-day operations are expected to continue as normal, with existing matters ongoing.

LHD operates nationally and focuses on personal injury, workers' compensation, motor vehicle accidents, public liability, medical negligence, and superannuation and insurance claims, including total and permanent disability matters. It has operated for more than 35 years and uses a "No Win, No Fee" model for relevant matters.

The acquisition strengthens LHD's presence in New South Wales, where competition in personal injury and workers' compensation includes specialist plaintiff firms and diversified practices with insurance and dispute resolution teams. Growth in this segment often depends on scale in case acquisition, consistent handling processes and relationships with referring organisations.

For union clients, the ability to manage interconnected issues can also be important. Employment disputes may run alongside injury claims and intersect with other legal needs such as wills, estates and property matters.

Managing director John Abouchrouche described the strategy as an investment in the firm's next phase.

"Taylor & Scott Lawyers has a proud 120-year history and a respected reputation in workers' compensation, personal injury, property and industrial law. Our intention is to invest heavily in the firm - in its people, its systems and its service capability - so that it can continue to serve union members and working Australians with even greater depth, responsiveness and technological support. We are not simply acquiring a respected practice; we are committing to its growth, expansion and long-term future," said John Abouchrouche, managing director, LHD Lawyers.

Taylor & Scott will continue under its existing brand while drawing on LHD's national systems and infrastructure.