Madgwicks lawyers proudly celebrates 40 years as part of Melbourne’s legal landscape, advising clients and the broader business community.

Madgwicks marked the 40 year milestone with an event at the Australian Club on 16 July 2015. The evening featured the Chairman of beyondblue, The Honourable Jeff Kennett AC, as keynote speaker to an enthusiastic audience of more than 150 guests.

While the firm was originally established in the early 1970’s, it was formally acquired 40 years ago in July 1975 by founding partners, Peter Kennedy and Graeme Levy, who recently retired but remains a consultant to the firm.

Partner, Peter Kennedy, spoke to attendees openly about the history of the firm and its progress from an insolvency and litigation focused firm to a full service commercial firm, as well as reflections on its successes, tougher times and other lessons learned.

Mark Burgess, former Managing Director of Future Fund, noted that Peter’s speech “reminded [him] of the old fashioned values of client relationship and openness that Madgwicks offers – a refreshing change from much of the corporate world and a credit to Peter and the firm.”

The highlight of the evening was the insightful speech given by The Honourable Jeff Kennett AC, who spoke on a range of issues, most notably his work with beyondblue in relation to mental health, anxiety and depression.

Thought-provoking messages shared by Kennett included:

  • Recognising the gift of life and the need to be optimistic about it.
  • The importance of staying healthy in body and mind for as long as possible.
  • Getting a good sleep as it is the only way you can recharge your batteries.
  • Maintaining a healthy lifestyle because it enriches life and puts us in the best position to help others.
  • The role of carers needs to be elevated and better understood.
  • Adults must lead by example by not taking mobiles into the bedroom or using them at the dining table.
  • To be alert for signs of depression/negativity, especially teenagers.
  • Most clinical depressions in teenagers are usually linked to the habit of totally living their lives on social media – often at night in the silence of a bedroom.
  • Anxiety is often the harbinger of depression.
  • Anxiety in the workplace can come from many factors, such as peer group pressure, bullying, and failure to meet KPIs such as meeting billing, marketing or sales targets.
  • Communication and interaction are the best antidotes for anxiety because they can provide support and caring before depression takes hold.

Peter Kennedy further commented, “I was incredibly privileged to host this milestone event for our key clients and referrers. It was just a small token of our thanks and esteem for their support over many years”.

The firm would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that attended, as well as those who were unable to, for their support and goodwill over many years.

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