Melbourne boutique FCW Lawyers is joining forces with Aperion Law in Sydney to expand both firms' regional presences in Australia, with the new firm set to maintain the FCW Lawyers handle.  

The combination will take effect on 5 July, with a roster of 25 professionals spread across both cities. 

Established in 2018 by director and managing partner Andrew Douglas, FCW Lawyers specialises in corporate, commercial and workplace law. Sydney-headquartered Aperion Law was founded in 2015 by director Mark Allen — originally operating under the name Allen Legal — and focuses on providing ‘innovative’ legal advice to startups, entrepreneurs and investors. 

Before the tie up, FCW Lawyers had an annual turnover of $6m, while Aperion had an annual turnover of $1.7m, according to Lawyers Weekly. 

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, FCW Lawyers said: 'The merger means our clients will now be able to access a wider range of transactional corporate and general commercial law services. Aperion Law is renowned for its work in Sydney, assisting entrepreneurs to start and scale businesses, with a focus on technology and research commercialisation.'

Allen, who previously practiced as an executive lawyer at Sydney-based Bartier Perry, and Douglas, who spent seven years leading Macpherson Kelley’s workplace relations team, told Lawyers Weekly they left the Big Law environment due to a similar affinity for the agility and responsiveness offered by smaller legal operations.  

Recently, fellow startup-focused Australian online firm Sprintlaw also made an expansion move, announcing its launch in the UK to focus on the startup and small business legal market. The tech-powered firm hired former Lexoo legal network manager Adil Khan to lead its UK business as managing director.