The firm has extensive experience in Land & Environment Court proceedings and local government matters. Criminal law, property law, conveyancing, commercial law, wills and probate are some other areas of their expertise.

When taking over the business, Robert and Pauline were determined to continue providing high quality boutique legal services to the Central Coast.

Practice Manager, Donna Makepeace says, “While we have had a long-standing presence on the Central Coast, our firm has only recently started accepting instructions from private clients to act in the Gosford Council local government area. We have already acquired various new developer clients and established new relationships with town planners.”

The focus of the business at the moment is to expand the client base by staying abreast of the latest knowledge of practice and procedures, improving productivity and applying their expertise in local government and planning law on the Central Coast. Pauline and Patrick have specialist accreditation in these areas; Patrick is also a qualified mediator.

“Robsons’ advice has been helpful in establishing budgets and pinpointing areas for both savings and growth. Robsons have helped identify areas of potential weakness for the business and to develop strategies on how to address those. Robsons have also assisted the principals of the firm with tax and superannuation advice,” explains Donna.

In order to improve productivity, office procedures are being restructured, while prospective clients are actively being advised of the specialist services available at P J Donnellan & Co.

One of the most recent successes P J Donnellan & Co have experienced was a win for Gosford City Council in the High Court of Australia. This brought to completion 10 years of litigation over the development of highly environmentally sensitive land, including habitat for the endangered Eastern Pygmy Possum.

The firm is an active member of Urban Development Institute of Australia, with Pauline chairing the Central Coast regional chapter. The UDIA on the Central Coast aims to have a positive influence on the future development and growth of the region. P J Donnellan & Co have a particular focus on this and other key activities benefiting the Central Coast such as the 5 Lands Walk.

The business plans to engage more clients and increase profitability by 10-15% in the next 12 months.

By being available when needed and providing guidance in sometimes difficult situations, Robson Partners have assisted P J Donnellan and Co in a smooth transition in the change of ownership of the business. Donna says “Our advisor is open minded, listens and is able to adapt advice to the specific needs of our business. We have a good working relationship and they are always able to offer something helpful.”

Recently, there was a major change in the practice’s client base which has created both opportunities and challenges, bringing the need to revise the services offered and the way they are marketed. The P J Donnellan & Co staff have been directly affected by this change and are working hard to maintain the usual high standard of service to their clients.

The business focus is on a healthy work/life balance. The goal is to be able to adapt to the increasing demands of work, continue satisfying the clients, whilst maintaining a good standard of living for all, both inside and outside the company.