Melbourne, Victoria Jun 25, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - A quiet shift is taking place in Australia's legal market. Individuals, families and businesses are increasingly choosing boutique commercial law firms over traditional big-law offerings, drawn by tier-one expertise delivered with the responsiveness, transparency and partner-led service that larger firms can struggle to match. Among the firms leading this shift is TM Collins Law, a Melbourne-headquartered practice that has expanded from a two-founder start-up in September 2022 to a 15-strong team across Melbourne and the Gold Coast in less than four years.
The firm, founded by John Mapleston and Hamish Thomas after years working together at a national commercial law firm, advises individuals, families and corporate clients across Australia.
The Rise of the Boutique Commercial Firm
Across Australia, clients are reassessing how they buy legal services. Cost-of-living pressure, tighter business margins, and a growing appetite for clear, commercial advice have changed expectations. Many clients no longer want layered legal teams, lengthy email chains, or hourly rates with little predictability. They want a senior, experienced lawyer who picks up the phone, understands the commercial context, and delivers a result.
That shift is benefiting boutique commercial law firms with senior-led service models. Smaller practices often operate with leaner cost bases, allowing them to deliver the same calibre of advice at a more accessible rate, while preserving the relationships larger firms can find harder to maintain at scale.
The firm has positioned itself squarely within that trend. It offers a full suite of commercial, dispute resolution, property, family and private client services, including Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Litigation, Commercial and Residential Property, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Employment, Family Law, Wills and Estates, Debt Recovery, Development and Projects, and Banking and Finance.
A Growth Story Driven by Referrals
The firm's expansion has been led by word of mouth, a reliable indicator of client satisfaction in the legal market. Founded by John Mapleston and Hamish Thomas after years working together at a national commercial firm, TM Collins Law has grown into a 15-person team with nine experienced lawyers spanning core practice areas. Its Melbourne office is located at Level 3, 420 Collins Street, in the heart of the Melbourne CBD legal precinct, with a second office on the Gold Coast at Level 2, 194 Varsity Parade.
The founders credit the growth to a deliberate decision to keep the model boutique. Senior lawyers run matters directly, files are not handed down to junior staff to learn on, and clients are kept informed at each stage of their matter. The result, according to the founders, is faster outcomes, cleaner advice and a level of accountability that many clients say they have not experienced elsewhere.
"Great legal advice should not come with unnecessary barriers," said Chelsea Landgreen, a partner at TM Collins Law. "When we started the firm, we wanted to combine the technical depth of a tier-one practice with the responsiveness, empathy and commerciality that clients told us they were craving. Our growth tells us that brief still resonates."
The founders cite Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard as one of their guiding influences, summarising the firm's ethos with the line: "how we climb the mountain is just as important as reaching the top." Translated into legal practice, that means ethics, accountability and relentless delivery sit alongside technical excellence, not behind it.
Practice Areas Reflecting Real Client Needs
The firm's spread of practice areas reflects a deliberate strategy to serve clients across their personal and commercial life cycles. Property matters, family law, wills and estates, and debt recovery sit alongside corporate and commercial advisory, banking and finance, employment, development and projects, and dispute resolution and litigation.
This breadth is particularly valuable to small and mid-sized businesses, where directors often need advice that crosses corporate, employment, property and personal estate planning issues. Rather than coordinating multiple firms, clients can rely on a single trusted adviser team to manage the legal landscape around them.
The firm has also developed a strong reputation in dispute resolution and commercial litigation, areas where its senior lawyers' experience in complex matters has been valuable for clients seeking clear, strategic advice rather than open-ended litigation.
Two States, One Service Standard
With offices in Melbourne and the Gold Coast, the team now serves clients across Victoria, Queensland and beyond. The Melbourne office on Collins Street places the firm alongside Australia's most established legal community, while the Gold Coast office reflects the region's strong growth as a hub for property, development and business activity.
"The Gold Coast presence has been an important part of our journey," John Mapleston added. "It allows us to support clients with interests in both states, and it has brought us into a market that values the same boutique, partner-led service model we built in Melbourne."
Looking Forward
The firm's near-term focus is continued, considered growth. The founders say the priority remains protecting the client experience as the team scales, rather than chasing volume. Recruiting lawyers who fit the firm's ethos has been just as important as building a practice that delivers commercially.
For individuals, families and businesses considering legal advice, TM Collins Law invites enquiries through either of its offices and offers an initial consultation to scope the matter.
About TM Collins Law
TM Collins Law is an Australian commercial law firm founded in 2022 by John Mapleston and Hamish Thomas. Headquartered in Melbourne at Level 3, 420 Collins Street, with a Gold Coast office at Level 2, 194 Varsity Parade, the firm advises individuals, families and businesses across Australia. Practice areas include Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Litigation, Commercial and Residential Property, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Employment, Family Law, Wills and Estates, Debt Recovery, Development and Projects, and Banking and Finance. The team comprises 15 professionals, including nine experienced lawyers.
For more information, visit https://www.tmcollins.com.au or contact the team on (03) 9098 8702 or admin@tmcollins.com.au.
Media Contact
TM Collins admin@tmcollins.com.au 61 3 9098 2022 Level 3/420 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia https://www.tmcollins.com.au/
