PRESGRAVE & MATTHEWS

Presgrave & Matthews is one of the oldest legal firms in the Straits Settlement. It was founded on 1st January 1879, the original partners being Arthur Edward Clark, barrister-at-law, and Edward William Presgrave, who was a member of the Legislative Council. For 3 years the business was carried under this style although Clark passed away in 1879. Then Clutton, who relinquished his position as the Registrar of the Supreme Court, added his name to the firm. The partnership was dissolved in 1894 an... d 4 years later, W. Bromhead Matthews, a barrister of the Inner Temple, who has been previously practicing in Singapore in the firm of Messrs Bradell, Brothers & Matthews, joined Presgrave and the business assumed its present name. Presgrave & Matthews acted as solicitors to the Pinang Municipal Commission, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the Mercantile Bank of India, the Netherlands Bank and other leading business firms. It has since its foundation produced many distinguished legal personalities including, the late Tan Sri Dato’ Eusoffe Abdoolcader, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Malaysia. The office is divided into the Litigation Department and the Corporate, Commercial, Banking and Conveyancing Department. Many of the lawyers within each of the departments sub-specialise in more specific areas of the law. In order to meet the growing complexities of the law, a team approach is taken wherever appropriate in handling matters so that the firm will be able to draw on the expertise of its lawyers in their respective specialisations. The firm has a comprehensive library which includes law reports, periodicals and reference texts from Malaysia, Singapore, common- wealth jurisdictions and other jurisdictions which are constantly updated. The firm is known to have one of the most well equipped library housing law reports and books going back to 18th century. The firm currently has 18 fully qualified advocates and solicitors, qualified to practise law in West Malaysia of which 10 are partners and the remainder, legal assistants. In addition to that, the legal staff of the firm is supplemented by chambering students whose numbers vary from time to time. The firm also has a clerical and general workforce of approximately 38 persons.More