Since opening our doors in November 1995, GMP Law has been guided by a simple principle: when the fight is hard, we don’t back down.
Over 30 years, we’ve grown from a single Parramatta office to a national practice. But the values that built this firm remain unchanged. Every landmark case, every expansion, every innovation has been driven by one unwavering commitment: delivering justice for our clients.
From founding decisions and precedent-setting cases to cultural milestones and the relationships that shaped who we are today.
In November 1995, Gerard Malouf opened the doors to GMP Law from a single office on Grose Street, Parramatta. Having left a previous partnership to build something aligned with his values and his belief in how law should be practised, he started again with a clear sense of purpose. The early practice focused on motor vehicle accident claims, workers’ compensation, and public liability matters. Work that would form the foundation of everything to come.
Within the first year, Vrege Kolokossian, who had appeared opposite Gerard as counsel for the defendant, made a decision that would shape the firm’s future: he joined GMP Law. It wasn’t just about the work; it was about the belief in the firm’s purpose and commitment to doing things differently.
From day one, GMP Law was built on the principle that access to justice shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a right.
It was about belief in the firm’s purpose and its commitment to doing things differently.
From the very beginning, Gerard made a deliberate choice that would set GMP Law apart: no disbursement funders.
While other firms relied on external funding that added interest charges to client costs, GMP Law self-funded case expenses. This wasn’t just a business decision. It was a values decision. By removing interest charges and establishing a true No Win No Fee approach, the firm ensured that clients would never be financially disadvantaged for seeking justice.
This founding principle has shaped every decision since; a core value that remains at the heart of GMP Law today.
Access to justice shouldn't come with a price tag that punishes people for fighting for what's right.
Within the firm’s first year, GMP Law achieved a milestone that proved its promise: the first settlement over $1 million.
This result demonstrated the firm’s capability to handle serious injury cases and deliver substantial outcomes for clients. It wasn’t just about the number. It was about proving that a new firm, built on client-first principles, could compete with established practices and win.
This early success set the standard for everything that followed.
Our first million dollar settlement proved we could deliver serious results for seriously injured clients.
In the 1960s and ’70s, patients at Sydney’s Chelmsford Hospital were subjected to a horrific treatment known as “deep-sleep therapy.” They were kept in drug-induced comas for weeks, often receiving electric shock treatment while unconscious. Over a dozen patients died. Many more were left with brain damage, paralysis, or had suffered sexual abuse.
Gerard Malouf began representing hundreds of patients in separate actions over a 10-year period at the start of his career. These claims were complex, and he successfully argued around limitation periods using landmark legal strategies. The efforts resulted in tens of millions of dollars in compensation from hospital insurers and other third parties, as the doctors involved had become bankrupt.
Throughout this time, the government largely refused to act, prompting legal proceedings to compel it to fulfil its duty. By the time the matter reached the Disciplinary Tribunal in 1986, Gerard had established the foundation for the approach that would later define GMP Law. After founding the firm in 1995, GMP Law continued to carry forward his work and commitment to client advocacy.
GMP Law made a deliberate choice: expand where clients live and work, not just where it was convenient for the firm.
Between 1997 and 2001, offices opened in Blacktown, Penrith, Gosford, Sydney CBD, Newcastle, and regional centres including Coffs Harbour and Taree. This wasn’t opportunistic expansion. It was strategic, values-driven growth.
The firm prioritised accessible legal services, bringing expertise directly to communities that needed it most. This client-first model of expansion set a standard that other firms would later follow.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, sweeping civil liability law reforms swept across Australia. Higher thresholds. Tighter tests for negligence. Significant limits on damages.
Many believed these changes would effectively end personal injury law as it had been known. Large insurers predicted fewer claims and reduced liability. Some firms retreated.
GMP Law adapted. Instead of scaling back, the firm shifted its focus to complex, evidence-driven cases and built deeper expertise in serious injury litigation. The reforms didn’t diminish the firm’s impact; they refined it.
When the landscape changes, you either evolve or get left behind. GMP Law chose evolution.
The reforms didn't end personal injury law. They challenged us to do it better.
In March 2001, Australia witnessed the $5.3 billion collapse of HIH, the largest corporate failure in the nation’s history.
This event created immediate and severe disruption: settlements stalled overnight, cashflow froze, and clients waited while thousands of policy-holders, employees, and shareholders faced uncertainty. For GMP Law, it was one of the most testing periods in the firm’s history as settlements stalled overnight, cash flow froze, and clients waited.
We survived through restraint and preparation. And we emerged stronger.
As GMP Law’s reputation and client base grew, so did the team. Reaching 50 staff members in 2002 was a milestone that reflected the firm’s expansion and its ability to attract talented lawyers and support professionals who shared its values.
Every person who joined the firm strengthened its capacity to serve clients across Australia and beyond. This wasn’t just growth for growth’s sake. It was about building the infrastructure needed to deliver on the firm’s promise.
A bigger team meant more clients could be helped. More cases could be fought. More justice could be delivered.
Every person who joined us strengthened our capacity to serve clients across Australia.
Charlie Bloodsworth underwent heart surgery that was promoted as minimally invasive keyhole surgery, one of the first procedures of its kind performed in Australia. During the operation, a major artery was accidentally pierced, causing an air embolism. This led to catastrophic brain damage.
GMP Law took on the case, fighting for Charlie and his family when medical innovation went tragically wrong. The case demonstrated the firm’s commitment to holding medical professionals accountable, even when procedures are cutting-edge and outcomes uncertain.
This was personal injury law at its most complex and it required expertise, determination, and a refusal to back down.
Our team didn’t just build cases, we built relationships. By establishing rapport with major retailers and CTP insurers, we pioneered a new approach to dispute resolution.
Bulk settlement conferences streamlined cases, secured faster resolutions, and improved outcomes for clients. What might have taken years of drawn-out litigation was resolved efficiently, fairly, and with better results.
This innovation didn’t just benefit GMP Law’s clients; it changed how complex disputes were handled across the industry.
Sometimes the best advocacy isn't in the courtroom, it's in finding a smarter way to get results.
In 2005, GMP Law faced the NSW Legal Services Commissioner over alleged breaches of the ban on advertising personal injury services. Gerard defended the firm’s approach: helping injured people understand their rights shouldn’t be restricted.
The firm was fined. But the case became a landmark example in professional legal ethics education, highlighting GMP Law’s willingness to challenge restrictive rules and advocate for clients, even when it came at a cost.
Sometimes doing what’s right means standing up to the system itself.
If the rules prevent people from accessing justice, then the rules need to change.
While the legal industry clung to paper files and manual processes, GMP Law saw the future and moved toward it.
The firm introduced technology systems that reduced paper files, cut administrative work, and dramatically improved efficiency. Case management became streamlined. Service became faster, more responsive, and more reliable.
This wasn’t just about modernisation. It was about giving clients the experience they deserved: innovation in service of people.
A mother called on a Saturday morning. Her son had suffered a severe brain injury during birth. Other lawyers had already dropped the case. But we took it on.
The case was complex, the stakes were devastating, and the path forward was uncertain. But GMP Law doesn’t measure cases by convenience; we measure them by what’s right.
The firm delivered a landmark result, securing justice for the family and deepening our commitment to the medical negligence practice area. It also reaffirmed our readiness to take on complex cases others had turned away, an approach that would become synonymous with our practice.
In 2012, GMP Law launched its first television advertisement, marking a turning point in how the firm communicated with injured people across Australia.
This wasn’t just about marketing. It was about education and access. The ads informed people of their rights and made it clear that legal help was available. At a time when many firms shied away from advertising, GMP Law embraced it as a tool for justice.
Making information accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or knowledge of the legal system, became a cornerstone of the firm’s approach.
Dr Rita Cervantes was injured in a motor vehicle accident, and Allianz accepted responsibility for the injury. The dispute wasn’t about fault; it was about how much compensation she should receive.
Allianz challenged the damages assessment, arguing the assessor shouldn’t have used lump-sum “buffers” to account for economic loss. The case went to the NSW Court of Appeal, which rejected Allianz’s challenge.
This case clarified an important principle: assessors have discretion in determining fair compensation, and insurers can’t simply challenge reasonable evaluations unless they can show a clear legal error.
When a labourer was injured after an excavator backed over him during demolition work, the legal question seemed straightforward: was the excavator a “motor vehicle” under the statutory scheme?
The Court of Appeal said no because the excavator was on tracks, not wheels; it didn’t meet the definition. That meant the injury wasn’t covered by motor accident insurance.
The decision exposed a critical gap in statutory coverage. While the case itself had a disappointing outcome, it highlighted the need for legislative reform, and that reform eventually came, broadening the definition to include heavy machinery.
Sometimes precedent is set not by winning, but by revealing what needs to change.
Justice isn't just about individual cases, it's about fixing the system for everyone who comes after.
When David Thompson was injured due to a defect in public infrastructure, the question became: when should councils be held liable?
The case clarified accountability standards for councils maintaining public spaces, specifically, when risks were known or should reasonably have been detected. It strengthened the ability of injured people to bring successful claims for infrastructure-related injuries and helped define how inspection and maintenance systems are assessed.
This precedent improved accountability and made public spaces safer for everyone.
GMP Law reached a major milestone: over 10,000 cases since its founding.
Each case represents a person. A family. A life changed by injury or injustice. Behind every file is a story. Someone who needed help when it mattered most, and chose to trust GMP Law to fight for them.
This milestone isn’t about numbers. It’s about the lives touched, the battles fought, and the justice delivered over more than a decade of relentless advocacy.
Every case is a person. Every person matters. That's never changed.
A client suffered a minor injury on a UK bus tour with a holiday company. The injury was small, but the principle was enormous.
The holiday company argued it couldn’t be held liable for overseas incidents. GMP Law disagreed and took the fight all the way to the High Court.
The client was awarded $20,000. Legal costs approached $250,000 due to appeals. But the case set a precedent: companies could be held accountable for overseas operations, paving the way for others to pursue justice.
This moment exemplifies GMP Law’s willingness to take on complex cases with broader impact, even when the immediate return doesn’t justify the fight.
Some fights aren't about winning money. They're about opening doors for everyone who comes after.
In 2016 and 2017, NSW introduced sweeping reforms to the motor vehicle accident compensation scheme. The changes dramatically altered how and when injured people could claim compensation: new thresholds, time limits, and reduced access to common law damages.
For many firms, this was another challenge to overcome. For GMP Law, it was an opportunity to refine expertise and ensure clients could still navigate the new landscape effectively.
The law changed. GMP Law adapted. Clients continued to receive justice.
The rules change. Our commitment doesn't.
In 2016, NSW removed limitation periods for civil actions relating to child abuse. Survivors could now pursue justice regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred.
For GMP Law, this legislative change was a turning point. The firm reopened matters and secured favourable outcomes for clients who had been denied justice simply because of the passage of time.
This moment established GMP Law’s expertise in historic abuse matters and shaped a long-term commitment: helping clients pursue justice, no matter how much time has passed.
Time doesn't erase trauma. And it shouldn't erase the right to justice.
One of GMP Law’s earliest Queensland cases took the team to Bribie Island after a tragic motor vehicle accident claimed a husband’s life. Within two days, GMP Law met the grieving widow in person, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to clients, no matter the distance.
Early on, the firm also handled matters on Norfolk Island, marking the beginning of its cross-jurisdictional expansion and reputation for going wherever justice required.
Geography has never been a barrier to GMP Law’s commitment.
As the practice expanded, GMP Law introduced mid-level management and team leaders to support growing workload and client needs. Those team leaders became the firm’s first partners, with a formal partnership structure established in the late 2010s.
This wasn’t just about organisational growth, it was about recognising talent, investing in people, and embedding leadership from within. The firm’s future was being shaped by those who had lived its values and understood its mission.
GMP Law’s next generation wasn’t recruited from outside. It was grown from within.
The future of this firm has always been the people who believe in what we're building
When the world went into lockdown, GMP Law didn’t miss a beat.
The firm transitioned to remote operations, ensuring clients could still access the support and advocacy they needed during an unprecedented global crisis. Cases continued. Communication remained strong. Service never wavered.
The transition to virtual hearings and updated case management processes also revealed practical efficiencies that remain in place today. Clients gained more flexible ways to engage with the firm, without losing the direct, personal approach GMP Law is known for.
This moment proved something essential: GMP Law’s commitment to clients doesn’t depend on circumstances. It endures through them.
GMP Law evolved its messaging from “get maximum payout” to “maximum compensation, minimum time.”
This wasn’t just a slogan change, it was a refinement of the firm’s promise. It wasn’t only about securing the best possible outcome. It was about doing it as efficiently as possible, so clients could move forward with their lives.
Justice delayed is justice diminished.
This became the firm’s core value proposition: fighting hard, moving fast, and never losing sight of what clients truly need.
“It wasn't just about settlements, it was about getting clients justice quickly so they could move forward.”
Decades of hard-fought cases reached a landmark: GMP Law secured over $4 billion in settlements for its clients.
This milestone reflects more than financial outcomes, it represents lives rebuilt, families supported, and futures restored. Behind every dollar is a person who needed help when it mattered most.
$4 billion isn’t just a number. It’s thousands of lives touched by justice.
“We don't measure success by settlements alone, but they represent real lives, real families, real futures.”
GMP Law began taking on multi-party cases, challenging major corporations and proving that strength in numbers delivers justice for all.
This expansion into class actions wasn’t about chasing big cases; it was about recognising that some injustices are systemic, affecting hundreds or thousands of people at once. Individual claims might be difficult to pursue. But together, they become undeniable.
This step cemented the firm’s expertise in class actions and its commitment to standing up for everyday people against powerful corporations.
On September 5, 2024, GMP Law commenced a Federal Court class action against Exactech Australia and Exactech Inc., alleging the companies manufactured and supplied defective shoulder, hip, and knee implants that were later subject to product recalls.
On November 13, 2025, the Federal Court approved an $8.7 million settlement, inclusive of legal costs. Though reached without admission of liability, this first major class action settlement marked a turning point, cementing GMP Law’s capability in multi-party litigation and complex product liability cases.
The firm delivered meaningful outcomes for a large group of affected Australians, proving its ability to take on complex, high-stakes litigation.
GMP Law established a permanent office in Melbourne, Victoria, extending the firm’s commitment to delivering justice across Australia.
Within 12 months, the Victorian practice expanded to support clients across metropolitan Melbourne and key regional centres including Geelong and Ballarat, extending GMP Law’s expertise to injured Victorians across the state. This expansion marked a new chapter in GMP Law’s story, solidifying its position as a truly national firm with local presence and deep community connection.
With the introduction of an equity partnership model, GMP Law positioned itself for sustainable growth and continued leadership into the next 30 years.
This structural evolution ensures that the people who embody the firm’s values have ownership in its future: that client-focused principles remain at the heart of every decision, and that the next generation of leaders has the tools to carry the mission forward.
The firm’s foundation is stronger than ever. Its future is built to last.
The next 30 years will be shaped by the same values that built the first 30.
For three decades, GMP Law has been defined by tenacity. When the fight was hard, we didn’t back down. We led the way, setting standards that other firms would come to follow.
As we look ahead, one thing remains certain: the future of GMP Law will be shaped by the same values that built it. Our commitment to clients, our willingness to challenge the status quo, and our relentless pursuit of justice. These aren’t just our history, they’re our promise for the years ahead.
Here’s to the next 30 years. And to every client who trusted us to fight for them.
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