Cullen Macleod acquires Rhodes family’s lawyers and poaches Jackson McDonald partner in high-net-worth push

One of the local law firms feasting on a high-stakes stoush between Gina Rinehart and two rival iron ore dynasties has been bought out as part of a push from its acquirer to win more legal business from Perth’s wealthiest. Nedlands-based Cullen Macleod Lawyers has taken over boutique commercial firm Taylor & Taylor and poached Jackson McDonald partner Sally Bruce to be its principal of wills, estates and succession planning. Taylor & Taylor notably acts for the Rhodes family in its showdown with Mrs Rinehart and the Wright family over billions of dollars worth of Pilbara iron ore royalties. The WA Supreme Court battle involving the three wealthy parties generates combined legal fees well into the tens of millions of dollars a year. DFD Rhodes — the Rhodes family’s private company — has claimed a right to 1.25 per cent of royalties from the massive Hope Downs iron ore mining operation, owned and operated by Mrs Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto. The DFD claim centres on a disputed 1969 agreement between Mrs Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock, Don Rhodes and Peter Wright. The move to absorb Taylor & Taylor and bring Ms Bruce on board represents a big push by the mid-market Cullen Macleod, which now has a headcount of 36, to win more work from Perth’s elite. Ms Bruce has carved up estates and trusts for ultra-rich families for more than two decades. She was recognised as one of WA’s three preeminent wills, estates and succession planning lawyers in the 2025 Doyle’s Guide. “WA clients want speed, sector fluency and judgement,” Cullen Macleod director Catriona Macleod said. “Bringing Taylor & Taylor into the tent and elevating estates leadership under Sally positions us to set the pace for the mid-market, especially when disputes escalate and decisions can’t wait.” Taylor & Taylor co-founder Michael Taylor said the acquisition gave his clients exposure to “a larger platform” without losing their “trusted advisers”. “We’re keeping the responsiveness that built our client base, with added bench strength where WA businesses most often need it,” Mr Taylor said. “That responsiveness is calibrated to a system finalising more civil matters year-on-year.” Commercial terms of the Taylor & Taylor acquisition have not been disclosed. There is growing competition in the legal sector to capitalise on Australia’s accelerating wealth handover. The Productivity Commission projects a four-fold increase in inheritances by 2050. WA’s State Administrative Tribunal reported a 16 per cent increase in guardianship and administration applications in the 2025 financial year and during the same period the State’s Public Trustee examined 1923 sets of accounts covering more than $4.1 billion in assets.