SYDNEY: Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of NSW, officially opened HBA Legal's new Sydney office last night.

Around 80 people gathered in the firm's new space within a heritage building on Pitt Street, to mark the occasion. Guests included many of HBA's clients and employees as well as barristers and members of the judiciary.

HBA Legal co-founder Nathan Hepple said it was an office opening with a difference, raising funds for the Arts Law Centre of Australia – the national community legal centre providing free or low-cost legal advice to Australian artists and arts organisations.

"It was never going to align with our values to put on a fancy cocktail party without substance: doing that, frankly, seemed self-indulgent" Mr Hepple said.

"While we wanted to celebrate moving into our beautiful new space, we also felt it was important to do something community spirited that had a connection to our business."

Earlier this year, HBA Legal ethically sourced and purchased an Indigenous artwork by respected Ngaanyatjarra artist Elizabeth Holland, a member of the Warakurna community in the Goldfields-Esperance region on Western Australia's border with the Northern Territory.

The artwork with an estimated value of around $4000, was raffled by HBA Legal with all money raised donated to Arts Law.

HBA Partner, Dr Andrew Lu OAM, who is also on the Board of Arts Law said: "Marking our office opening celebration by supporting a community legal centre that does valuable work nationally is a clear demonstration of the values-driven culture we strive to foster, and our commitment to social inclusion via our four core values of being collaborative, creative, genuine and generous."

Her Excellency is the immediate past President of the Arts Law Centre of Australia.

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