South-west lawyer Nicole Elliott-Struth gets backing of Arnold Thomas and Becker to bring practice to region

Nicole Elliott-Struth will start an Arnold Thomas and Becker practice in Warrnambool this month from home before finding a permanent office centrally in the city.

"Arnold Thomas and Becker were looking to expand out to our region and they got in touch, and the fit seemed right, and it's a great opportunity for them," Ms Elliott-Struth said.

Ms Elliott-Struth, a lawyer for eight years with Stringer Clark in Warrnambool, said she always had her heart set on practising in Warrnambool.

"I pursued law so I could make a difference to people's lives," she said.

"I was born and bred here and didn't ever want to leave, and still don't want to leave.

"Now I have the backing of a big firm, which means there is more opportunity for local people to have their matters addressed."

The coronavirus accelerated a plan for the Melbourne firm to expand to the south-west because Ms Elliott-Struth said she was able to work remotely on cases outside of the region while she established a local workflow.

"I can still provide service to clients via electronicmeans while we are setting up the business in town," she said.

"The firm also know they can move here because they have the infrastructure to provide those services."

Ms Elliot-Struth said she had previously worked in compensation law, representing clients in Warrnambool, Hamilton, Portland and the broader region.

"Initially we will be employing one or two and hopefully we can grow the business and employ a few more," she said.

She said the firm would service personal injury, work cover, superannuation, TAC and public liability claims.

The Warrnambool office will be the firm's eighth permanent Victorian site.

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