Our history
Pacific Legal Network: A Story Rooted in the Pacific
The Pacific Legal Network (PLN) was born from the heart of the Pacific Islands - a region of breathtaking natural beauty, rich cultural diversity, and immense economic potential. Yet, it is also a region marked by geographic isolation and legal fragmentation. It was within this dynamic landscape that our founder, John Ridgway, first saw the opportunity to build something unique.
In the 1990s, John relocated to Port Vila, Vanuatu, where he established Ridgway Blake Lawyers. As a Partner, he worked closely with talented legal professionals from across the Pacific. Through these collaborations, John came to appreciate the ingenuity and resilience of Pacific communities -how they navigated complex legal and commercial environments with limited resources but creativity and local knowledge.
This experience sparked a vision: a formal network of lawyers across the Pacific that could harness local expertise to solve the region’s distinct legal and business challenges. Upon returning to Australia in 2000, John transformed this vision into reality by founding the Pacific Legal Network.
PLN began as a referral-based alliance of lawyers from countries including Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and American Samoa. The network quickly became a trusted conduit for international investors, banks, and companies seeking local insight and legal guidance across the Pacific.
During the period between 2000 and 2015 PLN participated in a multi-jurisdictional practice arrangement with PwC and then was part of a publicly listed law firm in Australia. John Ridgway decided to exit that law firm in 2015.
In 2015, PLN sharpened its focus on Melanesia, formalising relationships into member firms from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands -countries with deep historical and commercial ties to Australia. Alongside New Caledonia and Vanuatu, PLN became the first (and remains the only) legal advisory firm operating across the entirety of Melanesia.
A major milestone came in 2020 when PLN became a national practice group of Macpherson Kelley. This partnership enabled PLN to draw on the expertise of over 300 legal professionals, expanding our capacity to advise clients on a wide range of issues affecting the Pacific. It also marked Macpherson Kelley as the only Australian law firm with offices in more than one Pacific Island countries (and outside Papua New Guinea too!).
Since then, PLN has redoubled its efforts to provide clients with a seamless, one-stop legal solution across the Pacific. We’ve expanded into Micronesia, welcoming colleagues from Palau and the Northern Mariana Islands. In 2022, our footprint extended into Asia with member firms in Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia - countries that, while geographically Asian, share strong cultural and economic ties with the Pacific. We also added an office in London which operated to assist inbound investment from Europe and the UK towards the Pacific.
We work hand-in-hand with Pacific communities and define ourselves by our commitment to the region. Our lawyers have contributed to projects that shape the Pacific’s future and enhance its connectivity and resilience. These include advising on the rollout of submarine cables to connect remote communities to the Internet, supporting the establishment of financial institutions to improve access to finance, and working on landmark environmental litigation. Notably, PLN lawyers have been involved in the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and the Rennell Oil Spill litigation - efforts that underscore our dedication to sustainability and justice. In this way, the history of PLN is deeply intertwined with the evolving story of the Pacific itself.
Today, PLN spans over 20 countries, connecting islands as diverse and dispersed as Singapore and French Polynesia. In October 2025, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary in Sydney, joined in person by lawyers from 16 countries - a powerful testament to the strength of our relationships and the enduring spirit of collaboration that defines PLN.
Languages we speak: English, Bahasa Indonesian, Timorese, Portuguese, Mandarin, Tok Pinsin, Samoan, Gilbertese, Tuvaluan, Nauruan, Tok pijin, Bislama, French, iTaukei (Fijian), Fijian Hindi, Tongan, Rarotongan, Reo Maori