Our History
Gibson Lyons Lawyers traces its origins to the Fremantle firm of Hardwick Slattery & Foreman in the early 1900s when Clifford Gibson was articled to that firm. When Athol Gibson OBE joined his father in practice after the Second World War, they became Gibson & Gibson.
When old “CB”, then a paraplegic, retired to sole practice in Mandurah, Athol continued in sole practice until 1994 when he was joined by his niece, Andrea Lyons, and her husband Tim Lyons, becoming Athol C Gibson & Associates. At that time, despite a stint as the head of the then Third Party Claims Tribunal in 1967, Athol was a senior member of the Insurance Commission's legal panel and his practice consisted almost entirely of that work.
When Tim and Andrea arrived, having been admitted in Victoria in 1988, the practice expanded into a general litigation and commercial practice and became known as Gibson Lyons Lawyers in 2000.
Athol retired on the 50th anniversary of his admission in 2000. Andrea retired from the practice in 2014 although continues to assist with administration. Tim continues in this boutique practice as the Principal.
Personnel
Tim Lyons
Tim is the principal of the firm, having been admitted to practice in Victoria and the High Court of Australia in 1988, New South Wales in 1991 and in Western Australia in 1994.
A native of Tasmania and graduate of that State's university, he was admitted to practice in Melbourne in 1988 having completed the Leo Cussen Institute Course. Between 1988 and 1990, he worked with Blake Dawson Waldron, now Ashurst, in Melbourne in its insurance litigation division until moving to Sydney to work in its industrial relations and employment law practice. He returned to Melbourne and in 1991 he completed a Graduate Diploma of Labour Law at the University of Melbourne. Family circumstances led to a move to Perth, Western Australia to set up in practice with his wife, Andrea, and her uncle, Athol Gibson OBE (dec.)
His Practice
Since 1994 when it was largely a defendant's insurance practice, the business has developed into a general commercial and litigation practice. Throughout that period, Tim has maintained an emphasis on general litigation, corporate law, workplace relations and family property law.
Tim has appeared as counsel and instructing solicitor in most Courts in Western Australia including the Magistrates, Coroner's, District, Family and Supreme Courts in addition to the State Administrative Tribunal, Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, the former Australian Industrial Relations Commission, the Fair Work Commission, the Federal Court of Australia and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Personal & Community Involvement
Tim has a keen interest in sport, athletics in particular. He served as Chairman of Athletics WA and Ahletics West between 2016 and 1025 and was made a Life Member of UWA Little Athletics in 2016 and of the UWA Athletics Club in 2020. He is currently a director of Australian Athletics.
He is a qualified level 2 athletics coach and a mediocre thrower of discus and hammer, having competed at the World Masters Athletics Championships in 2016. He was the Australian M 55 discus champion in 2018. More recently, he has shown a preference for a kilt and has competed in a number of Highland Games in Scotland and Westen Australia as a member of the Highland Games Association of Western Australia.
He is a former President of the Rotary Club of Nedlands having been an active member since 1996 and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 2007 and again in 2025.
He has previously been Honorary Solicitor for the RSL in Western Australia and the legal representative on the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's Medical Research Ethics Committee.