Celebrating 20 Years Of Partnership Bruce Medley And Rebecca Fabbro

Alongside Mr Clark, Senior Partner Bruce Medley is one of the longest serving team members in the history of Groves and Clark, celebrating the 50th year of his tenure in 2024. Meanwhile, Managing Partner Rebecca Fabbro marks her 25th year, with the pair honouring 20 years of partnership this year as well.
Bruce started with the firm on January 2, 1974, as an Articled Clerk after he was offered a job by Ian McDonald while finishing his studies. He was admitted as a Solicitor in late October 1974 and was offered partnership a week later, becoming a partner on January 1, 1975. A former East Ayr State School and Ayr State High School student, Bruce ironically started grade 8 at ASHS the same year Ian was in his senior year at the same school.
In Bruce’s earlier years in the firm, he specialised in personal injury work, saying he had quite a few successes and some very memorable cases. During his legal career, he has practised in almost every area of Law and says, recently, he’s virtually followed in Mr Clark’s footsteps, practising primarily in matters involving the sugar industry and sugar cane farms, commercial and residential conveyancing, leasing, wills, estates and estate planning although he also handles other matters as required.
“The work has a lot of satisfaction, a lot of frustration, there are some days when you don’t feel like coming to work because you know what’s facing you, but when you’re helping people and getting the results for them, there comes a personal satisfaction with what you’ve done,” Bruce said.
Throughout his career, Bruce has been involved in service clubs and continues to assist local clubs and organisations with honourary work. His community involvement continues as he’s been active with the Australian Air Force Cadets for the last 28 years.
“All the time that I’ve been here, it’s really been like a family rather than a business,” he said. “It’s my hometown, I know most of the people I act for, and the loyalty of the clients has been incredible.”
Rebecca calls it the “Groves and Clark family”, saying, “It’s the people and it’s our long-term clients. There are people who have been clients of the firm forever, we’ve got families who have been with us for multiple generations. I love that sense of history that we have.”
Rebecca’s journey is proof of the Groves and Clark family. As her family’s solicitors, she completed work experience with the firm while at university before starting permanently as an Articled Clerk in 1999, offered a job by her family’s Solicitor at the time, John Gaviglio. She completed her primary and secondary schooling at Airville State School and Burdekin Catholic High School respectively before attending James Cook University where she obtained a Bachelor of Commerce-Bachelor of Laws in 1998. Rebecca then became Partner in 2004 and practises in Residential, Rural & Commercial Conveyancing, Succession Law & Estate Planning.
“I feel proud to be part of something that has been around for so long and hopefully we’ll still be here in another 90 years,” Rebecca said. “You have to have the right sort of personality and temperament to have a successful partnership and I’d like to think that, over the years, the partners at Groves and Clark have all had that temperament and nature that allows people to express their opinion while also being able to listen. There is the respect between all members of staff and its enjoyable to work with people that you like on a day-to-day basis. And, when you’re working in a small town and in a firm like ours, you develop relationships and friendships with your clients and I enjoy that part of what we do.”
Bruce and Rebecca lead a team of four solicitors, also including Alicia Roncato and Lisa Sarri, all of whom are proudly born and raised in the Burdekin.
“We are really proud of the work that we do and the service that we give,” Rebecca said. “The four of us are all born and bred here. We all live and work in our town, our families are growing up in this town, and those connections we have to our community play a huge role in us being able to provide a really good service. The firm does have some strong paths sitting there for the next stage and we have some very experienced people there who form the backbone of what is Groves and Clark today.”

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Senior Partner Bruce Medley and Managing Partner Rebecca Fabbro mark 20 years of business partnership in 2024

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