National appoints Mallesons Stephen Jaques as principal legal firm - 29 November, 2000

Mallesons Stephen Jaques has been appointed as the principal law firm for National Australia Bank Group until October 2003, following the completion of a detailed tender process to review legal work done for the National in Australia.

The appointment of Mallesons Stephen Jaques relates to all legal work performed for the group in Australia. However, due to restructuring of the Group's Global Wealth Management business, the National is still considering existing relationships with other legal services providers in respect to that business.

Group General Counsel for the National, David Krasnostein, said the tender process was designed to provide the National with the best and most efficient legal services.

"Firms were reviewed on a wide range of criteria including past performance, technical excellence, innovation, commercial expertise and the ability to deliver sustainable cost-effective legal services, and improve these over time.

"We are pleased to be continuing our long association and relationship with Mallesons Stephen Jaques following this rigorous review," said Mr Krasnostein.

The National has also appointed a panel of nine other law firms in five states, which will be called upon in situations where Mallesons Stephen Jaques is not able to act (eg, through conflicts or other circumstances). The panel comprises:

From time to time the National may supplement this panel with the following firms for specialist matters: Clayton Utz, Allen Allen & Hemsley, Arnold Bloch Leibler and Henry Davis York.