Our Legacy
Honest advice. Built to last
For more than 25 years, Hope Earle has stood for one thing: good, honest legal advice that genuinely helps people. The work we do has changed. That principle has not.
Where we began
Hope Earle was established in Melbourne in 2000 by Phillip Earle and associates. James Hope joined the firm in 2011. Together they built one of Melbourne's most respected commercial law firms, acting for clients from SMEs through to publicly listed and multinational companies.
Phil and James earned that reputation the straightforward way. They gave clients honest advice, even when it was not what a client hoped to hear. They looked for the practical solution rather than the most complicated one. And they never lost sight of the fact that behind every business was a person relying on them to get it right.
Both have now retired from practice. Their names remain on our door, and the standards they set remain in everything we do.
A firm that grew with its clients
In 2020, David De Alwis and Elyse Byrne brought a family law practice to Hope Earle. Clients who had trusted the firm with their businesses began trusting it with their families, and the practice grew quickly.
Since 2026, Hope Earle has been a dedicated private client firm. Today we act in complex family law matters, including international and Hague Convention cases, alongside migration, property and estate planning. The firm is led by David De Alwis and Elyse Byrne, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast, and migration offices in Singapore and London.
Our story at a glance
Building on their legacy
Our clients have changed, but what they need from their lawyers has not. Separation, a move to a new country, buying a home and planning for the next generation are among the most significant moments in a person's life. We bring the same standards Phil and James set to every one of them.
Honest advice: We tell you plainly where you stand and what is realistic, so you can make decisions with confidence.
Helping people: Every matter is personal to the people involved. We stay close to our clients, communicate clearly and treat your matter with the care it deserves.
Strategic, solutions-focused thinking: We start with the outcome you need and plan the clearest path to reach it. We resolve matters where we can and run them in court where we must.
Cost-effective outcomes: We give you clear advice on costs from the outset and keep the work proportionate to what is at stake.
The next chapter, on the same foundations
“Phil and James built a firm people trusted because its advice could be relied on. That trust is the most valuable thing they left us, and we work to earn it again with every client we act for.”
David De Alwis
David De Alwis Managing Principal
Elyse Byrne
Principal
James Hope
Consultant