Peter Thompson graduated from the University of New South Wales with Commerce and Law degrees in 1981.  He has worked for the last 28 years specialising in commercial litigation.   

He commenced his career as a solicitor with Hunt & Hunt, in Sydney and for a short period, also lived in Darwin where he managed a large commercial litigation practice servicing a number of insurance company clients operating in the Northern Territory. 

In 1985 Peter returned to Sydney to work with Mallesons Stephen Jaques in its commercial litigation area as a senior litigation solicitor.  He was with Mallesons for five years and acted in a number of large litigious matters, including on the Westmex and Bond receiverships in the late 80s.   

Peter left Mallesons in 1991 to take up a consulting position with the then Australian Securities Commission (ASC) as a ‘Special Litigation Consultant’.  This position was to assist the then, ASC to develop a civil litigation programme focusing on enforcement action through civil recoveries.  Peter moved into a managerial position and was responsible for some 12-13 lawyers.  He also took a ‘hands on’ role in some of the ASC’s major investigations and litigation, including relating to the Austwide and Compass collapses.  Whilst at ASC he assisted it to set up its dealers’ licensing surveillance and enforcement programmes.  He gave in-house training to ASC personnel concerning the exercise of ASC powers and dealer surveillance.

 In 1993 at the completion of the consultancy contract, Peter set up his own firm to continue to service the ASC on particular projects and he also received referrals from major law firms to conduct litigation on ASC (later ASIC) related matters and other commercial disputes.  His practice grew largely servicing referral work from a number of the major law firms.

Between 1993 and 1997, Peter conducted the practice as Peter C. Thompson, Solicitor.  In 1997 he took a business partner, Vicki Eslick and thereafter, changed the name of the practice to Thompson Eslick Solicitors.  The practice operated profitably and successfully serviced a number of clients with a particular emphasis on Company related issues and disputes.  The practice also developed an Industrial Relations expertise.  Following the resignation of his business partner, Vicki Eslick in 2003, Peter merged his practice into the firm of TurksLegal to support its Insurance and Financial Services Group.  Peter worked as “Consultant Solicitor” with TurksLegal from late 2003 to 2005.  In late 2005, he again set up his own firm, trading as Thompson Eslick, moving files and clients across with him.  In 2006 a long time friend and associate, Ian Craig joined him from Hunt & Hunt as Consultant Solicitor to assist with the growing commercial litigation practice.  With Ian Craig and a team of bright young lawyers, Thompson Eslick has become a well respected and successful commercial litigation practice in the City, acting for large and small corporations, senior executives and other individuals in a wide range of large and small litigious matters.  It has represented clients in a number of ASIC, and APRA hearings and investigations, as well as in ACCC and ICAC investigations.  The firm has appeared in for clients the ‘Cash for Comment’ enquiry, the HIH Royal Commission and the Oil-for-Food Enquiry and appears regularly in cases in the Supreme and District Courts of NSW, the Federal Court of Australia, and in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.