A History of the Firm

MacDonald Oates opened for business in Petersfield shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. The firm’s founders, George MacDonald and Kenneth Oates, had started out in practice in Portsmouth before moving to the town. After military service intervened, MacDonald Oates reconvened after the war and the firm has been in Petersfield ever since.

In 1954 the firm moved into Square House, an historic listed building in the heart of the town square.

The firm’s Midhurst office was opened in 1978 and has occupied its current premises in Knockhundred Row since 1985. Since that time the firm has grown substantially and in 2004 the firm took on a second Midhurst office, with the existing building housing litigation and family services and the second building other non-contentious and commercial services.

In June 2006, after 52 years in Square House, the Petersfield office moved to modern, purpose built premises at Walltree Court, two minutes walk from Square House, to enable the firm to accommodate additional staff, to allow further growth and to offer better facilities to our clients.

In July 2009, the firm converted to a limited liability partnership (LLP).