Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks is joining the board of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, broadening his post-politics corporate career beyond the financial sector.
Mr Bracks, who led Labor to three election wins between 1999 and 2006, will in February commence as a non-executive director of the plaintiff law firm, it will announce on Tuesday.
He will be the second non-executive director on the board alongside Joan Fitzpatrick. The remaining directors are lawyers from within in the privately-owned firm, including chair Steve Walsh and chief executive Jacob Varghese.
The former premier is also chair of the $41 billion industry superannuation fund CBUS, a non-executive director of insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia and the Bank of Sydney.
Maurice Blackburn has in recent years led legal action against some of Australia's corporate giants, including a shareholder class actions against the Commonwealth Bank over its disclosure of a money laundering compliance scandal, and a pro-bono lawsuit against gaming heavyweights Crown and Aristocrat.
Superannuation funds such as CBUS are among the largest investors in the country, and are therefore often included by law firms when they are launching shareholder class actions.
Mr Bracks said joining the law firm's board would allow him to bring together his interests in both business and policy.
"I remain deeply proud that that as premier of Victoria, my government returned common law rights to injured workers," Mr Bracks said in a statement.
"A commitment to justice for all Australians is something that has always been very important to me, and my role with Maurice Blackburn will allow me to continue to play a key role in protecting the rights of working people."
Mr Bracks also said that his role in the superannuation sector had exposed him to the big changes in technology, and the impact this was having on the nature of work and the economy.
"Businesses will need to remain at the forefront of this, and I want to be a continuing part of that debate," he said.
Mr Bracks was premier of Victoria for eight years, and he was replaced by John Brumby in 2007 after Mr Bracks resigned, saying he could no longer give his "body and soul" to the job.
Mr Walsh highlighted Mr Bracks' experience across legal and policy areas.
"Steve will bring a strong commitment to social justice, a deep understanding of public policy and financial and commercial acumen to our Board, and we look forward to working with him in continuing Maurice Blackburn's important work in providing access to justice," Mr Walsh said.
