Ivan L McDonald, a long term resident of the Bayside area, founded the legal practice of McDonald, Slater & Lay in Mentone in 1954. He offered a broad range of legal services to many families and businesses in the district. Successive generations of these same families still use the practice today as their preferred provider of legal services.

Ivan operated as a sole practitioner until Ian Slater purchased the practice in 1983, becoming Ivan’s successor and maintaining a strong link with Ivan’s client base. Ian’s background enabled him to develop the practice to provide for commercial work and estate planning adding to the traditional services of wills, deceased estates and conveyancing which Ivan had been providing.

Peter F Lay, a long standing, experienced and highly respected local practitioner joined his practice with the firm in 1987 and continued to play an important role in the practice until his retirement in 2004.

Elda Bradford joined the practice in 1991 and greatly expanded the firm’s capability to handle commercial litigation and family law matters. Elda is considered to be one of the leading family law practitioners in Victoria.

The deeds of G R Herbert & Co were incorporated into the firm McDonald Slater & Lay in October 2015 after a long association with the principal the late Mr Ewen Cameron. All previously held Wills, Titles & Deed Packets are now in safe custody with McDonald Slater & Lay.

Further staff additions to the practice have broadened the practice’s capacity to provide for specialized advice in an increasing range of other areas.