Since 1998, our clients have included most of the largest law firms in Australia, many other law firms, a range of government agencies and public companies, the International Labour Organization of the United Nations, and the European Central Bank. Our team has a combined 50 years of experience in plain language training, professional services and the law. We are recognised both locally and internationally as leading plain language advocates and providers.
Our founder, Christopher Balmford, is the Convenor of the International Organization for Standardization’s Working Group (ISO TC 37/WG 11). You can read about the ISO project on the International Plain Language Federation's website. Christopher became involved in the ISO project because he chaired the International Plain Language Federation’s Standards Committee. In 2019, the Federation initiated a Standards Australia proposal to ISO for a plain language standard. In June 2019, at the annual forum of the relevant ISO Technical Committee (TC 37) in Ottawa, Canada, Christopher presented the case for the standard. He did so on behalf of Standards Australia. ISO approved the proposal.
Also, Christopher:
- is a former president of Clarity — a worldwide network of professionals who are committed to promoting plain legal language; and
- was on the advisory group for IC Clear, an EU funded project to develop an international postgraduate course in clear communication. A course built on the EU’s project is now available online at Simon Fraser University in Canada.
- was the founder, and former Managing Director, of Cleardocs, which provides online legal document packages — for example, to set up companies and trusts. In 2011, ThomsonReuters acquired Cleardocs.