Hugh King's documented background is centred on Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, where he studied law and where his professional record places him. His legal training took place at the University of Sydney, an institution that has long been part of the city's public and professional life.
King studied at Sydney University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. The University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university, and its law school began a full program of legal instruction in 1890 following the appointment of its first dean, having offered legal examinations since 1855.
He was admitted to the bar in Australia in 1968, an achievement recorded alongside his university studies. This admission marked the formal entry point of his legal career in Australia.
King's documented career was in law. He was a partner of Phillips Fox, a firm that traced its origins to 1864, when it was founded as P.D. Phillips, and that was regarded as one of the largest law firms in Australasia. In 2006 Phillips Fox entered an exclusive alliance with the global firm DLA Piper and operated as DLA Phillips Fox, a name it carried until the two firms merged in 2011.
A profile of King describes him as a lawyer since 1968 and a partner in a national law firm, and states that he is now retired. Alongside his legal career he was an active director and chair of public and private companies. He also chaired industry associations in tourism, the national aviation sector and the health profession, a role that continued until 2005.
The Law Society of New South Wales traces its origins to 1842, when a small group of solicitors sought to promote fair and honourable practice in the profession. It was formalised in 1884 as the Incorporated Law Institute of New South Wales and renamed the Law Society of New South Wales in 1960. The society represents solicitors and, together with the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner, sets and enforces professional standards. King is a Life Member of the society.
The Australian Institute of Company Directors was formed on 1 January 1990 through the merger of the Institute of Directors in Australia and the Company Directors Association of Australia. Its origins lie in the United Kingdom's Institute of Directors, formed by royal charter in 1906, whose Australian state branches appeared in the 1960s. Fellow is one of the institute's six categories of membership, and King holds Fellow status.
