The firm commenced on 1 July 1995 when Denis Farrar, Olivia Gesini and Jim Dunn formed a partnership together with an associate lawyer, Ann Northcote, and five support staff. They established a premises in the Prudential Building, on the corner of London Circuit & University Avenue, Canberra City. Due to growth, in April 1997 FGD moved to larger premises in the Colonial Mutual Building, 17-21 University Avenue, Canberra.
In December 2007, three of the partners opened an affiliated specialist superannuation and estate law firm called ‘Certus Law’, and in 2016 Certus Law merged with Farrar Gesini & Dunn to become Farrar Gesini Dunn, the firm’s current brand.
In 2008, Consensus Family Lawyers was added as a secondary brand, emphasising alternative means of dispute resolution. Consensus was absorbed back into the FGD brand in 2012.
In 2011, the firm opened its first interstate office in Melbourne, headed by Sarah Keenan.
In November 2014, the Canberra office relocated to the current premises in Rudd Street and became one of the first legal firms in Australia to embrace a paperless activity based workspace.
In 2017 the firm opened premises in Sydney.
