Australia

Clyde & Co has added Beijing, Australia and Mexico to its list of international targets, as the insurance leader ploughs ahead with plans to expand in the US. The firm is currently weighing up office launches in Beijing and Australia in a bid to take advantage of the booming Asia-Pacific market, with both the east and west coast of Australia under consideration.

Herbert Smith has become the latest UK law firm to set its sights on the coveted Australia market, with the firm entering into merger talks with Freehills. The two firms are holding exploratory discussions about a tie-up, with all options under consideration – including a full merger, a Swiss verein-style deal or a joint venture agreement.

Australia’s Minter Ellison has added a third partner to its London office with the hire of Mayer Brown corporate specialist Michael Wallin. Wallin, who will join the firm next month (1 November), is Australian-qualified and will work with Minter’s clients in the UK and across Europe. His arrival will take the number of partners in Minter’s London office to three, alongside corporate partner Michael Whalley and finance partner Nigel Clark.

When Squire Sanders & Dempsey became the latest international law firm to enter the Australian legal market last month, the move had as much to do with Asia as it did Perth’s booming energy and resources sector. Given the strong trade flows between Perth and Asia, where the firm already has offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, the move to merge with the majority of Minter Ellison’s Perth arm was fuelled by a desire not only to tap into one of the G20’s best-performing economies but to use it as a platform to bolster its Asian practice.

Norton Rose has made a duo of lateral hires in Australia with the addition of a corporate and a banking partner. Gilbert & Tobin partner Martyn Taylor is joining Norton Rose Australia’s corporate group in Sydney, while Corrs Chambers Westgarth banking partner Scott Miller is joining the firm in Melbourne.

Squire Sanders Hammonds is set to launch in Australia with the acquisition of the majority of Minter Ellison’s Perth office. The transatlantic firm is currently finalising discussions with a group of partners from Minter Ellison’s Perth base, with 15 of the office’s 19 partners understood to be in talks over a move after four decided to stay with the Australian firm.

Australia’s Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Chinese leader King & Wood are in talks about forming an alliance, in what would mark a significant tie-up in the Asia-Pacific market. The pair have discussed creating some sort of link or alliance, with one possibility a combination through a verein structure – as used by firms including Norton Rose – which would allow the firms to keep separate finances while centralising some functions.

News that Ashurst has become the latest City law firm looking to stretch its international reach into Australia has got a market already stirred up by the entrance of two magic circle firms within the last 18 months more than a little excited. And that’s even before taking into account an abundance of reports about other British law firms courting Australian outfits, such as City rival Herbert Smith.

Ashurst has become the latest UK practice to set its sights on the Australian legal market, with the City law firm currently assessing its options in the strategically important jurisdiction. Internal sources have cited the most ambitious option as pursuing a tie-up with leading Australian law firm Blake Dawson, with which Ashurst has held exploratory discussions.

Holman Fenwick Willan has launched an office in Perth, marking the firm’s third presence in Australia. The office, which opened today (1 May), will focus on the energy and natural resources sectors. It will be headed by Julian Sher, who joins from Perth’s Francis Burt Chambers.

Holman Fenwick Willan has bulked up its energy practice in Australia with the hire of local partner Robert Desmond and former Clifford Chance (CC) partner Christine Ferguson. Desmond joined Holman Fenwick earlier this month as a partner in Melbourne from the local office of Australian firm Middletons. Meanwhile, Ferguson has joined the firm in Sydney as special counsel from gold exploration and development company Chaarat Gold Holdings, where she worked as in-house counsel.

Norton Rose has won a coveted client mandate in Australia, with the firm appointed as a legal adviser to a local sovereign wealth fund with assets worth A$70bn (£45bn). The firm won the appointment in January this year after the Future Fund conducted the first review of its local law firm arrangements since it was formed in 2006. The review launched in October last year, with Norton Rose securing an initial three-year appointment, with the possibility of a one or two-year extension to its term.

A group of nine partners are set to leave DLA Phillips Fox ahead of the Australian firm’s full merger with ‘best friend’ firm DLA Piper. DLA Piper has confirmed that nine Brisbane partners are leaving the Australian alliance firm, with the group understood to be joining domestic firm Thomsons Lawyers.

Allen & Overy (A&O) is set to strengthen its Australian banking practice with the hire of a partner from Freehills. Adam Stapledon is set to join the magic circle firm’s Sydney office in April, after four years as a partner with Freehills in Australia. He previously worked as a lawyer with Shearman & Sterling in London.

Four of Australia’s largest law firms have lined up on the A$6.7bn (£4.2bn) listing of rail company QR National, marking the second-largest initial public offering (IPO) ever seen in the country. Allens Arthur Robinson advised the Queensland Government with a team including infrastructure partner John Greig, M&A partners Erin Feros, Kylie Brown and Stuart McCulloch and energy partner Grant Anderson.

Australia’s Slater & Gordon, the first-ever law firm to go public, has posted a 21% increase in revenue for 2009-10, taking total turnover to A$124.7m (£71.8m). Profits also saw double-digit growth over the year, rising 16% from A$17m (£9.8m) in 2008-09 to A$19.8m (£11.4m). The firm’s Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listing reported a total dividend of 5c per share for the whole of 2009-10 for the firm.