Mr O’Neill has come over from PwC, prior to which he served at King & Wood Mallesons. He brings, the firm said in a statement, “strong relationships” with private equity, venture capital and early-stage companies across multiple industries, including technology.

Speaking about the hire, NRF chief executive Alison Deitz said: “We are delighted to welcome new partner Michael O’Neill to our national corporate M&A team, which will continue to grow this year. He will work closely with our corporate M&A, private equity, banking and finance and restructuring partners to help close deals for our major clients.”

The firm’s corporate team leader, Bryan Pointon, added: “Michael’s history of advising dealmakers in Australia and overseas dovetails with our strong focus on complex work for clients across public company M&A, private equity, equity capital markets and restructuring involving M&A elements.

“Our corporate M&A partners and I look forward to working closely with Michael, with a particular focus on our private equity clients.”

And Mr O’Neill noted: “The access that Norton Rose Fulbright provides to international and Australian dealmakers, and the support of respected national corporate M&A, banking and restructuring teams, will be enormously beneficial to my clients.

“I’m excited to be joining a team that is growing in size and momentum at a time when M&A deal and private equity activity could begin to rebound with more stable economic conditions predicted later this year and into 2024.” 

Ms Marsic has joined from the Australian Government Solicitor and worked in the Office of General Counsel at AGS. In January 2022, she was awarded a Public Service Medal in the Australia Day Honours for her services to the law, NRF noted.

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Ms Deitz said: “Sonja’s outstanding career in financial crime and AML will help to further build our firm’s substantial financial crime offering. Her long experience at the forefront of financial crime litigation and regulation places her as one of the leading advisors on risk issues for governments and companies. We are delighted to welcome Sonja to the partnership and our national risk advisory team.”

NRF global chair and head of risk advisory in Australia Scott Atkins said: “Sonja’s immense experience will enable our risk advisory practice to continue to expand to meet the needs of our clients in a rapidly evolving economy, where digital disruption and technological advances are increasing the demand for specialist advice in AML and financial crime.

“We are very pleased that Sonja has decided to join our team, and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients as they navigate these complex areas.”

And Ms Marsic added: “The problem of financial crime, AML and counter-terrorism financing is a global one, which is why Norton Rose Fulbright’s sophisticated global risk advisory offering has tremendous appeal to me.

“I look forward to working closely with the firm’s broad range of advisors who are heavily connected to the world’s major financial centres and the international regulation and enforcement of financial crime.”