Dransfield was a partner with Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson) for more than 16 years in Sydney, while Johnston held the positions of partner, head of insurance and chairman over the course of 21 years with HWL in Sydney.

Dransfield has practised extensively in employment law, acting for major corporations across the financial services, transport, retail, professional services and IT sectors. She has substantial experience advising on executive employment issues, workplace change projects and HR strategies and policy.

Dransfield has also acted on complex employment claims and disputes and is experienced in the development and delivery of innovative workplace training programs including at board and senior management levels.

Johnston is a senior commercial litigation lawyer with experience in managing large scale, multi-party, complex cases. He has acted in leading cases concerning shareholders' class actions, directors' and officers' liability, music piracy and competition and trade practices law.

“These appointments reflect our desire to continue building the firm's capabilities in practice areas which are both important to our clients and which generate business opportunities that are complementary with the firm’s other practice areas,” said Peter Slattery, managing partner at JWS.