Arthur Athanasiou has departed Rigby Cooke Lawyers, where he was a tax and financial serves partner, for Thomsons.

Adrian Tembel, Thomsons Lawyers' chief executive partner said: "[Athanasiou] will strengthen our corporate practice with his ability to advise a full range of tax clients."

Athanasiou qualified as a chartered accountant in 1987, and has held senior taxation and management positions in the transport and motor vehicle industries.

Athanasiou has focused on dispute resolution, particularly in the SME sector, with both the Australian Taxation Office and the State Revenue Office of Victoria.

Thomsons’ new recruit is a national and state councillor with the Taxation Institute of Australia and he chairs the Law Institute's Tax Law Advisory Committee.