MALLESONS Stephen Jaques and Corrs Chambers Westgarth each have a partner joining the Takeovers Panel in this week's string of new appointments to the peer review body.

Mallesons partner, John Humphrey, has become one of six new members to join the Takeovers Panel. Humphrey is an experienced company directory and currently sits on the boards of Downer EDI Limited, Horizon Oil and Wide Bay Australia Limited. Based in Brisbane, Humphrey joins Mallesons Sydney M&A partner, David Friedlander, who is already on the Panel.

Corrs partner Stephanie Daveson, from the firm's Brisbane office, also joined the Panel this week. She practices in regulated and unregulated mergers and acquisitions, securities industry law, equity capital markets and corporate governance.

Former Corrs partner John Story, who is now chairman of Tabcorp Holdings, chairman of Suncorp-Metway and director of CSR Limited, has also joined the panel. Story had been at Corrs for 36 years until 2006.

Amcor executive Julie McPherson, the head of investment banking for Australia and New Zealand at Citibank, Tony Osmond, and global head of Macquarie Capital's Industrials group, Robin Bishop, also join the Panel.

In addition, eleven members were reappointed. The Panel now includes 53 members, all appointed on a part-time basis for a three year term, consisting of lawyers and bankers.

President of the Panel, Kathleen Farrell, said: "We are grateful to have such highly distinguished professionals involved with the Panel. It is because members make their time and expertise readily available that the Panel is able to offer prompt resolution of takeovers disputes."