The firm has confirmed that Adam Handley and Richard Guit from Corrs and Xiaofei (Sophie) Chen from Freehills will join the firm as partners. Handley and Guit will be based in the firm's Perth office and Chen in Sydney.

"We are delighted by these lateral appointments, which support our strategy to continue to invest in our capability in the Perth market and to further enhance our inbound investment offering for clients in Greater China and North Asia," Minter Ellison's Chief Executive Partner, John Weber, said.

Minter Ellison's broader capability in the region, particularly in the energy and resources sector, received another boost this week, with news of the opening of the firm's new Mongolia office.

"In Perth, the new partners join 30 lawyers — including four partners — on the ground in that office. Their appointment marks another important milestone in offering clients in Western Australia a team with tier one capability in the strategically important areas of energy and resources, mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure, project development and financing, and international dispute resolution.

Handley has experience in the China market, working with Chinese SOEs and private companies, and specialises in energy and resources, infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. At Corrs where he was a partner, he co-Chaired the firm's China Business Group.

Guit, also formerly a partner at Corrs, specialises in project development and infrastructure (rail, roads and ports), project finance and energy.

Chen is an energy and resources and mergers and acquisition specialist, Minters said. Born in China, and educated in China and in Australia, she works predominantly with Chinese private companies and SOEs on foreign investment and provides head office advisory services to a number of relationship clients. She was special counsel at Freehills.