Internal promotions to partner were John Storey in the Melbourne tax team, Ziv Ben-Arie in the Sydney building & construction team and Ariel Borland in the Melbourne commercial disputes & insolvency team.

Mills Oakley chief executive John Nerurker said the internal promotions reflected strong organic growth and the firm’s commitment to career progression.

“This is the largest-ever group of new partners to come through our ranks at one time,” Nerurker said.

“We are currently experiencing strong growth in a number of practice areas and our appointments recognise the outstanding contributions being made. We are thrilled to be able to reward these talented lawyers.”

Cliff has practised almost exclusively in the area of commercial litigation for more than 20 years and has acted in some of Australia’s largest corporate collapses and bankruptcies. He joined the Brisbane office with two of his team.

Ketsakidis brought three lawyers with him. He advises a range of participants in the superannuation and financial services industry, including industry funds, corporate funds and pooled superannuation trusts, responsible entities and administrators.

Meades has more than 20 years’ experience in the areas of construction and litigation. He advises developers and contractors as well as financial institutions and government departments on all aspects of construction projects. He will join Mills Oakley’s Sydney office in July.

\Nerurker said: “Combined with the additional bench strength we will achieve with Dale, Chris and Peter coming on board, we believe we have enhanced our core strengths and our ability to guide clients through intricate and sophisticated transactions.”