Earlier this month, Lawyers Weekly exclusively reported that Sands, along with 10 other Rockwell Olivier employees, which included legal and support staff, had left the firm either on or just prior to 30 June.

Speaking to Lawyers Weekly at the time, Rockwell Olivier’s managing principal in Perth, Brendan Taylor, said the firm’s insurance, liquor & hospitality and wills & estate planning practices had been affected by a “restructuring”.

Sands told Lawyers Weekly that any restructuring was not connected to his departure from the firm, reiterating that the move was his “own making”.

He explained that he decided to join Sparkes to capitalise on the national firm’s strong insurance practice and solid relationships with the insurance industry. He added that the firm’s focus on clients, rather than “internal issues”, was also a drawcard.

The firm has 27 insurance partners in a 63-strong partnership, with a further 142 lawyers working in the insurance practice.

Sands would not confirm whether he had taken clients across to his new firm, however, he said that he was confident that he would maintain long-standing client relationships.

Sands, along with his entire legal team from Rockwell Olivier, officially started at Sparkes on 4 July. The 25-year veteran of insurance law said his CTP-focused practice complements the specialities of Sparkes’ other Perth-based insurance partners.

Sands joined Talbot Olivier in 2002. The firm became part of the Integrated Legal Holdings group in 2007 and launched under the new name of Rockwell Olivier in May this year.