McGrath will be a partner in the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice, with a particular focus in the area of patent litigation.

McGrath was a senior associate at Dibbs between 2010 and 2012 before she joined Ashurst.

Commenting on her return, McGrath said: “I am thrilled to return to DibbsBarker. The firm has a fantastic culture, a genuine passion to achieve clients’ goals and is committed to excellence and innovation in everything it undertakes.

“I look forward to being part of such an enthusiastic and talented group of people.”

McGrath’s practice covers all aspects of intellectual property, including the protection of confidential information, with a focus on patent and trade mark litigation. She has extensive experience assisting clients with patents for a variety of inventions, from formulations for chemical compounds to power-saving electrical boards. She is particularly practised in pharmaceutical patent litigation, having acted for both generic and originator companies on various patent-related disputes.

Her expertise also lies in the registration of trade marks, including marks for shape and colour, and in litigation regarding trade mark rights.

Palmer joins Dibbs’ private equity practice.

While at A&O and, prior to that, at Herbert Smith Freehills, Palmer did transactional work for leading private equity firms and both national and multinational corporates.

Commenting on his appointment, Palmer said: “DibbsBarker already has a great footprint in the middle market private equity space, which is currently seeing a lot of activity. The firm is an excellent place for me to focus on servicing clients involved in these types of deals as well as private M&A transactions more broadly. I am excited about applying my skills and experience to help a strong team reach the next level.”

Palmer’s expertise includes private equity, M&A, warranty insurance, corporate reorganisations and general corporate advice.

Dibbs’ managing partner Alan McArthur said of the new appointees: “The firm is delighted to welcome Melissa and Jamie to the partnership. Their appointments demonstrate continuing growth and capability in our chosen industries and areas of practice at a time when the legal services market is contracting. We continue to see significant opportunities in working with our clients in the life sciences, technology and private equity areas.”

Both new partners joined the firm this month and are based in Dibbs’ Sydney office.

Dibbs also has offices in Brisbane and Canberra.