He replaces banking & finance partner David Albrecht. In a statement, the firm said Albrecht had enjoyed his tenure as Perth managing partner but was now keen to focus on consolidating his practice.

Stipanicev specialises in corporate and institutional financing and debt, and has acted on major construction and broadacre projects.

Commenting on his recent appointment, Stipanicev said it was an exciting time to lead a legal practice in Western Australia.

“The challenge for all businesses in Western Australia is managing an economy in transition and identifying new opportunities,” he said.

“At the moment there is a great deal of talk about the effect of the transition from mining investment into the export side of the resources boom, but we should not overlook the profit and downstream industry that is going to be generated from exports, and the ongoing investment in the Western Australian energy sector.”

Stipanicev added that the lower Australian dollar would help to attract foreign investment to Western Australia’s agricultural sector, particularly from China and the Middle East, while an underexploited residential sector and growing offshore interest in commercial property would create opportunities in Perth’s property market.