Goldberger is a recognised authority on Australian contract law, having served in 2012 on the federal attorney-general’s expert panel on the reform of Australian contract law.

Goldberger provides advice primarily to Australian government departments and agencies on all aspects of construction and procurement, including the preparation of contracts, analysis of construction and project risk and the application of force majeure clauses.

Prior to joining Ashurst, Goldberger was a lecturer in contract and commercial law at the University of Sydney.

HDY raided Ashurst’s partnership earlier this year, poaching construction partners Kevin Arkwright and Graham Read.

Last month, Lawyers Weekly exclusively revealed that Ashurst was about to lose another partner, Liza Carver, head of the firm’s competition law practice. Carver will join Herbert Smith Freehills early next year.

Just weeks prior to poaching Carver, HSF nabbed two more Ashurst partners – Ian Williams and Damien Roberts.

In the first half of 2014, the head of infrastructure, Chris Mitchell, and the firm’s Australian pro bono head, Anne Cregan, also left the firm.

HDY has also had its share of partner defections this year.

Financial services partner Anne MacNamara left the firm last month.

HDY also lost real estate partner Justin Madden in June, along with long-serving corporate partner James Lonie and two senior associates.

In February, financial services group head Liz Gray quit HDY after 18 years at the firm to join K&L Gates, taking three other HDY lawyers with her.

Gray’s departure was followed by a round of redundancies, which saw 13 Sydney-based staff lose their jobs in March.