Ms Pearsall specialises in complex commercial litigation, class actions and regulatory investigations.

She spent more than 12 years at Ashurst, having previously acted as a senior legal counsel at AMP.

Sydney office managing partner Diana Chang said Ms Pearsall brought considerable experience to the firm including work “on some of the most significant and high-profile cases recently heard before Australian courts”.

Matthew Newick, Clifford Chance's head of litigation and dispute resolution in Asia Pacific, said the Australian market is "very active" in the disputes and investigations area.

"We are seeing a high volume of cases with clients looking to achieve the best outcomes as efficiently as possible," he said.

"This requires innovative thinking, and Angela's appointment provides another layer of depth to our rich pool of talent."

Clifford Chance recently announced the appointment of 14 new counsel/consultants across the Asia-Pacific region, including finance lawyer Mark Gillgren from the Perth office.