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Australian law firm Hall & Wilcox has expanded its corporate and commercial practice with the appointment of two partners and three lawyers from rival firm K&L Gates.
In a mass move, five senior lawyers have joined Hall & Wilcox from fellow BigLaw firm K&L Gates in its corporate and commercial practice in Brisbane.
The appointments come following the firm adding an experienced cyber and technology partner to its Sydney office and an experienced employment lawyer in Canberra.
Carl Hinze and Khilen Devani will join as partners, alongside the addition of Leisa Nolan and Mitchell Riggs joining as senior associate and associate respectively, with Eboni Sydes joining as a lawyer.
The addition of these lawyers will bring the Brisbane office to over 130 people, and will look to expand Hall & Wilcox’s M&A corporate advisory offering and bolster its cross-border and Asia-facing capability.
Hinze and Devani will lead an established mid-market corporate practice spanning domestic and cross-border M&A, equity capital markets, joint ventures, corporate advisory and governance, foreign investment regulation and international commercial arbitration.
The team will advise clients both internationally and in Australia across renewable energy, technology, healthcare, mining & resources and professional services sectors.
It’s not the first in recent times that Hall & Wilcox has added a group of lawyers from a single team, with the firm also poaching three senior lawyers from Piper Alderman in July to join its Melbourne office.
Speaking on the appointments, Hall & Wilcox chief executive partner, Graydon Dowd, noted that the appointments reflected the firm’s goals for its Brisbane practice.
“Carl and Khilen have built a high-quality practice with strong client and referrer relationships, and their experience is highly complementary to the work we already do across the firm,” Dowd said.
“There is a real opportunity to connect their corporate and cross-border practice with our broader national offering, while giving their clients access to expertise across the full range of their legal needs.”
On joining the firm, Hinze emphasised his excitement in joining the team in what is an important time for independent Australian firms.
“I am delighted for our team to be joining Hall & Wilcox at such a pivotal time for independent Australian firms,” Hinze said.
“In today’s complex global market, middle-market M&A and strategic joint ventures require not just technical precision, but an agile and commercial approach.
“The firm’s robust national platform, strong international relationships and entrepreneurial culture provide the ideal environment to help clients structure and execute high-stakes, cross-border alliances and investments.”
Devani highlighted Hall & Wilcox as being a firm that has premium corporate capabilities with a vast understanding of business landscapes both in Australia and on a global scale.
“The Australian corporate sector is moving through a period of significant evolution, driven by shifting regulatory regimes and a dynamic transactional landscape,” Devani said.
“I am excited to join Hall & Wilcox, a firm widely recognised for its exceptional corporate capabilities and deep understanding of the Australian and global business landscapes.
“I look forward to collaborating with a stellar national team to deliver practical, solutions-focused outcomes for our clients in a rapidly changing market.”
