Coming from Perth firm Hunt and Humphry, where he was partner since 2000, McKenna specialises in commercial litigation, mining litigation, native title litigation, land access agreements, negotiating compensation, heritage and intellectual property.

McKenna has been involved in a number of high-profile cases including Ward v Western Australia where he acted as counsel for the pastoral interests in the Miriuwung Gajerrong native title claim before the Federal Court, Full Federal Court and the High Court.

He was also recently involved in the Holocene case where he was counsel for the successful party in the landmark land access decision.

Commenting on the new addition to the Perth office, Allens' Perth practice leader, Andrew Pascoe, said: "Perth is undoubtedly one of the fastest growing legal markets in Australia...But rather than rush into a series of appointments, we've been looking for particular people with specific expertise."

Perth litigation partner Jenny Thorton said: "There's been plenty of talk around the energy and resources law in the west, but the growing demands and complexity of resources agreements, along with often fierce competition for positioning around resources assets and infrastructure, has meant that we've seen a significant upsurge both in disputes and clients seeking advice on how to avoid them."