JWS has appointed 16 partners through lateral hires since 2019, with a number of appointments this year alone, including a TMT partner from Corrs, a special counsel from the same firm, two new tax partners and a special counsel in its energy and resources practice.

The firm’s growth is underpinned by a “strong focus on clients and people, quality legal work and down-to-earth culture,” according to Mr Davis.

“Clients are drawn to us given our high level of partner engagement. Leading corporates and funds are increasingly turning to us for their complex problems and high-end transactional work. Our clients seek direct partner interface and can see that our partners and lawyers work seamlessly together. Without silos, billing targets, financial reporting by office or practice group, there is no impediment for collaboration,” he said.

“Partners in other firms are drawn to this unique environment. They also like that we are low on admin, bureaucracy and politics. We attract partners that are keen to solve client problems and get deals over the line.”

The firm has also prioritised its pro bono practice over the last three years, having grown it by 300 per cent since 2019, as reported by Lawyers Weekly.

“This achievement reflects a deliberate and focused investment in the practice at a management level, but also the enthusiasm of our partners and lawyers, and the real desire to help those who are disadvantaged. It has been a clear cultural shift with substantial support within the firm,” Mr Davis said at the time.

“A strong commitment to social justice and community engagement was ‘who we wanted to be’ as a firm and what we considered was part of our professional obligations, so an investment in a formal practice was required.”

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Presently, JWS is looking to continue growing in a few key areas, such as technology and tax, without changing its workplace culture.  

“We expect to see an increase in partner numbers with the promotion of our young stars and strategic lateral recruitment. However, we are not aiming for a substantial shift in size. We like being nimble and independent and believe a substantial shift will put at risk our unique culture,” Mr Davis added.

“Australia’s tech sector is booming and there is no sign of it slowing down. Deals in the tech space have increased over the past three years, with the average deal size more than doubling. Tech is fast emerging as one of Australia’s biggest sectors. We have seen great advancements across a range of areas, including cars, wireless networks, data centres and security. Our clients continue to expand and transform, and we want to be part of that journey.”

And as the tech market continues to boom, the legal profession will also continue to adopt technology at an increasing pace post-pandemic, added Mr Davis.

“Given the competitive nature of our market, law firms will keep turning to technology to improve their business processes, delivery of legal services and client interaction. Many of our clients are embracing such developments and looking to us for guidance on what works well for client engagement (including billing and data analysis) or in a dispute or transactional context. 

“While taking advantage of these changes, we need to be ever mindful of the increasing risk posed by technology, including cyber security breaches,” he said.

“Our focus is always on supporting our clients and their needs. As the tech market booms, we are not only seeing an increase in clients needing support on ECM and M&A deals in the sector, but also to navigate the complex legal issues that come with transformational change.”