Based in Port Moresby, new projects and corporate partner Tureia Sample will, according to the firm, assist clients (including those in Australia) with opportunities in Papua New Guinea.

Later this year, Sample will transition to an office managing partner (OMP) role.

She has 25 years of legal and management experience and specialises in projects and infrastructure (particularly in the energy, social infrastructure, transport and technology sectors), corporate, governance and commercial matters.

Admitted in NSW and PNG, Sample joined Ashurst from PwC Australia’s legal platform, where she was a legal partner for six years and staff partner for three years, after starting her legal career with Allens (in Sydney and Hong Kong) before holding various senior roles at Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia, including as director of corporate affairs and company secretary and the head of commercial partnerships.

“Having been born and raised in PNG, I am excited to join Ashurst and help grow the firm’s offering to clients in PNG and those investing in projects in the country. As the largest global firm in PNG with a longstanding presence, Ashurst offers a compelling combination of local knowledge and international connections to assist clients,” she said.

“PNG is an important market for energy and infrastructure clients, and I look forward to working alongside the team to grow the practice and solve complex problems for our clients."

Ashurst has the largest presence of any global law firm in PNG and provides a full-service offering, with expertise in areas including major energy and infrastructure projects, M&A, corporate governance, litigation, intellectual property and commercial legal services. In the firm’s 100-year history in PNG, Sample is the first female partner appointed.

The new appointment not only reflects the firm’s commitment to the energy transition but also a continued investment in PNG, said Asia-Pacific head of projects and energy transition Angus Foley.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Tureia as a new partner and OMP to the Port Moresby office. Tureia’s diversity of experience across a range of practice areas and her depth of knowledge in the energy, infrastructure and technology sectors make her an excellent partner to lead the PNG practice,” he said.

“Ashurst has the largest infrastructure practice in Australia, and her addition compliments our strategic growth in the sector.”