International law firm King & Spalding, with 1,300 lawyers across more than two dozen offices globally, has established a foothold in Sydney, marking its first official presence Down Under.
King & Spalding has opened its doors in Sydney, which it said opens a gateway to the international firm’s integrated cross-practice capabilities around the globe for Australian multinationals and multinational clients doing business across the Asia-Pacific region.
The news follows a string of international legal players establishing a foothold Down Under in recent years: top 60 UK law firm Taylor Rose MW debuted in Australia in April 2023, Pogust Goodhead entered Sydney in February 2024, and Spencer West arrived in May of last year.
King & Spalding has been in operation for over 130 years, has 1,300 lawyers in 25 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and reportedly generates over $2.3 billion in revenue. Sydney will be its 26th office.
The firm has, it said in a statement, over 30 Australian and Australia-qualified lawyers who span its transactional, regulatory and litigation practices and its offices in APAC, Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
Darren Gardner, who leads the firm’s global human capital and compliance practice, will serve as the managing partner of the Sydney office.
He is joined, the firm noted, by Sydney-based partners Damien Bailey, Jennifer Chambers, Luke Edwards, and Darren Murphy.
Speaking about the move, King & Spalding chairman Robert D. Hays said: “We have been active in the Sydney market for some time, collaborating across our offices and practices worldwide to open doors to global opportunities for Australian clients.”
Gardner said: “Given the extensive relationships we have in Australia, the large number of Australian lawyers we have firm-wide, and the successes we have achieved for our clients here by opening them up to our practices around the world, fully integrating Sydney into our full-service global platform now is the natural next step.”
“Our global approach to serving this market is working well, and we are eager to grow it.”
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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