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Global law firm Ashurst has strengthened its partnership ranks, elevating 18 lawyers to partner, with half of the new cohort based in Australia.
Ashurst has bolstered its global partnership, appointing 18 new partners, with nine of the cohort based across four of its Australian offices, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
The new partners are set to step into their roles on 1 May 2026.
The latest partner promotion round at the global law firm spans 11 practice groups, with its disputes, global loans, and energy transition teams accounting for 61 per cent of the new appointments.
Beyond its Australian promotions, Ashurst has also elevated lawyers to partner across key international hubs, including Abu Dhabi, New York, Milan, Paris, and London.
Karen Davies, global chair at Ashurst, commended the firm’s newly appointed partners, describing their promotions as a recognition of both their individual excellence and the dynamic, forward-looking culture underpinning the firm’s global success.
“I’d like to congratulate our 18 new partners on this very well-deserved milestone. They each represent the best of us as a firm: high-quality talent, and, importantly, trusted advisers,” Davies said.
“Each of our new partners has made an outstanding contribution to our clients and the global firm, and I’m sure they will continue to do so. This promotion reflects not only their individual accomplishments but also the collaborative, forward-thinking culture that defines the firm.”
Davies added: “We remain deeply committed to investing in our people and nurturing the future generation of leaders, and we are confident that this group will be instrumental in shaping the next phase of our growth.”
Paul Jenkins, global CEO of Ashurst, also welcomed the appointments, highlighting their contribution to client service and the firm’s broader strategic direction, particularly as it prepares for its upcoming combination with US firm Perkins Coie.
“I am delighted to welcome our 18 new partners, who have all played a significant role in serving the needs of our clients,” Jenkins said.
“These appointments reflect Ashurst’s strategic priorities as we move toward our exciting combination with Perkins Coie, and continue to strengthen the depth of capability across our global platform.”
The new Australian partners include Sharon Liu (corporate transactions, Sydney), Phillip Aquilina (dispute resolution, Sydney), Srishti Natesh (dispute resolution, Sydney), Nick Perkins (IP/media, Sydney), Wilson Liu (global loans, Sydney), Arjuna (AJ) Guruge (Ashurst Advance Digital, Melbourne), John McKellar (competition, Melbourne), Libby McKillop (planning, access and environment, Brisbane) and Kate Gould (real estate, Perth).
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