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National law firm Johnson Winter Slattery is opening a representative office in New York, which will make it the only Australian law firm to have a dedicated presence in the United States.
Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS) is going global, opening a representative office in New York City, bolstering the BigLaw player’s ability to support American clients deploying capital Down Under.
In a statement, the firm said the new office is a response to substantial growth in US investment into Australia, and builds on its longstanding relationships with US corporates, financial sponsors and advisers. The US continues to be Australia’s largest source of foreign investment, the firm continued, particularly across its key areas of private equity, venture capital, technology, and energy.
The firm’s New York office will only practice Australian law, and will be led by corporate partner Andrew Turner, whose team will work with the firm’s foreign investment and competition teams to assist clients with foreign direct investment (FIRB) and antitrust approvals, regulatory strategy and transaction execution.
According to US-based legal publication law.com, JWS will be the first Australian firm to open an office in New York in three decades.
The national firm now has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and New York.
The news follows the firm’s promotion of five lawyers to the partnership in June, 25 other lawyers to more senior roles in the same month, as well as its naming of a new head of AI in March.
Speaking about the news, JWS managing partner Jeremy Davis said: “Our US clients continue to pursue significant opportunities in Australia, and we welcome the opportunity to work more closely with clients and their advisers, providing seamless real-time access to our leading Australian legal expertise.”
Turner added: “US investors are increasingly confronted with complex Australian regulatory issues and market differences that impact deal execution.”
Our presence in New York allows us to closely guide clients and their advisers as opportunities develop,” he said.
With this new office, JWS has become the latest BigLaw player with an Australian presence to get a foothold in the US; following the mergers of what were the global firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Ashurst with US-based firms Kramer Levin and Perkins Coie, to become Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Ashurst Perkins Coie in April 2025 and June 2026 respectively.
