Blake Dawson Waldron has appointed William (Bill) Smith to its construction practice. He returns to Blakes as a partner specialising in construction dispute resolution work. His appointment follows a four-year period with Masons in the UK (recently merged to form Pinsent Masons) where he specialised in advising clients on dispute avoidance strategies and the resolution of complex construction and engineering disputes. Blakes said Smith is highly regarded for his work on large disputes for contractors and in defending high-value professional indemnity claims for a broad range of construction industry professionals.

Equipsuper has appointed Cynthia Lui to the newly created position of corporate lawyer. The company said her appointment reflects Equipsuper’s demand for a dedicated legal resource in order to manage the dual challenges of the complex regulatory environment and the fund’s development. Lui was previously a senior associate in the funds management practice at Freehills and, prior to that, was corporate solicitor for the retail and wholesale funds management area of AXA Australia. Equipsuper will, when appropriate, continue to consult with and refer some legal and compliance matters to Freehills.