HWL Ebsworth has appointed Stephen Kerr and Teresa Torcasio as partners to the firm's Melbourne commercial team.

Both Kerr and Torcasio join HWL Ebsworth from Freehills, at which Kerr was a longstanding senior partner and Torcasio, an executive counsel.

Kerr brings with him a depth of expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, complex due diligence and broad commercial skills. He led the Freehills commercial contracting team with a broad corporate commercial practice focusing on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financial services, transport industry law, commercial contracting and outsourcing/procurement.

Torcasio specialises in commercial law and provides advice to clients in industries such as retail, manufacturing, mining services and franchising.