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Global firms land spot on Shorten’s trip

user iconJustin Whealing 25 April 2012 SME Law

The Australian heads of Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance have been chosen ahead of lawyers from local firms to accompany Bill Shorten on a trade mission to Israel.

Grant Fuzi, the Australian managing partner of Allen & Overy, and Mark Pistilli, the Sydney managing partner of Clifford Chance, are part of a group of 15 to 20 high-profile Australian business people that will be going on the trip.

A former lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, Bill Shorten, the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, will lead the delegation, which will be in Israel from 29 April to 5 May.

The trip has been organised by the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Israeli Embassy.

Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Mark Pistilli said that before being acquired by Clifford Chance, his former firm Chang, Pistilli & Simmons had connections with the Chamber – something that has been continued at Clifford Chance.

“[The trade mission] is much more relevant to the global firms,” said Pistilli. “If you look at Clifford Chance, and A&O are probably the same, we have a number of partners throughout the network that are Israeli-trained, and we are doing a lot of work in and around Israel in energy and resources and IT.”

The mission will investigate Israel’s superannuation, tax reform, venture capitalism and seed fund models.

The delegation will meet with senior Israeli business and government figures, with a meeting with the controversial Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hoping to be included on the schedule.

Pistilli said while he is in Israel, he will also be meeting with connections that Clifford Chance has in the region.

“In addition to that formal part of the trade mission, which is really about selling Australia’s investment capability, I will be meeting with some of the firm’s clients in Israel, and law firms we have had partners trained at and that we work closely with in Israel and around the world.

“I will be on two tours, the official trade mission and the Clifford Chance tour.”

Other people invited to make the trip include Australian Prudential Regulation deputy chairman Ross Jones, MLC chief executive Steve Tucker and Challenger Group retirement income chairman Jeremy Cooper.

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